SVP, Legal & Compliance

HARMAN International • Novi, MI

3d • $281,250 - $412,500 • Hybrid

About The Position

The SVP Legal & Compliance is a strategic executive responsible for leading HARMAN’s global legal, compliance and governance functions, including Corporate Secretary responsibilities, privacy, and labor & employment (in close partnership with HR). HARMAN is a U.S.-incorporated global company and a subsidiary of Samsung Electronics, and this role requires a U.S.-qualified attorney with strong command of U.S. legal frameworks alongside international expertise. In alignment with the company’s evolving operating model this role will report directly to the Chief Financial Officer (CFO), strengthening integration across legal, financial, risk, and compliance domains to drive enterprise value. The SVP serves as a trusted advisor to the CEO, CFO, Board of Directors, and executive leadership team, balancing risk management with commercial enablement. This leader will ensure that legal and compliance strategies are tightly aligned with financial objectives, operational priorities, and long-term value creation.

Requirements

• Juris Doctor (JD) degree and active membership in good standing with a U.S. state bar.
• 20+ years of progressive legal leadership experience, including service as a General Counsel, Deputy General Counsel, or equivalent enterprise legal executive role within a global organization.
• Strong grounding in U.S. corporate law, governance, and regulatory frameworks, with experience operating in multinational environments.
• Proven experience leading enterprise-wide initiatives and transformations.
• Deep expertise in corporate governance within complex, multinational structures.
• Demonstrated success managing global litigation, regulatory, compliance, and intellectual property matters.
• Significant experience supporting strategic transactions (M&A, joint ventures, complex commercial agreements).
• Enterprise mindset with ability to operate across functions and geographies.
• Strong collaboration across multiple stakeholders—including Samsung, corporate functions, and business leaders.
• Strong financial acumen and ability to align legal strategy with business and financial outcomes.
• Proven ability to influence at Board and C-suite levels.
• Exceptional leadership, talent development, and team-building capabilities.
• Strong change leadership and transformation experience.
• Regulatory, compliance, privacy/data protection, cyber, and risk leadership.
• Corporate governance in complex parent-subsidiary environments.
• Corporate Secretary / board governance experience, including board and committee processes and documentation discipline.
• Strategic and commercial transaction expertise.
• Global litigation and intellectual property management.
• Labor & employment law leadership and strong partnership model with HR.
• Cross-functional and enterprise-wide impact.
• High integrity and sound judgment.
• Strategic thinker with strong commercial orientation.
• Effective communicator with executive presence.
• Collaborative leader with strong emotional intelligence.
• Resilient and adaptable in a dynamic, global environment.

Responsibilities

• Lead global legal strategy, ensuring alignment with corporate, financial, and operational priorities.
• Oversee corporate governance across a complex parent-subsidiary structure, including interactions with Samsung governance bodies, and lead Corporate Secretary responsibilities (e.g., board governance processes, committee support, minutes, and corporate records) as applicable.
• Serve as a key advisor to the Board and its committees, ensuring robust governance frameworks and transparent communication.
• Embed governance as a strategic enabler of enterprise integrity, accountability, and performance.
• Partner closely with the CFO to integrate legal, compliance, and financial risk management.
• Align legal strategies with capital allocation, financial planning, and enterprise risk frameworks.
• Drive cost discipline, legal function efficiency, and optimization of external counsel spend.
• Support strategic financial transactions, including M&A, joint ventures, and restructuring activities.
• Lead global compliance, ethics, and regulatory programs across all jurisdictions.
• Strengthen a “Speak Up” culture with clear reporting channels, non-retaliation principles, and trusted investigation and escalation processes.
• Ensure adherence to U.S. and international laws, including privacy and data protection, labor & employment (in close partnership with HR), anti-corruption, trade compliance, and cybersecurity.
• Develop and scale enterprise-wide compliance and risk programs that proactively protect the company’s reputation and assets.
• Lead crisis management and investigations, ensuring timely and effective resolution.
• Provide legal leadership for complex global transactions, including M&A, partnerships, and commercial agreements.
• Enable business growth by structuring innovative and risk-balanced deal frameworks.
• Partner with business leaders to support market expansion, new business models, and technology-driven initiatives.
• Oversee global litigation strategy, balancing risk exposure with business priorities.
• Protect and monetize intellectual property assets to support innovation and competitive advantage.
• Build and manage a high-performing global legal network, including external counsel.
• Modernize legal operations, including digitalization, process optimization, and data-driven decision-making.
• Act as a change agent, driving cultural and operational transformation across the enterprise.
• Build, develop, and retain a high-performing global legal and compliance team (approximately 125), with strong succession planning and leadership depth.
• Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
• Promote psychological safety and appropriate escalation—ensuring leaders and teams raise issues early and act with integrity under pressure.
• Serve as a role model for ethical leadership and enterprise mindset.

Benefits

• Flexible work environment, allowing for 3 day-a-week hybrid model, and full-time remote work globally for positions that can be performed outside a HARMAN or customer location
• Access to employee discounts on world-class products (JBL, HARMAN Kardon, AKG, and more)
• Extensive training opportunities through our own HARMAN University
• Competitive wellness benefits
• Tuition reimbursement
• “Be Brilliant” employee recognition and rewards program
• An inclusive and diverse work environment that fosters and encourages professional and personal development

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Executive
• Education Level: Ph.D. or professional degree