Assistant General Counsel

AIRSYS USA; Woodruff (SC); On-site; USD 180,000 - 280,000; Full time

Job summary

AIRSYS USA is seeking an experienced Assistant General Counsel to serve as a corporate generalist and lead the in-house commercial contracts program. This role drafts, reviews, negotiates, and manages a broad spectrum of agreements across sales, purchasing, licensing, distribution, and logistics while supporting governance and HR matters.

The ideal candidate has a JD with an active US license and 10+ years in-house experience at a product manufacturer or similar complex business.

Qualifications

• J.D. and active license to practice law in good standing (U.S. jurisdiction).
• 10+ years of legal experience, with substantial in-house experience at a product manufacturer or similarly complex commercial/industrial business.
• Demonstrated depth as a corporate generalist, with particular strength in drafting, reviewing, redlining, and negotiating a wide range of commercial agreements — sales, purchasing, licensing, distribution, and transportation/logistics agreements in particular.
• Practical understanding of the commercial and legal issues specific to product manufacturers, including supply chain, product liability, warranty, and distribution channel risk.
• Working knowledge of corporate governance and entity management practices.
• Experience advising on employment/HR matters, either directly or in close partnership with HR.
• Strong business judgment and the ability to translate complex legal risk into clear, actionable guidance for non-lawyers.
• Excellent drafting and negotiation skills, with meticulous attention to detail.
• Proven ability to manage a high volume of matters independently, prioritize competing demands, and operate with efficiency in a fast-paced, hands-on environment.
• Clear, confident communicator who builds credibility and trust with stakeholders at all levels, including senior leadership.

Responsibilities

• Draft, review, and revise a high volume of commercial agreements across the full product lifecycle, including sales, purchasing, licensing, distribution, and transportation/warehousing.
• Negotiate directly with customers, suppliers, distributors, carriers, and other counterparties, managing redlines through to execution.
• Advise business teams on contract risk, liability exposure, indemnification, warranty, insurance, and limitation-of-liability provisions specific to manufacturing and product distribution.
• Build and maintain playbooks, templates, and standard terms for recurring agreement types; train stakeholders.
• Monitor and advise on supply chain, product liability, warranty, and international trade terms as they intersect with contracts.
• Track contract obligations, renewal terms, and key commercial dates, escalating risk as needed.
• Support corporate governance matters and entity management across jurisdictions.

Skills

Contract drafting

Contract review

Negotiation

Redlining

In-house experience

Corporate governance

Risk management

Cross-functional collaboration

Communication

Education

J.D. degree

Bar license in good standing

Job description

We are seeking an experienced Assistant General Counsel to serve as a corporate generalist and lead commercial contracts attorney within our in-house Legal Department. Reporting to the General Counsel, this role is the primary in-house drafter, reviewer, and negotiator for the full spectrum of commercial agreements our company enters into as a product manufacturer — including sales, purchasing, licensing, distribution, and transportation/logistics agreements — while also supporting core corporate governance and employment matters.

This is a hands-on, high-volume drafting and negotiation role suited to a seasoned in-house attorney who is comfortable owning agreements end-to-end, translating business terms into enforceable contract language, and advising internal stakeholders — sales, procurement, operations, supply chain, and HR — in real time. You will be a trusted legal partner across the business, balancing commercial pragmatism with disciplined risk management.

Key Responsibilities

Commercial Contracts — Core Focus

• Draft, review, and revise a high volume of commercial agreements across the full product lifecycle, including sales and customer agreements, purchasing and supply agreements, licensing agreements (technology, trademark, and IP), distribution and dealer/reseller agreements, and transportation, logistics, and warehousing agreements.
• Negotiate directly with customers, suppliers, distributors, carriers, and other counterparties, and manage redlines through to execution.
• Advise business teams (sales, procurement, supply chain, operations) on contract risk, liability exposure, indemnification, warranty, insurance, and limitation-of-liability provisions specific to manufacturing and product distribution.
• Build and maintain playbooks, templates, fallback positions, and standard terms for recurring agreement types, and train business stakeholders on when and how to use them.
• Monitor and advise on supply chain, product liability, warranty, and international trade/shipping terms (e.g., Incoterms) as they intersect with commercial agreements.
• Track contract obligations, renewal terms, and key commercial dates, escalating risk issues appropriately.

Corporate Governance & Entity Management

• Support corporate governance matters, including board and subsidiary resolutions, minutes, consents, and related recordkeeping.
• Manage entity formation, qualification, and maintenance across the jurisdictions in which the company and its subsidiaries operate.
• Assist the General Counsel with corporate policies, delegations of authority, and signature/approval protocols.
• Support due diligence responses for financings, audits, insurance renewals, and other corporate transactions as needed.

Employment & HR Legal Support

• Advise HR and people leaders on day-to-day employment matters, including hiring, discipline, leave, accommodation, and termination decisions.
• Draft and maintain employment-related agreements and templates (offer letters, separation agreements, restrictive covenants, independent contractor agreements).
• Support development and review of employee handbooks, workplace policies, and compliance training in coordination with HR.
• Help assess and mitigate employment-related risk, partnering with outside counsel on more complex or contested matters.

General Legal Support

• Serve as a responsive, business-savvy legal resource across departments, triaging incoming legal questions and issue-spotting proactively.
• Manage outside counsel engagements for specialized or high-risk matters, including scoping, budget oversight, and invoice review.
• Help identify, assess, and report on legal and commercial risk to the General Counsel and business leadership.

What We're Looking For

• J.D. and active license to practice law in good standing (U.S. jurisdiction).
• 10+ years of legal experience, with substantial in-house experience at a product manufacturer or similarly complex commercial/industrial business.
• Demonstrated depth as a corporate generalist, with particular strength in drafting, reviewing, redlining, and negotiating a wide range of commercial agreements — sales, purchasing, licensing, distribution, and transportation/logistics agreements in particular.
• Practical understanding of the commercial and legal issues specific to product manufacturers, including supply chain, product liability, warranty, and distribution channel risk.
• Working knowledge of corporate governance and entity management practices.
• Experience advising on employment/HR matters, either directly or in close partnership with HR.
• Strong business judgment and the ability to translate complex legal risk into clear, actionable guidance for non-lawyers.
• Excellent drafting and negotiation skills, with meticulous attention to detail.
• Proven ability to manage a high volume of matters independently, prioritize competing demands, and operate with efficiency in a fast-paced, hands-on environment.
• Clear, confident communicator who builds credibility and trust with stakeholders at all levels, including senior leadership.

Preferred, But Not Required

• Experience in a manufacturing, industrial, consumer products, or distribution-heavy business.
• Familiarity with international trade terms (Incoterms), export/import considerations, and cross-border distribution arrangements.
• Experience managing or mentoring paralegals or junior counsel.
• Experience with contract lifecycle management (CLM) tools and other legal technology.

What Success Looks Like in the First Year

• Business teams have a clear, trusted point of contact for commercial contracting and rely on established templates and playbooks for routine agreements.
• Contract turnaround times have measurably improved, with a healthy balance of risk mitigation and commercial pragmatism.
• Corporate governance and entity records are current, well-organized, and audit-ready.
• HR and business leaders view Legal as a proactive, responsive partner on employment matters.
• The General Counsel can rely on this role to independently own a substantial portion of the department's commercial contracting and corporate governance workload.