Deputy General Counsel

ServiceMaster® Brands; Atlanta (GA); Hybrid; USD 196,000 - 265,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental & vision insurance

401(k) with company match

PTO + holidays + floating holidays

Career development & growth

Job summary

ServiceMaster Brands is seeking a seasoned Deputy General Counsel to lead legal strategy for our franchise networks and shared services. This role focuses on litigation management, contract lifecycle oversight, and practical business-minded counsel.

The position requires a JD, active bar membership, and 7–10+ years of in-house leadership experience, with strong negotiation and privacy/data security expertise. Hybrid work from Sandy Springs GA with remote flexibility is available.

Qualifications

• Must hold a JD and be admitted to a U.S. bar in good standing.
• Senior in-house legal leadership experience (7–10+ years) required.
• Experience managing litigation and negotiating commercial contracts.
• Experience building or improving contract management processes.
• Franchise experience is a plus but not required.

Responsibilities

• Provide practical, risk-based legal counsel aligned with business goals.
• Support ServiceMaster Restore and ServiceMaster Clean brands, including marketing compliance.
• Serve as senior advisor to Shared Services (IT and HR) ensuring consistency and compliance.
• Lead review, negotiation, and drafting of a wide range of commercial contracts.
• Advise on litigation and dispute resolution; oversee outside counsel.
• Develop litigation budgets and risk assessments; present recommendations.
• Direct pre-litigation matters, claims, and settlement negotiations.
• Advise on privacy and data security compliance framework.
• Partner with HR leadership for employment counseling and wage/hour guidance.

Skills

Litigation management

Contract negotiation

Contract lifecycle management

Privacy & data security

People management

Franchise experience (a plus)

Stakeholder communication

Business judgment

Cross-functional leadership

Leadership in-house

Education

Juris Doctor (J.D.) from an accredited law school

Job description

Description

We Play to Win—Together. ServiceMaster® Brands is building a future fueled by empowered teams and bold ideas. We’re on a path to double our size, and that takes courage, creativity, and relentless drive. If you’re ready to lead change and help franchisees succeed, this is your moment. Join us and be part of something extraordinary.

Perks & Benefits That Support You

• Medical, Dental, and Vision insurance starting the first day of the month after you’re hired
• Competitive 401(k) match to help you invest in your future
• Enjoy 15 days of paid time off, plus 10 paid holidays and 2 floating holidays to recharge and celebrate
• We’re committed to your development with career advancement and professional growth

Deputy General Counsel

ServiceMaster is seeking a seasoned and strategic Deputy General Counsel to support our growing franchise networks, particularly in the ServiceMaster Restore® and ServiceMaster® Clean brands, and Shared Services teams. This role will serve as a senior legal leader and trusted business partner, providing practical, solution-oriented legal guidance across the organization. The Deputy General Counsel will play a key role in litigation management, commercial contracting and contract lifecycle management, and will help shape legal strategy in alignment with business objectives. This role reports to the General Counsel and is expected to manage legal support staff.

What You Will Do

• Provide practical, risk-based legal counsel aligned with business goals and the needs of a multifaceted franchisor organization.
• Provide legal support to the ServiceMaster® Restore and ServiceMaster® Clean brands, including issue spotting, risk mitigation, ordinary course legal counseling, and compliance relating to marketing and promotional activities.
• Serve as a senior legal advisor and business partner to ServiceMaster Brands’ Shared Services teams (particularly IT and HR), ensuring consistency, compliance, and scalability.
• Lead the review, negotiation, and drafting of a wide range of commercial contracts.
• Advise on all aspects of litigation and dispute resolution, including oversight of outside counsel.
• Develop litigation strategy, budgets, and risk assessments; provide clear recommendations to leadership.
• Direct pre-litigation matters, claims, demand letters, and settlement negotiations.
• Advise on ServiceMaster Brands’ privacy and data security compliance framework and practices.
• Partner with Human Resources leadership to provide ongoing employment counseling, investigation support, and wage/hour compliance guidance.

What You Will Bring

• Juris Doctor (J.D.) from an accredited law school
• Active bar admission and good standing in at least one U.S. jurisdiction
• Senior-level legal experience (typically more than 7-10 years), with in-house legal leadership experience (Assistant GC or higher); large law firm experience preferred
• Demonstrated experience managing litigation and working effectively with outside counsel
• Significant experience reviewing and negotiating commercial contracts and building or improving contract management processes
• Expertise in and experience managing matters relating to intellectual property, privacy, and data security
• Prior people management experience required
• Franchise experience is a plus, but not required
• Strong business judgment and ability to balance legal risk with commercial objectives
• Ability to gain the confidence and trust of senior leaders and franchise stakeholders
• Proven ability to communicate effectively with disparate groups of stakeholders, including private equity sponsors, commercial team members and leadership, other attorneys (including outside counsel), and franchisees

Work Location

This is a hybrid role that will work 2 to 3 days a week in our Sandy Springs GA headquarters and the remainder of the week remotely.

Compensation

Pay ranges at SMB are designed to reflect skills, experience, and business needs. The range shown excludes location-based adjustments, and most new hires start below the top of the range. For this role, the estimated range starts at $230,000.

About SMB

ServiceMaster® Brands is a leading provider of residential and commercial services in restoration, cleaning, moving, and bioremediation. Founded in 1929, we operate 4,600+ locations through 3,200 franchisees, serving over 1 million homes and businesses annually. Today, we do business under several trusted brands across 50 states and nine countries, generating more than $3.5B in system-wide sales: ServiceMaster Restore®, ServiceMaster Clean®, Merry Maids®, TWO MEN AND A TRUCK®, and TWO MEN AND A JUNK TRUCK®.

While each brand has its own identity, we share a vision: to become the most admired brand in every industry we serve. Our purpose—Be there when you need us™—extends to our team, where growth, well-being, and success are priorities.

Equal Opportunity Employer

It is the policy of ServiceMaster Brands, in accordance with all applicable laws, to recruit, hire, train, and promote persons in all job titles without regard to race, color, national origin, genetic information, religious beliefs, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, marital status, pregnancy, disability, protected veteran status, or any other protected classifications, activities, or conditions as required by federal, state and local laws.

Accessibility & Accommodations

If you are unable to complete this application due to a disability, contact this employer to ask for an accommodation or an alternative application process at [e-mail].

Pre-Employment Screening

Employment with ServiceMaster Brands is contingent upon the successful completion of a background check and drug screening. These screenings include criminal background and substance use testing in accordance with applicable laws and regulations.

California Applicants

Background checks are required, and qualified applicants with arrest or conviction records will be considered for Employment in accordance with the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for Employers and the California Fair Chance Act.

Privacy Policy

https://www.servicemaster.com/california-applicant-privacy-notice/

Artificial Intelligence (AI) Use in Our Hiring Process

We use artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled tools to support limited aspects of our recruiting and hiring process. These tools may assist with drafting and refining job descriptions and job postings, identifying application materials that appear responsive to job-related qualifications, and generating or suggesting interview questions and other recruiting content.

Our applicant tracking system and other recruiting technologies may analyze information provided in application materials, including work history, education, skills, certifications, qualifications, and other job-related information submitted by applicants. AI-generated outputs may include suggested candidate matches, recommendations, summaries, or other recruiting support tools designed to assist recruiters and hiring managers.

AI-generated outputs are reviewed by recruiters and hiring managers and are not used as the sole basis for employment decisions. Human judgment is applied throughout the hiring process, and all hiring decisions are made by Company representatives. We seek to evaluate candidates based on job-related qualifications and are committed to using AI-enabled tools in a responsible, fair, and transparent manner consistent with applicable law.

Applicants who require a reasonable accommodation during the application or hiring process, including with respect to any technology used in that process, should contact [e-mail].