Deputy General Counsel

SVP Worldwide; Nashville (TN); Hybrid; USD 180,000 - 280,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid work schedule

Medical, dental, vision benefits

401(k) plan

Job summary

SVP Worldwide is seeking a Deputy General Counsel to lead the global legal function in a fast-paced, PE-backed environment. You will manage the legal team, outside counsel, and key transactional and compliance initiatives across manufacturing, consumer products, and distribution.

The role emphasizes scalable processes, practical guidance, and collaboration with business leaders. Hybrid work in Nashville offers significant growth and impact across the organization.

Qualifications

• J.D. from an accredited law school.
• Licensed to practice in at least one U.S. jurisdiction.
• 10–15+ years of legal experience.
• Experience with private equity environments and manufacturing/consumer products is preferred.
• Experience supervising outside counsel.

Responsibilities

• Lead day-to-day operation of the Legal Department.
• Manage outside counsel and budgets; align with enterprise risk.
• Draft and negotiate complex commercial contracts.
• Oversee compliance program and regulatory developments.
• Lead M&A, joint ventures, and strategic partnerships.
• Protect and manage intellectual property assets.

Skills

Contract negotiation

Communication skills

Outside counsel management

Legal operations

M&A support

IP strategy

Governance

Data privacy awareness

Education

Juris Doctor

Tools

AI-enabled legal tech

Job description

Job Title: Deputy General Counsel

Department: Legal

Reports To: Chief Legal Officer

FLSA Status: Exempt

Location: Nashville, TN (hybrid)

SVP Worldwide is the world’s largest consumer sewing machine company, proudly home to the iconic brands SINGER®, HUSQVARNA® VIKING®, PFAFF®, and CREATIVATE™. Together, our brandsrepresentnearly 500years of combined leadership, empowering sewists around the world, and shaping the evolution of sewing for generations.

Our purpose is clear: to create, elevate, and celebrate sewists around the world.

With global operations spanning R&D, manufacturing, distribution, and sales, SVP Worldwide brings together heritage craftsmanship and modern innovation to serve a worldwide community of makers.

Our expanding portfolio includes sewing and embroidery machines, accessories and notions, garment care, and creative software — offering meaningful opportunities to innovate, collaborate, and make an impact.

Guided by our values — customer-first thinking, curiosity and creativity, inclusion, and transparency —we’rebuilding a connected, inclusive culture where people can grow their careers while helping define the future of sewing.

POSITION SUMMARY:

The Deputy General Counsel serves as the operational, strategic leader of the Legal Department and is responsible for leading the Company's global legal function on a day-to-day basis. Reporting directly to the Chief Legal Officer, this senior leader serves as the second-in-command within Legal, leading legal operations, managing outside counsel, leading the legal team, and providing practical legal advice across the business.

This role is designed for a highly commercial attorney who enjoys building scalable legal processes, partnering with business leaders, and enabling growth in a fast-paced private equity environment. While the Chief Legal Officer focuses on Board governance, enterprise strategy, executive counseling, M&A, and significant enterprise risks, the Deputy General Counsel owns execution across the legal function and ensures Legal delivers responsive, business-focused support throughout the organization.

The ideal candidate combines outstanding legal judgment with exceptional leadership, operational discipline, and business acumen.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Build and Lead a High Performing Legal Team

• Lead the day-to-day operation of the Legal Department
• Manage legal priorities across all business functions
• Develop, engage, and maximize performance within others; lead a high-performing team of attorneys and paralegals who scales with the business
• Manage a collaborative relationship with outside counsel
• Allocate resources and prioritize work based upon enterprise risk
• Develop department goals, KPIs, budgets, and operating plans
• Build scalable legal processes that support continued company growth
• Role model and operate with our Values (value-based behaviors) every day, fostering a culture of accountability, responsiveness, and continuous improvement

Commercial Transactions

• Draft, review, and negotiate a wide variety of commercial contracts, including vendor agreements, NDAs, and service contracts
• Improve contracting efficiency through playbooks, templates, delegation frameworks, AI-enabled workflows and contract lifecycle management

Risk Management and Litigation

• Partner closely with People & Culture to proactively manage legal risk
• Direct outside counsel and litigation budgets while driving efficient, practical outcomes
• Develop practical compliance training and business guidance
• Oversee the company’s compliance program and monitor regulatory developments in key jurisdictions
• Support the company in investigations and managing legal disputes
• Advise on and ensure compliance with global data privacy laws, including GDPR, CCPA, and HIPAA

Strategic Partnerships and Transactions

• Lead legal aspects of M&A transactions, joint ventures, and strategic partnerships
• Conduct legal due diligence, draft transactional documents, and negotiate deal terms
• Collaborate with the finance and business teams to assess deal risks and opportunities

Intellectual Property

• Manage the company’s intellectual property portfolio, including patents, trademarks, copyrights, and trade secrets
• Provide strategic guidance on IP licensing agreements, enforcement, and protection of proprietary technologies
• Collaborate with R&D and product teams to ensure IP assets are effectively protected

The Employer retains the right to change or assign other duties to this position.

REQUIREMENTS AND PREFERRED EXPERIENCE:

• Juris Doctor from an accredited law school
• Licensed and in good standing in at least one U.S. jurisdiction required.
• 10–15+ years of legal experience
• Combination of sophisticated law firm and in-house experience strongly preferred.
• Significant commercial transactions experience.
• Experience supporting manufacturing, consumer products, retail, or industrial businesses.
• 5+ years experience leading legal teams.
• Experience supervising outside counsel.
• Excellent contract negotiation skills.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills.

SKILLS, ABILITIES AND KNOWLEDGE:

• Demonstrated experience supporting organizations under private equity ownership, with an understanding of PE governance, investment strategies, and value creation initiatives.
• Strong knowledge of global manufacturing operations, including operational, commercial, and regulatory considerations.
• Expertise in global supply chain legal matters, including procurement, logistics, sourcing, trade compliance, and supplier risk management.
• Deep understanding of the consumer products industry, including product compliance, advertising, marketing, and commercial transactions.
• Experience advising on retail and omnichannel operations, including e-commerce, consumer protection, and distribution strategies.
• Comprehensive knowledge of international distribution, cross-border commercial transactions, and global channel partner relationships.
• Proven experience leading legal support for mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, and post-acquisition integration initiatives.
• Strong expertise in corporate governance, ESG, ethics, and compliance frameworks supporting publicly and privately held organizations.
• Extensive knowledge of intellectual property, including trademarks, copyrights, patents, trade secrets, licensing, and brand protection.
• Experience driving legal operations excellence, including process optimization, outside counsel management, legal spend oversight, and contract lifecycle management.
• Proficiency with AI-enabled legal technologies, legal automation platforms, and emerging technologies that improve legal service delivery and operational efficiency.
• Ability to develop,engage,and maximize performance and potential within others/team
• Ability tomaintainconfidentiality and handle sensitive information

WE OFFER YOU:

• Full benefits package; medical, dental, vision
• 401k plan
• Competitive PTO accrual as well as additional wellness days
• Hybrid work schedule
• Work environment that harbors a culture of collaboration and community
• Learning and development opportunities

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:

You must be able to complete all physical requirements of the job with or without reasonable accommodation, including:

• Occasionally move about inside the office to access filing cabinets, meeting rooms, copier/printer, etc. as well as having the ability to remain in a stationary position most of the time.
• Must be able to communicate effectively through multiple forms of technology with telephone and computer. Mustbe able to receive and convey information.

Work Environment/Location/Flex Arrangement

• SVP Worldwide offers a fast-paced and ever-changing environment. This position will be hybrid – willingness to commute to our office location a minimum of three (3) days a week and work remotely from a home office the other days.
• Works in an office environment and at times may travel for business related meetings or events.
• The worker is subject to being in front of a computer and on the phone throughout the day.

Why You Will Love Being a Part of the SVP Worldwide Team