NA General Counsel: Strategy & Compliance Leader

JCB North America; San Antonio (TX); On-site; USD 180,000 - 260,000; Full time

Job summary

JCB North America is seeking a General Counsel to establish and lead the North American legal function, aligning legal strategy with business goals across construction and agricultural equipment. You will oversee governance, compliance, risk management, and a broad portfolio of commercial matters.

Reporting to the President and collaborating with the UK Group General Counsel, you will manage transactions, regulatory affairs, litigation, investigations, and external counsel, while driving legal

Responsibilities

• Establish, lead, and continuously enhance the North America legal function, ensuring alignment with business objectives, corporate governance standards, and global legal strategy.
• Serve as the primary legal advisor to the President, Executive Leadership Team, and business stakeholders, providing strategic, risk-based, and commercially focused legal counsel.
• Partner closely with the UK Group General Counsel to align legal strategy, governance, compliance, and risk management initiatives across the organization.
• Draft, review, negotiate, and manage a broad range of commercial agreements, including dealer, distributor, supplier, procurement, manufacturing, logistics, financing, leasing, technology, software, and customer contracts.
• Provide legal oversight and strategic guidance for dealer and distributor networks, including appointments, performance management, territory rights, sponsored dealer arrangements, equity transfers, and termination matters.
• Ensure compliance with all applicable federal, state, and international laws and regulations, including product liability, product safety, warranty, import/export, trade compliance, anti-corruption, environmental, and commercial regulations.
• Advise the business on regulatory matters involving agencies and programs including EPA, CARB, ECCC, and other relevant governmental authorities.
• Support the Board of Directors and Executive Leadership Team on governance matters, including corporate policies, governance frameworks, board resolutions, and corporate records management.
• Lead the management of litigation, claims, investigations, disputes, and regulatory matters, including the selection and oversight of external counsel and management of legal budgets.
• Identify, assess, and mitigate legal, regulatory, operational, and reputational risks through the development of effective controls, policies, and risk management practices.
• Provide legal counsel on real estate, property, leasing, land holdings, and dealer facility matters across North America.
• Oversee legal and compliance requirements associated with government and defense contracting, including DFARS compliance, Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI), DIBCAC audit readiness, and contractual obligations.
• Advise and support Human Resources on employment law matters, executive employment agreements, restrictive covenants, workplace investigations, labor relations, employee disputes, and employment litigation.
• Partner with the UK Group General Counsel on intellectual property matters, supporting brand protection, trademark enforcement, and intellectual property risk management.
• Lead legal support for mergers, acquisitions, joint ventures, strategic investments, business integrations, and other corporate transactions.
• Provide legal oversight and support for JCB Finance operations and related commercial financing activities throughout North America.
• Direct enterprise ethics, compliance, and internal investigation programs, promoting a culture of integrity, accountability, and regulatory adherence.
• Lead the Company’s response to product recalls, regulatory investigations, government inquiries, compliance incidents, and other crisis or reputational risk events.
• Drive legal operations excellence through the implementation of legal technology, contract lifecycle management systems, process improvements, knowledge management, and outside counsel governance to improve efficiency and scalability.
• Monitor changes in legal and regulatory requirements, proactively

Job description

JCB North America is seeking a General Counsel to establish and lead the North American legal function, aligning legal strategy with business goals across construction and agricultural equipment. You will oversee governance, compliance, risk management, and a broad portfolio of commercial matters.

Reporting to the President and collaborating with the UK Group General Counsel, you will manage transactions, regulatory affairs, litigation, investigations, and external counsel, while driving legal