GE Appliances

Associate General Counsel - Intellectual Property & Business Strategy

GE Appliances$160K — $200K *
Legal & Accounting
Less than 5 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Juris Doctor (JD) degree from an accredited law school
  • Admission to at least one state bar in good standing
  • 5+ years of experience in intellectual property law
  • Strong executive presence and influence with senior leaders
  • Exceptional negotiation and communication skills
  • Strategic thinker with a business-oriented approach
  • Proven leadership and team-building experience

Responsibilities

  • Lead development of enterprise-wide IP strategy for innovation
  • Partner with R&D and manufacturing teams to capture and scale innovations
  • Oversee patent portfolio and lifecycle management
  • Drive claim strategy for maximum protection and monetization
  • Identify IP monetization opportunities to enhance growth
  • Act as a strategic advisor on M&A transactions and negotiations
  • Support business development and partnership initiatives

Benefits

  • Opportunity to lead IP strategy in emerging tech sectors
  • Engagement with executive leadership and cross-functional teams
  • Dynamic role influencing enterprise-wide transformation
  • Focus on innovation in smart appliances and sustainability
  • Involvement in shaping strategic global market initiatives
  • Mentorship and team development opportunities
  • Culture fostering accountability and continuous improvement
Full Job Description
The Associate General Counsel - Intellectual Property & Business Strategy is a senior executive legal leader responsible for shaping and executing enterprise-wide intellectual property (IP) strategy while serving as a key driver of enterprise transformation. This role integrates legal expertise with business acumen to accelerate innovation, unlock new revenue streams, and enable long-term enterprise value creation.
The successful candidate will partner closely with executive leadership to align legal strategy with business objectives across GE Appliances, with a bold mandate to advance leadership in smart appliances, connected home ecosystems (IoT), and sustainability-focused technologies. This includes protecting and scaling innovations in energy efficiency, electrification, digital integration, and environmentally responsible manufacturing.
This role is not only advisory-it is a transformation leadership position responsible for actively shaping business outcomes. The Associate General Counsel will play a critical role in modernizing the company's IP strategy, enabling next-generation manufacturing, and supporting expansion in global markets, including through supply chain resilience initiatives, strategic reshoring, and localized production strategies.
Position
Associate General Counsel - Intellectual Property & Business Strategy
Location
USA, Louisville, KY

How You'll Create Possibilities
Intellectual Property Strategy
  • Lead the development and execution of a forward-looking enterprise IP strategy aligned to innovation pipelines in smart appliances, IoT-enabled products, and sustainability technologies.
  • Partner closely with engineering, R&D, and manufacturing teams to identify, capture, and scale innovation across digital, connected, and environmentally focused product lines.
  • Oversee patent portfolio development, including invention harvesting, patent prosecution, and lifecycle management, with a focus on high-impact technologies and global competitiveness.
  • Drive sophisticated claim strategy to maximize protection, enforceability, and monetization potential across jurisdictions.
  • Identify and execute IP monetization opportunities, including licensing, joint development, and strategic partnerships that accelerate technology adoption and global growth.
  • Advise on IP risk, freedom-to-operate analyses, and competitive positioning in rapidly evolving technology and manufacturing landscapes.

Business Strategy & Transactions
  • Serve as a strategic and operational leader for the intellectual property and business integration for mergers and acquisitions (M&A), including cross-border transactions, deal structuring, due diligence, negotiation, and integration.
  • Drive business development initiatives, including joint ventures, alliances, and strategic partnerships, particularly in innovation-driven and manufacturing-intensive sectors.
  • Lead or advise on complex corporate transactions that enable digital transformation, advanced manufacturing expansion, and global market penetration.
  • Support supply chain resilience strategies, including reshoring, nearshoring, and diversification of manufacturing and supplier footprints.
  • Partner with finance and business leaders to evaluate investments in emerging technologies, sustainable manufacturing capabilities, and global expansion opportunities.

Leadership & Team Development
  • Build, lead, and mentor high-performing legal and cross-functional teams.
  • Act as a transformation leader who drives alignment across legal, engineering, R&D, manufacturing, and commercial organizations.
  • Foster a culture of innovation, accountability, and continuous improvement aligned with GE Appliances' operating principles.
  • Collaborate across the enterprise to deliver integrated, business-first legal solutions that directly impact growth and competitiveness.


Intellectual Property Strategy
  • Lead the development and execution of a comprehensive enterprise IP strategy.
  • Oversee patent portfolio development, including invention harvesting, patent prosecution, and lifecycle management.
  • Drive claim strategy to maximize protection, enforceability, and commercial value.
  • Identify and execute IP monetization opportunities, including licensing, sales, and strategic partnerships.
  • Advise on IP risk, freedom-to-operate analyses, and competitive positioning.
Business Strategy & Transactions
  • Serve as a strategic legal advisor on mergers and acquisitions (M&A), including deal structuring, due diligence, negotiation, and integration.
  • Support business development initiatives, including joint ventures, alliances, and other strategic partnerships.
  • Lead or advise on complex corporate transactions across the enterprise.
  • Partner with finance and business leaders to evaluate investment opportunities and strategic initiatives.


Leadership & Team Development
  • Build, lead, and mentor high-performing legal and cross-functional teams.
  • Foster a culture of innovation, accountability, and continuous improvement.
  • Collaborate across legal, engineering, R&D, and commercial teams to drive integrated solutions.


What You'll Bring to Our Team
Skills & Competencies
  • Strong executive presence with the ability to influence senior leadership and stakeholders.
  • Strategic thinker with a business-oriented mindset.
  • Exceptional negotiation and communication skills.
  • Ability to operate effectively in a fast-paced, complex environment.
  • Demonstrated leadership and team-building capabilities.
Education

Juris Doctor (JD) from an accredited law school.

Admission to at least one state bar in good standing.

About GE Appliances

GE Appliances is a home appliance manufacturer that produces a range of products including refrigerators, dishwashers, ovens, and laundry machines. The company was founded in 1907 and is headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky. GE Appliances is a subsidiary of Haier Group, a Chinese multinational consumer electronics and home appliances company. The company has a strong focus on innovation and sustainability, and has received numerous awards for its products and practices. GE Appliances has manufacturing facilities in the US and has a presence in over 100 countries.
Learn more about GE Appliances
Size
12,000 employees
Industry
Founded
2004

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