Director Legal Services - EMEA

Johnson Controls Automotive Experience

Johnson Controls Automotive Experience is a global leader in automotive seating components and systems. The company supports all major automakers in the differentiation of their vehicles through its products, technologies and advanced manufacturing capabilities. With more than 200 locations worldwide, Johnson Controls is where its customers need it to be. Consumers have enjoyed the comfort and style of Johnson Controls products, from single components to complete seat systems. With its global capability, the company supplies more than 50 million cars per year. Johnson Controls is in the process of spinning-off of its Automotive Experience business. Following the separation, which is expected to take effect early in fiscal year 2017, the Automotive Experience business will operate as the independent, publicly traded company Adient. Bruce McDonald will serve as the chairman and CEO of the new company.

THE ROLE

Based at the European headquarters in Burscheid (Germany), the Director Legal Services EMEA for Adient will drive the regional strategy for EMEA and ensure proactive, efficient and cost-effective management of legal services for assigned countries and geographies relating to all businesses within that region. In leading the EMEA legal team, the Director Legal Services EMEA will provide counsel for strategic issues and risk management as well as working closely with the VP / Deputy General Counsel and other regional legal department leaders for the Americas and Asia Pacific regions to create and govern structures, enable strategy and develop future capabilities realizing the vision of the legal department on a global basis.

PROFILE SOUGHT

The ideal candidate will be a German qualified lawyer having acquired at least fifteen years' PQE, ideally within the automotive industry in a leadership role. You will have prior experience in collaborating with senior business leaders and advising them on legal matters in the EMEA region as well as having extensive knowledge of key legal practice areas relevant to global corporations such as commercial transactions, labor and employment, litigation and regulatory law. You are experienced in managing anti-competition and regulatory issues as well as strategic threats posed by customers, suppliers and competitors and have a proven track record of managing a legal department. Furthermore, you have excellent communication skills with the ability to communicate at all levels of the business both internally and externally. Written and oral fluency in English and German is mandatory; working knowledge of other European languages is a plus.