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Asst. General Counsel, Environmental & Regulatory

Company Overview

Bridgestone Americas, Inc. (BSAM), headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee, and Bridgestone Europe, Middle East and Africa (BSEMEA), headquartered in Brussels, Belgium, operate collectively as a “Bridgestone West” strategic region. This region services the strategic business needs of teams across the Americas, Europe, Middle East and Africa. BSAM and BSEMEA are subsidiaries of Bridgestone Corporation, globally headquartered in Japan. Bridgestone and its subsidiaries develop, manufacture and market a wide range of Bridgestone, Firestone and associate brand products and solutions to address the needs of a broad range of customers and industries.

Position Summary

The Assistant General Counsel, Environmental & Regulatory is a member of the Bridgestone Americas (BSA) Law Department, reporting directly to the Division General Counsel, Legal Recoveries and Environmental. This position provides advanced legal support and strategic legal counsel on environmental and regulatory matters to all parts of the company.

The Assistant General Counsel, Environmental & Regulatory is the primary legal resource to the business for day-to-day guidance and legal advice on a broad range of environmental and regulatory issues. As such, this position is expected to contribute subject matter expertise on federal and state issues involving the Clean Water Act and state water law, Clean Air Act and state air law, RCRA and state hazardous waste regulation, CERCLA and other state analogs, asbestos and toxic tort matters, and federal regulations applicable to the automotive industry. In addition, developing a significant understanding of the company's various businesses and the environmental aspects of those businesses will be an important component of this role.

Likewise, the ability to effectively work with both internal company leadership and external resources is essential to this position. The Assistant General Counsel, Environmental & Regulatory works closely with all parts of the business as well as environmental professionals in the Environmental, Health, Safety and Sustainability (EHSS) and Quality Assurance (QA) groups. Effectively working with EHSS, QA and company leadership is critical in understanding, assessing, and appropriately addressing the legal risks and implications of business decisions for the company. This position is also responsible for coordinating with and managing outside counsel and other external professionals as needed to provide advice and guidance on environmental and regulatory issues facing the company. Effectively managing outside counsel and reducing related spend is a significant component of this position.

The position will be based at the Nashville, TN headquarters working in office 3 days/week.

Responsibilities

  • Planning, developing and providing legal advice, analysis and information to internal clients on environmental and regulatory matters facing the company.
  • Responding to client inquiries, researching, preparing legal documents, conducting investigations, and negotiating with outside parties.
  • Representing the company in dealings with external parties such as government agencies, PRP groups, consultants, environmental professionals, and external legal counsel while coordinating with EHSS and other BSA legal and business professionals.
  • Supporting the BSA litigation group and Division General Counsel, Legal Recoveries and Environmental on environmental litigation matters.
  • Working with BSA and Bridgestone Retail Operations, LLC (“BSRO”) legal and business professionals to provide advice and negotiate environmental terms in contract documents, including agreements related to real estate transactions.
  • Working with Procurement and EHSS to negotiate terms and conditions of agreements with vendors and consultants performing services to support the EHSS's work.
  • Managing and directing outside counsel and other external professionals on environmental and regulatory matters.
  • Managing external legal spend directly associated with environmental and regulatory issues, with the specific goals of reducing outside legal fees and reducing the number of matters requiring the engagement of outside counsel.

Minimum Qualifications

  • Typically requires a minimum of 5 -8 years of related experience
  • A J.D degree from an accredited law school.
  • License to practice law in good standing in any U.S. state.
  • A minimum of five years of professional law practice experience (law firm, government, or in-house). Experience with environmental law, environmental litigation, or regulatory law preferred. Experience with federal regulations applicable to the automotive industry is a plus.
  • Excellent communication skills, oral and written, with the ability to synthesize complex legal issues to their essential elements.
  • The ability to work well in a team environment.
  • The self-confidence to work autonomously.
  • The ability to supervise and manage outside counsel.
  • Demonstrated ability to organize and communicate complex environmental issues and disputes to senior levels in the organization.
  • The ability to understand technical matters, either through education, experience or innate ability to understand technical concepts.
  • The ability to prioritize responsibilities, to work efficiently, to manage and to conclude, in a timely manner, many matters.
  • Strong financial knowledge with the ability to manage a legal fees budget and negotiate legal fee arrangements with outside counsel.

Bridgestone is proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity / Affirmative Action employer. It is our policy to consider for employment all individuals regardless of age, color, national origin, citizenship status, physical or mental disability, race, religion, gender, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, genetic information, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local law.

Employment Eligibility

If hired, a Form I-9 Employment Eligibility Verification must be completed at the start of employment. Temporary work authorization or the need for sponsorship may disqualify you from employment.

Our Benefits

Bridgestone Americas believes that taking care of you means more than just a prescription or dental plan. Our benefit plans are designed to meet our teammates' emotional, financial and physical needs, helping them thrive at work.

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Physical Health

At Bridgestone, we care about your physical health. That’s why we offer competitive benefits to ensure our teammates have access to quality and equitable healthcare.

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Emotional Well-being

We recognize that emotional well-being is just as important as physical health. That's why we offer a supportive work environment and resources to help our teammates manage stress and maintain a healthy work-life balance.

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Financial Well-being

Bridgestone helps you invest in your future by investing in you. We provide resources and benefits to support your financial health, including retirement plans and financial planning resources, among others.

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Bridgestone Application & Interview FAQs

Answers to frequently asked questions about our application and interview process to help you prepare.

Before you apply for one of the available opportunities at Bridgestone, review each of the skills needed for the role that interests you and be prepared to show how you meet the qualifications.

Whether on a job application or your resume, it is essential to customize your information to highlight the most relevant connections to the job you want.

Once you have provided your information to Bridgestone, you will receive a request for an interview if you are being considered.

In the Bridgestone hiring process, depending on the role you are being considered for, you may have a one-on-one interview or a panel interview, and both can happen in person or via video call. If you are applying for a manufacturing or retail role, you will probably interview in person or at the location where you plan to work. All these factors can change how you might prepare for and conduct an interview, so we have created a guide that covers virtual or video interview tips and in-person interview tips. We have also included other common information you should consider.

Prepare Your “Elevator Speech”
In most interviews, you will get the prompt to “tell us about yourself” or something of that nature. It’s best to prepare a short but compelling description of yourself. Consider including:
Brief summary of your career, potentially highlighting your most relevant job.
Why are you looking to start a career at Bridgestone, or are you looking to change careers/jobs?
What was interesting about this particular role or working at Bridgestone?

Be Ready to Answer Questions
During an interview, you will be asked questions about previous experience to learn more about you. Whether you are asked about strengths or weaknesses or about a particular work situation that you might have considered a challenge or a win, it helps if you structure your answers with the STAR Method.
Situation: Describe the challenge you faced, win you had, or relevant situation
Task: Explain the role you played
Action: What were the detailed steps you took or how you accomplished the task
Result: Explain the outcome
Make sure that it is relevant to the role you are seeking. This method also helps you demonstrate how you accomplished something or overcame a challenge independently or while working well with a team.

Be Ready to Ask Questions
It is also important to ask questions to help you make an informed decision about the role if an offer is extended to you. Remember that you are interviewing Bridgestone as much as we are interviewing you, so asking interview questions is critical.
Some questions you can ask:
What would my day-to-day role look like?
Describe the team I would be working with.
What is your favorite thing about working at Bridgestone?
You mentioned (insert topic here). Tell me more about that.

By asking open-ended questions that cannot be answered with a simple “yes” or “no,” you can learn more about the role and the people you would be working with. And by circling back on information shared during the interview, you show that you are actively listening and interested.

Plan Your Route
If you are interviewing in person, map out the route you will take before the day of your interview to make sure you allow enough time for travel. Be mindful of traffic patterns and look for any construction in the area. Aim to be about 15 minutes early for your interview so you can find a place to park and take some time to prepare mentally.
If you have an unexpected schedule conflict, notify your recruiter via phone/email/text so they can work to reschedule your time.

Dress to Impress
Dress appropriately for the role you want. Different work environments may be more casual, but you always want to look your best for an interview. Consider this for a video interview as well. Most of us have better posture and body language when we look and feel our best. While no one may know you are wearing pajamas, your casual demeanor may not make a great first impression. Make sure you are free of as many distractions as possible. With many of us having to work from home while taking care of our families, we understand that quiet space can be challenging to find for you as well as for the interviewers. While we encourage you to find an area where you can focus and not be interrupted, we understand that life happens and might just happen during your interview, so don’t stress too much about it.

What to Bring
Even if you have provided a resume, always bring one additional copy for each person interviewing you. And for any interview, it’s always good to bring a pen and paper if you want to take notes. Stay engaged in the conversation; no one wants to see the top of your head while you write notes for the entire interview.

There may be a chance one or more of your interviews will be conducted virtually. Here are our tips to prepare;

Check Your Tech
Confirm what platform you will use and make sure that you have it properly installed and launched on your system.
If you use a device like a tablet or a laptop, ensure it is fully charged. Try not to use a phone if possible.
Confirm that your webcam and microphone are allowed and work correctly in your chosen browser.
Test your internet connection to ensure it is strong and working.
If using headphones, make sure they are connected and selected prior.
At the beginning of the interview, verify that the interviewer can hear and see you.
Close other programs on your computer. Getting notifications during your interview is distracting and unprofessional. Before your interview, ensure all other computer windows are closed, and notifications are silenced or turned off.
Switch your other devices onto silent mode; however, have your phone handy if your interviewer is having technical difficulties or trying to reach out via phone or email.
If you need any accessibility accommodations or are concerned about the required virtual platform not being fully accessible for you, please let the recruiter at Bridgestone know. We will reach out to discuss how to best support you.

Prepare Your Space
Conduct your interview in a quiet, well-lit environment, without a backlight or window that may put you in a shadow.
Find a place with a simple backdrop or blank wall to eliminate distractions and put the focus on you.
Avoid taking an interview from your vehicle. If it is the only quiet place you can find, DO NOT attempt to interview while driving or in a moving vehicle; our recruiters will end the call. After all, at Bridgestone, we make safety a business value.

Smile for the Camera
Look at the camera. Looking directly at the video camera (not the screen) is the only way to maintain direct eye contact with your interviewer.
Try to focus on sitting up straight and making eye contact. At the beginning of the interview, verify that the interviewer can hear and see you.
Be mindful of your body language. Not all physical cues translate from in-person interviews to video interviews. Be sure to have good posture and stay engaged.
Silence any other technology, i.e. smart watches; you don’t want to be distracted or appear disinterested during your interview."

When the interview ends, whether virtual or in person, you can ask what to expect as the next step in the process. The person conducting the interview can let you know if there are additional interviews to expect or if you will hear from HR with a decision as to whether you have been chosen for the role.

We ask that you be patient as we may have several candidates to interview, but we value your time and will offer the professional courtesy of a response either way. Also, if you are no longer interested in the role or have accepted another role, please notify your recruiter so they can remove you from the interview process.

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