Who Are We?

The Toro Company is a homegrown, Minnesota-based company that has been in business since 1914. We pride ourselves on providing world-class equipment to help maintain the environment that we love, while putting an emphasis on giving back to the communities that surround us.From residential lawns and gardens, to venues such as St Andrews Links and Target Field, we are a company with a global footprint and a passion for helping people beautify whatever landscape they may be in. With 100 years of operation under our belt and an average employee tenure of 15 years, come find out what makes The Toro Company the best place in the Twin Cities to build a career.

As the Sr. Counsel, Product Safety you will play a critical role in ensuring the legal compliance and safety of our products throughout the life cycle. Leads a team of legal professionals and partners closely with product development and engineering teams, providing expert pragmatic legal advice on product safety regulations, risk management and product compliance matters.

Ideally this candidate would be local and onsite but we would consider a remote option for the right candidate.

What Will You Do?

Collaborate and advise product development and engineering teams on questions related to a wide variety of issues arising from compliance with applicable federal, state, and local laws related to TTC’s products, including battery operated and autonomous turf care and construction equipment.
Advise TTC’s safety committees on safety, risk, and technical compliance topics, including assisting with identification, investigation, documentation, and resolution of internal safety concerns.
Provide high-quality, pragmatic legal and business advice regarding a wide range of general product development, safety, and consumer protection issues.
Lead and manage a team of product safety legal professionals. Provide direction, mentorship and support to team members to ensure the delivery of high-quality legal services and achievement of departmental goals.
Partner with all levels and departments of TTC as they effectively create, implement, and oversee a world class safety program with cross-functional integration of safety principles into every facet of the organization and every stage of development, testing, and product deployment.
Lead the legal response to product safety incidents, including product safety claims, recalls and regulatory agency inquiries.
Develop and deliver training programs to educate internal teams on product safety laws, regulations, and best practices.
Identify opportunities to improve processes. Drive and share improvements across the enterprise and within the legal team.
Keep up to date on new legislation and regulations to ensure the company maintains the highest compliance standards. This includes working with other functions and our subsidiaries, and our business partners to ensure that legal interpretations are aligned.

What Do You Need?

Juris Doctor (JD) degree from an accredited law school and active bar membership
10+ years of legal experience advising on matters related to product liability, consumer protection, and product safety, preferably in the outdoor equipment industry. Prior in-house experience required.
In depth knowledge of federal, state, and international product safety regulations and standards within the power equipment industry including battery operated, autonomous, connected equipment required.
Proven leadership experience, including managing and leading a team of legal professionals.
Understanding the unique balance of pragmatism, risk and compliance with a strong sense of how to prioritize business needs.
Experience with conducting and managing product safety investigations and issues, including recalls.
Strong analytical and critical thinking skills, with the ability to make sound legal judgments in a fast-paced environment.
Excellent communication skills, with the ability to convey complex legal concepts to non-legal stakeholders.
Significant experience with the development of policies and process with the ability to drive changes in business practices through strong relationships and influence.
The ability to work collaboratively across multiple departments and levels of the organization.
Travel expectation: 10%

What Can We Give You?   

At The Toro Company, we are always working to make sure our employees know just how valued they are. In addition to a competitive salary, an affordable and top tier medical/dental/vision plan, 401k, and many other great benefits - The Toro company offers employees at ourBloomington, MN HQlocation a variety of perks, including:

Dress for your day - We know you're more productive when you're comfortable, which is why TTC employees are encouraged to take advantage of our casual, corporate environment.

Location – Conveniently located near both St. Paul and Minneapolis, we are centrally located for most commuters!

Food - Take advantage of our onsite café, which serves both breakfast and lunch. With a Caribou Coffee attached, you can grab a snack and a coffee at any time during your day.

Wellness - The Toro Company’s HQ offers complimentary use of our onsite fitness facility to employees. In addition to physical wellbeing, TTC offers a variety of mental health and financial health resources to all employees.

Volunteerism - The Toro Company is proud to provide employees 20 hours of paid time to volunteer in the community.

Summer Hours – Enjoy a flexible schedule during the summer! By working a little more during the first few days of the week, TTC employees at our Bloomington HQ are able to start their weekends early and leave by noon on Friday.

Competitive Salary – The pay range takes into account skills, experience, education, and location. It is not common to be hired at or near the top of the range; compensation decisions are dependent on the facts and circumstances of each case. Cash compensation is one piece of our competitive total rewards package.If you need to, you can access your pay early withthe One@Workapp, formerly the Even app.

We are proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer and consider qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy and related needs and conditions, gender identity, and sexual orientation), parental status, national origin, age, disability, genetic information (including family medical history), political affiliation, military service, or other non-merit based factors. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.

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