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Position Summary

This role provides substantive legal and compliance support directly to the General Counsel ("GC") across Kinze's domestic and international (Kinze Europe) operations. The role functions as a force multiplier for the GC across contracts, corporate governance, import/export compliance, litigation, intellectual property, and human resources matters. Work product is performed under attorney supervision in order to preserve attorney-client privilege and work-product protection where applicable.

This role must operate with substantial autonomy, exercise sound judgment with confidential and privileged information, manage a varied docket against competing deadlines, and bring strong written, research, and analytical skills to a wide range of business-critical legal and HR matters.

The role oversees day-to-day management of Kinze's export compliance, dealer agreement administration, and corporate compliance functions, exercising delegated authority on matters of significance within parameters established by the GC. The Legal & Compliance Specialist does not provide legal advice to third parties.

The role is expected to leverage artificial intelligence and Microsoft tools as a core part of daily practice - to accelerate contract review, research, document analysis, compliance monitoring, and drafting - while applying sound human judgment, professional discretion, and appropriate safeguards for privilege and confidentiality.

Delegated Authority

The Legal & Compliance Specialist exercises the following authorities under written delegation from the General Counsel, subject to revision at the GC's discretion:

• Contract Execution: Signature and binding authority on non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) and on contract amendments executed using approved Kinze templates, without further GC review.
• KYC Clearance: Clearance authority on Know-Your-Customer determinations for new and existing dealers, distributors, and counterparties. Escalation to the GC is required only where results trigger defined risk criteria (e.g., adverse media, denied-party hits, beneficial ownership concerns, or jurisdictional risk flags).
• HTS Classification Authority: Final Harmonized Tariff Schedule classification authority for routine product lines and components within defined criteria. Novel, ambiguous, or high-risk classifications are escalated to the GC.
• Other Authorities: Such additional authorities as may be delegated by the GC in writing from time to time.

General Duties

Compliance Program Operation (Trade & Corporate)

• Operates the export compliance, KYC, and HTS classification programs end-to-end with limited GC input; escalates only true exceptions.
• Exercise final HTS classification authority on routine product lines within delegated parameters; maintain classification logs, supporting documentation, and the binding rulings file.
• Operate the KYC program for new and existing dealers, distributors, and counterparties, including denied-party screening, beneficial ownership inquiries, and adverse media review; issue final clearance within delegated authority.
• Maintain and refresh export compliance, anti-corruption, and KYC manuals; deliver related training to internal stakeholders.
• Track regulatory developments affecting trade controls, sanctions, anti-corruption, GDPR, NIS2, and related international frameworks; assess applicability and recommend response.
• Exercises delegated authorities reliably; documents rationale for the file.
• Maintains the compliance documentation governance framework (manuals, logs, training records).

Contracts & Dealer Agreements

• Exercise signature authority on NDAs and on template-based contract amendments within delegated authority.
• Independently performs first-pass review and markup of non-template contracts (vendor agreements, dealer documents, MOUs, transfer agreements, and similar) against approved Kinze templates; flag issues for GC review.
• Drafts non-template agreements from instruction.
• Administer the dealer agreements, including amendments, supporting documentation, and termination administration.
• Owns and maintain the centralized contract repository and routine reporting, including execution tracking and renewal calendars.

Corporate Governance & Compliance

• Research and track regulatory developments affecting the business (e.g., PFAS, ERISA, tariff and disclosure rules).
• Assist with policy drafting and periodic policy refresh cycles.

Litigation & Dispute Support

• Lead internal litigation support, including organizing discovery (with AI-assisted document review where appropriate), drafting and tracking legal hold notices, processing document productions, and preparing case binders.
• Maintain litigation calendars and deadline trackers.
• Manages discovery workstream for active matters; coordinates document collection and production.
• Prepares first drafts of responses to subpoenas and discovery requests.

Legal Operations & Research

• Performs intermediate legal and regulatory research using AI-assisted research tools and traditional sources; produces decision-ready memos with minimal revision.
• Maintain organized matter files, version control, and signed-document repositories.
• Coordinates outside counsel engagement, fee tracking, and matter budgets.

Intellectual Property

• Maintain IP disclosure on website based on products; coordinate with outside IP counsel on filings and deadlines.

Human Resources Support (under GC direction)

• Assist with drafting and maintenance of position descriptions, offer letters, separation agreements, and employee communications.
• Support HR file organization and personnel records governance.
• Research HR-related legal questions (e.g., wage/hour, leave, EEO, employee classification) and prepare memos for GC review.
• Coordinate with HR on internal investigations, accommodation requests, and personnel matters as directed by the GC.

AI-Enabled Productivity & Process

• Use approved AI and legal-technology tools as a primary means of accelerating contract review, legal and regulatory research, document analysis, compliance monitoring, and first-draft generation.
• Independently selects appropriate AI tools and traditional resources for assigned tasks; documents AI use where required by policy or matter context.
• Apply human review and judgment to all AI-generated work product before relying on, distributing, or acting on it; verify citations, factual claims, and legal conclusions independently.
• Observe Kinze's AI use policies and confidentiality controls, including restrictions on the input of privileged, personal, or commercially sensitive information into non-approved tools.
• Identify opportunities to apply AI and automation to legal and compliance workflows (contract intake, KYC screening, HTS lookup, discovery review, docket management, regulatory tracking).
• Maintain a working knowledge of emerging AI-related legal and regulatory developments (e.g., EU AI Act, state AI disclosure and use laws, NIST AI Risk Management Framework) and flag implications for the business.
• Participate in Kinze's AI integration initiatives and pilot programs as assigned.
• All other duties as assigned.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Paralegal Studies, Legal Studies, Business, Political Science, English, or a related field; ABA-approved paralegal certificate or equivalent professional certification (NALA CP with ACP in Business Organizations/Contract Management or NFPA PACE) preferred.
• Three or more years of corporate paralegal, legal-operations, or compliance experience, preferably in-house or supporting an in-house legal function; manufacturing, distribution, agricultural, or industrial-sector experience a plus.
• Demonstrated experience exercising delegated decision-making authority on compliance or contractual matters preferred.
• Demonstrated working fluency with AI and legal-technology tools (e.g., generative AI assistants, AI-enabled contract review, AI-enabled legal research platforms); able to construct effective prompts, evaluate outputs critically, and integrate AI into daily workflow.
• Understands the legal, ethical, and privilege-related risks of AI use, including hallucination risk, privilege waiver concerns when using non-approved tools, and emerging AI regulation; able to balance productivity gains against appropriate guardrails.
• Demonstrated contract drafting and redlining skill against templates and playbooks.
• Strong legal research skills without subscription services.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills; able to translate legal and compliance concepts into business-ready language.
• Highly organized; able to manage a varied portfolio with shifting priorities and firm deadlines.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint), Adobe Acrobat (including redaction), and document management systems.
• Working understanding of attorney-client privilege, work-product doctrine, and the practical limits on non-attorney legal-support practice (i.e., no provision of legal advice to third parties).
• Demonstrated discretion and judgment in handling highly confidential personnel, executive, and litigation matters.
• Experience or willingness to develop competency in import/export compliance (HTS classification, BIS licensing, denied-party screening, KYC) is required; prior trade-compliance experience strongly preferred.
• Exposure to international and EU compliance frameworks (e.g., GDPR, anti-corruption, NIS2, salary transparency) preferred but not required.
• Self-directed problem-solver who can move projects forward with minimal direction; comfortable raising issues early and proposing solutions.
• Working knowledge of corporate governance, employment law fundamentals, and litigation discovery practice.

Working Conditions

Work Time

• Office-based role with the ability to flex hours as needed to meet litigation, transaction, and Board deadlines.
• Periodic after-hours availability may be required for urgent matters.

Environment

• Standing, walking, and sitting at workstation for extended periods of time.
• Performing tasks with computer and on telephone or video conference for extended periods of time.
• Climate-controlled office environment.

Travel

• Minimal travel anticipated; occasional travel for litigation, training, or other company business (typically less than 5% of work time).

Equal Employment Opportunity

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of the work that is expected to be performed by the people hired for this position. These statements are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all the responsibilities, accountabilities, duties and skills required of the personnel hired for this position. EEOC.