AI Governance & Data Privacy General Counsel

We are seeking a highly experienced and skilled AI Governance & Data Privacy General Counsel to join our legal team and serve as a strategic legal partner to the business, providing critical regulatory guidance across product and engagement lifecycles and helping the business anticipate and manage complex regulatory risk in an increasingly dynamic environment.

This role sits at the intersection of AI innovation, data privacy, and enterprise risk management, enabling responsible AI adoption and data privacy compliance across internal operations, products, and third-party solutions. The position carries primarily strategic responsibility with execution responsibilities as needed—shaping enterprise policies and governance, partnering with legal, compliance, engineering, cybersecurity, product, and commercial teams to enable growth, and proactively managing day-to-day legal and regulatory risk in highly regulated environments. Honeywell is seeking a senior, established thought leader who can provide global practical risk-based guidance, influence stakeholders, and drive measurable outcomes through practical implementation as needed.

You will report directly to our VP & GC Data Privacy and you’ll work out of our Charlotte, NC (preferred), OR Washington, DC locations on a hybrid work schedule.

Key Responsibilities:

AI Governance

• Lead and execute Honeywell’s AI governance and legal strategy, maintaining and operationalizing Honeywell’s scalable Responsible AI Governance Framework to enable growth and innovation while managing risk.
• Develop, maintain, and advise on the implementation of AI governance policies, standards, and processes under applicable regulations, including algorithmic accountability, model validation, bias testing, human-in/on-the-loop requirements, monitoring, testing, inventory management, and decommissioning of AI systems.
• Provide legal oversight of AI marketing and external capability claims to ensure accuracy, consistency, and avoidance of misleading statements or “AI washing.”
• Advise on data governance for AI/ML systems, including lawful basis/consent, data quality and provenance, privacy-enhancing techniques, retention, and access controls for training, fine-tuning, evaluation, and monitoring datasets.
• Provide legal support for AI contracting, procurement, and third-party diligence, including developing standard customer and supplier terms and addressing AI risk considerations in commercial transactions and M&A.
• Support AI literacy initiatives and Honeywell’s Responsible AI Governance Framework through enterprise-wide and function-specific training and awareness campaigns.
• Act as a trusted advisor to senior leadership on AI policy trends affecting the company’s markets, including regulatory, contractual, and reputational risk considerations.
• Support AI-related incident response and escalation, coordinating with legal, cybersecurity, engineering, HR, and communications teams.
• Support litigation involving AI technologies.
• Serve as Honeywell’s principal legal representative in external forums, including engagement with industry groups and standards bodies.

Data Privacy

• Serve as the primary legal advisor for global privacy and data protection for one or more Honeywell business units, including interpretation and implementation of applicable laws and frameworks (e.g., GDPR, CCPA/CPRA, LGPD, PIPL, cross-border transfer laws, sectoral and state privacy laws).
• Lead and advise on Data Protection Impact Assessments (DPIAs), risk assessments, and other privacy reviews for new products, AI use cases, and third-party tools; drive remediation plans and document risk acceptance where appropriate.
• Draft, review, and negotiate privacy and data protection terms (DPAs, SCCs, cross-border transfer mechanisms, security addenda, and audit rights) for customers, suppliers, and strategic partners.
• Partner with cybersecurity and incident response teams on privacy incidents and data breaches, including regulatory notification analysis, communications strategy, and post-incident corrective actions.
• Oversee privacy compliance for marketing, digital analytics, and customer engagement activities (e.g., cookies/trackers, consent management, targeted advertising considerations, and privacy notices).
• Advise on data subject rights workflows and internal operating procedures; support audits and regulator inquiries; and manage outside counsel as needed.
• Develop and deliver privacy training and awareness for business and technical stakeholders; help embed privacy requirements into product lifecycle and procurement processes.

Critical Skills

• Established thought leader on AI law and governance, data privacy, and complex technology regulatory risk areas, with a demonstrated ability to influence at the senior leadership level.
• Deep working knowledge of global AI, data privacy, and data protection regulations.
• Proficiency partnering with technical teams on security and resilience, accuracy and robustness evaluation, bias and fairness assessment, explainability and transparency practices, and appropriate governance processes and artifacts.
• Ability to define success criteria using KPIs, dashboards, and risk heat maps to assess risk and propose effective mitigation strategies.
• Strong contracting capability for AI and data, including drafting and negotiating AI- and privacy-specific terms (data use restrictions, audit rights, security requirements, IP, and allocation of AI-related risk).
• Incident response and regulatory engagement experience for AI- and privacy-related events, including investigations, audits, and interactions with regulators globally.

You Must Have:

• 10+ years of relevant legal experience, including significant experience advising on AI, privacy/data protection, and technology matters.
• J.D. (or equivalent) and admitted to practice law in a jurisdiction in the United States.
• Demonstrated ability to synthesize complex issues quickly and communicate clearly and succinctly to technical and non-technical audiences.
• Proven subject matter expertise in AI governance, data privacy, and regulatory risk management.

We Value:

• Prior in-house or top law firm legal experience.
• Experience with global regulatory regimes.
• Background in regulated or safety-critical industries.
• Strong, independent leadership and the ability to set strategic direction and execute effectively in a matrixed organization.
• CIPP/E, CIPP/US, CIPM certification or experience with ISO/IEC 42001

BENEFITS OF WORKING FOR HONEYWELL

In addition to a competitive salary, leading-edge work, and developing solutions side-by-side with dedicated experts in their fields, Honeywell employees are eligible for a comprehensive benefits package. This package includes employer subsidized Medical, Dental, Vision, and Life Insurance; Short-Term and Long-Term Disability; 401(k) match, Flexible Spending Accounts, Health Savings Accounts, EAP, and Educational Assistance; Parental Leave, Paid Time Off (for vacation, personal business, sick time, and parental leave), and 12 Paid Holidays. For more information visit: click here

The application period for the job is estimated to be 40 days from the job posting date; however, this may be shortened or extended depending on business needs and the availability of qualified candidates. 

PAY EQUITY

The annual base salary range for this position is $242,000 - $302,000. Please note that this salary information serves as a general guideline. Honeywell considers various factors when extending an offer, including but not limited to the scope and responsibilities of the position, the candidate's work experience, education and training, key skills, as well as market and business considerations.

ABOUT HONEYWELL

Honeywell International Inc. (Nasdaq: HON) invents and commercializes technologies that address some of the world's most critical challenges around energy, safety, security, air travel, productivity, and global urbanization. We are a leading software-industrial company committed to introducing state of the art technology solutions to improve efficiency, productivity, sustainability, and safety in high growth businesses in broad-based, attractive industrial end markets. Our products and solutions enable a safer, more comfortable, and more productive world, enhancing the quality of life of people around the globe. Learn more about Honeywell: click here

THE BUSINESS UNIT

The Corporate Strategic Business Group (CORP SBG) at Honeywell is a division focused on corporate-level functions and initiatives that support the overall operations and strategy of the company. It is responsible for overseeing areas such as finance, legal, human resources, communications, and corporate governance, working closely with other business units and SBGs to ensure alignment and coordination across the organization. The CORP SBG plays a crucial role in the overall strategic direction and management of Honeywell's corporate functions and operations, supporting the company's business objectives.

Honeywell is an equal opportunity employer. Qualified applicants will be considered without regard to age, race, creed, color, national origin, ancestry, marital status, affectional or sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability, nationality, sex, religion, or veteran status. Learn more about inclusion and diversity: click here