General Counsel

Leverage your legal expertise to guide GFI’s global mission with integrity, pragmatism, and collaboration

The Good Food Institute (GFI) is a nonprofit think tank working to make the global food system better for the planet, people, and animals. Alongside scientists, businesses, and policymakers, GFI’s teams focus on making plant-based, fermentation-enabled, and cultivated meat delicious, affordable, and accessible. Powered by philanthropy, GFI is an international network of organizations advancing alternative proteins as an essential solution needed to meet the world’s climate, global health, food security, and biodiversity goals.

How you will make a difference

In this position, you will have the opportunity to ensure GFI operates within the law and in alignment with its Code of Conduct, while coaching employees through legal risks and helping design compliant, mission-impactful activities. The General Counsel will be responsible for:

• Overseeing legal guidance at GFI and supervising the Associate General Counsel. Managing both strategic advisory responsibilities and day-to-day tasks for the Legal department of two, including but not limited to contract reviews, file management, and budget oversight.
• Advising the CEO, President and Founder, and Board on GFI’s legal risk across U.S. and international contexts and helping leadership mitigate risks as a component of maximizing public impact.
• Ensuring nonprofit compliance, including corporate governance, charitable solicitation compliance, commercial co-ventures, international grantmaking, lobbying, and private benefit considerations, while applying a practical, risk-based lens aligned with GFI’s mission.
• Providing direct legal support to the Collaborative Assistance Team (CAT), Development, and Executive departments, including advising People Operations (within CAT) on federal, multistate, local, and international employment law questions or issues, and reviewing policies and employee training presentations.
• Managing the issuance of and compliance with affiliate agreements. Advising on legal considerations related to the work of GFI’s international affiliates, particularly on fundraising, brand, and affiliate agreements, encouraging consultation with local legal counsel as appropriate.
• Providing legal advice on GFI’s various programmatic activities in support of the Associate General Counsel, as well as corporate and business matters (e.g., employment, lobbying, data protection, and intellectual property).
• Serving as secretary to GFI’s and the Good Food Legislative Fund’s Board of Directors, and advising the Boards on governance, conflicts, and other matters as required.
• Being an engaged and active member of the GFI Leadership Team and providing thought leadership across the GFI network, with a focus on cultivating trust, transparency, and inclusion in legal guidance.
• Developing and maintaining close professional working relationships with outside counsel, including pro bono attorneys.
• Performing other duties as assigned.

Who we’re looking for

An ideal candidate for the General Counsel position will have experience that reflects the following:

• A minimum of ten years of experience as a practicing attorney, with prior senior-level in-house counsel experience required.
• An active license in good standing to practice law in any state or the District of Columbia. A Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree from an accredited law school is preferred.
• Prior experience providing legal advice to leadership and a Board of Directors on complex legal, compliance, and governance issues as a component of maximizing public impact.
• Demonstrated expertise in nonprofit law and compliance, corporate governance, contracts, employment law, and risk management.
• Prior supervisory experience mentoring, training, and developing at least one direct report.
• Legal experience working internationally and/or with international affiliates preferred.
• Highest ethical standards.
• Strong problem-solving, listening, and communication skills: a leader who takes a coaching-oriented approach to building trust, while offering candid, well-reasoned advice.
• Readiness to contribute within a small team to administrative and technical tasks as needed.
• A commitment to fostering a work environment that is respectful, supportive, fair, and welcoming to all.
• Comfort working remotely in a collaborative, caring, and high-performing culture that values inclusion and innovation.
• Strong support for GFI’s philosophy and mission; demonstrated interest in plant-based & other alternative proteins, public health, environmentalism, climate change, animal protection, or hunger relief.
• A commitment to GFI’s values: believe change is possible, do the most good we can, share knowledge freely, act on evidence, and invite everyone to the table.

GFI wants the best people and is committed to a fair hiring process. We use a third-party anonymizing tool to redact personal information from submitted applications — including name, location, contact details, and several other factors — to increase fairness in our process. We also prioritize an inclusive work environment absent of discrimination and harassment during the application process and after you join the team. Please see our full Equal Opportunity Commission Statement: https://gfi.org/careers/#EEOC-and-visa-disclaimer.

If you are passionate about GFI’s mission, think you have what it takes to be successful in this position, and meet many of the job requirements — even if you don’t check all the boxes — please apply. We’d appreciate the opportunity to consider your application.

The fine print

• Terms of employment: Full-time, exempt
• Reports to: Nigel Sizer, CEO
• Direct reports: Sarah Hanneken, Associate General Counsel
• Location: Remote; United States
• Travel: Up to three weeks per year for organization retreats (reasonable accommodations for and exemptions from organization retreats considered on a case-by-case basis).
• Benefits: Working from home; paid employee base medical coverage; dental, vision, and other medical insurance options; a 401(k) plan with employer match; 14 paid holidays; personal, sick, and vacation time; paid family/parental and medical leave; lifestyle spending account; opportunity for advancement; and respectful and collaborative culture. More information here: https://tinyurl.com/GFIBenefits.
• This is a U.S.-based position: In compliance with federal law, all persons hired will be required to verify identity and eligibility to work for any employer in the United States and to complete the required employment eligibility verification form upon hire. At this time, GFI's policy is not to sponsor or take over sponsorship of employment visas.
• Salary: $191,411.74-$200,982.34 (depending on experience and qualifications)

Important dates

Application deadline: November 3, 2025

Anticipated start date: December 15, 2025