Job description
Who You Are:
You are a seasoned legal executive with extensive experience in the CPG and food industry, including leadership roles at private equity-backed and public companies. You bring deep expertise in FDA, USDA Organic, FTC, and Prop 65 compliance, and have successfully led organizations through IPOs, M&A transactions, and the development of strong corporate governance. As a trusted advisor to CEOs and Boards, you excel at balancing legal risk with business strategy. Entrepreneurial and mission-driven, you’re ready to build a high-impact legal function that supports Once Upon a Farm’s growth and future as a public company.
The Task At Hand:
The Corporate General Counsel reports directly to the President & CFO while leading the legal function of the company through its next phase of rapid growth and IPO readiness. As a key member of the Executive Leadership Team, this role oversees all legal, regulatory, and governance matters, with a focus on food law compliance (FDA, USDA Organic, FTC, Prop 65), corporate governance, M&A, SEC readiness, and risk management. The ideal candidate brings 10+ years of experience in the CPG or food industry, with a proven track record in IPOs, public company transitions, and PE-backed exits. This executive will serve as a strategic advisor to the President & CFO, the CEO,and the Board, build and lead a lean legal team, and ensure legal strategies align with the company’s mission to deliver organic, nutritious food to children and families. This is a unique opportunity to shape the legal foundation of a fast-growing, values-led brand at a pivotal point in its journey.
In This Role, You Will:
• Serve as chief legal advisor to the President & CFO, the CEO, the executive leadership, and the Board of Directors on all corporate, regulatory, transactional, and strategic matters
• Lead legal strategy and execution for IPO readiness, including S-1 preparation, SEC filings, governance structuring, disclosure controls, and compliance frameworks
• Ensure full compliance with U.S. and international food industry regulations, including FDA, USDA Organic, FTC, CFIA, California Prop 65, and child-targeted product advertising laws
• Oversee substantiation of product claims, packaging, labeling, and advertising to minimize legal risk and support brand trust
• Act as Corporate Secretary, managing Board and committee governance, charters, resolutions, meeting logistics, and recordkeeping
• Lead and manage all commercial legal matters, including vendor, supply chain, co-manufacturing, distributor, licensing, IP, retail, and influencer agreements
• Direct legal support for M&A, strategic partnerships, and equity/debt transactions, including due diligence, negotiation, integration, and post-close governance
• Design and implement an Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) framework to proactively identify and mitigate operational, financial, and reputational risks
• Oversee company response to litigation, product recalls, regulatory actions, and customer concerns
• Manage outside counsel relationships to ensure quality, efficiency, and cost-effectiveness across litigation, regulatory, transactional, and specialty matters
• Guide intellectual property strategy, including trademarks and brand protection in domestic and international markets
• Provide legal support on employment matters, internal investigations, executive compensation, and equity plan governance
• Ensure compliance with evolving data privacy and consumer protection laws (e.g., CCPA, GDPR) across digital, DTC, and marketing platforms
• Partner with Finance and ESG leaders on sustainability initiatives, risk disclosures, and regulatory compliance with ESG reporting requirements
• Support investor relations and external communications to ensure consistency in legal disclosures during capital events, earnings, and IPO transition
• Promote ethical leadership and support company-wide compliance training, DEI initiatives, and values-based decision making
• Build, mentor, and scale a high-performing legal and compliance team, fostering a collaborative, mission-aligned legal culture
In This Role, You’ll Bring With You:
• Juris Doctor (J.D.) from a top-tier law school; member in good standing with the California Bar, or ability to register as In-House Counsel
• 10-15 years of legal experience, with substantial leadership in CPG, food, or wellness-focused companies, ideally in both public and private environments
• Experience as General Counsel, Chief Legal Officer, or Corporate Secretary in a high-growth, investor-backed company; IPO experience strongly preferred
• Deep understanding of food industry regulations, marketing claim substantiation, supply chain legal frameworks, and ESG governance
• Strong track record managing SEC compliance, M&A transactions, litigation, and commercial contracting
• Adept at navigating ambiguity, building consensus, and providing pragmatic legal guidance at the pace of growth
• Committed to the company’s mission, values, and focus on child health, sustainability, and social impact
• Leadership in companies that scaled from private to public, or through PE ownership and strategic exit, preferred
• Prior involvement in M&A transactions, or legal support for IPOs and related public company transitions, preferred
• Strong relationships with external legal advisors and investor counsel; experience supporting Board of Directors and Audit Committees preferred.
• Solid knowledge of Microsoft Suite, Outlook, Slack, and other professional platforms
• Up to 10% travel required: Although this role is a remote work-from-home position, we “Farmers” do meet as a company and/or as a department a few times a year. Anticipate possible travel up to a few times each quarter
• Genuinely passionate about improving childhood nutrition for a healthier and happier planet
• Desire to contribute to a dynamic, high-growth, purpose-driven work environment
• Demonstrated ability to thrive in ambiguity, deeply understand business needs, develop a cohesive strategy, and make decisions requiring a high level of judgment
• Previous exposure to cross-functional work between Sustainability and Operations preferred
• Must reside in the United States to be considered for this position
• Please note that visa sponsorship is not available for this position
Compensation:
• Full-Time, Salaried, Exempt
• The anticipated salary range for this position is $250,000.00 - $325,000.00. The actual salary offer will carefully consider a few factors, including your skills, qualifications, experience, and location. Certain positions are eligible for additional forms of compensation such as bonuses, stipends, equity, and role-specific perks.
Additional:
• Remote-first work environment
• Annual Bonus
• 401(k) program + 4% company match after three months
• New Hire Remote Life Stipend + annual Nourish and Nurture Allowance
• Monthly Cell and Internet Stipend
• Quarterly Farm-to-Fridge home deliveries and Employee Discounts
• New Parents: Up to 18 weeks of paid Parental Leave, Baby Steps Back To Work, 3 months’ supply of Once Upon a Farm products, and breast milk shipping service and support for those who travel after birth for the duration of your breastfeeding journey
• Unlimited Paid Time Off
• Paid Volunteer Time
• Paid Time Off to fulfill civic responsibilities, including jury duty and voting in local, state, and national elections
• Medical Insurance for the employee is covered at 100% on select plans, with additional plan options at a reduced cost to the employee
• Vision and Dental Insurance are covered at 100% for the employee and dependents
• Life insurance
• Flexible spending account (Medical & Dependent Care) and Health Savings Accounts for applicable plans
• Employee assistance program (EAP)
• All other benefits, leaves, and insurance as required by law, based on your specific residence
• And so much more!
Who We Are
Our Purpose: Drive systemic improvement in childhood nutrition for a healthier, happier, and more equitable world.
Our Business: At Once Upon a Farm, a better story starts here. We’re on a greater mission in providing organic, crave-worthy snacks and meals for children of all ages. Our recipes are crafted with only the best organic ingredients – whole fruits and veggies, cold-pressed (our pouches), or freshly frozen (our meals) to perfection– to support your growing kids at every stage. Each of our organic, non-GMO, non-dairy recipes contains no added sugar and are free from artificial flavors, colors, and preservatives – just simple, real, nutritious snacks your entire family will love.
We support and champion farmers who supply the highest-quality organic ingredients for our foods. We help parents keep their promise to provide the best nourishment for their children’s bodies and souls. We treat our consumers, customers, suppliers, investors, and all our valued employees with the same high level of dignity and respect that we expect from others. We will always fight for and support efforts to drive positive social change and food justice for the benefit of parents, kids, and families. Lastly, we foster an entrepreneurial and collaborative culture that values humility, honesty, passion, positive social impact, and fun.
Our Team: We’re all fully remote, which makes us a highly collaborative, dynamic, and supportive bunch. We share a singular mission to make the world a better place through the highest quality, most delicious, nourishing, and nutritious products made accessible to every home, from our farms to your fridge. And while we’re invested in our product, we’re equally invested in one another’s success.
Once Upon a Farm is a purpose-driven brand made up of an inclusive group of individuals with diverse backgrounds, passions, and beliefs. We hire self-motivated, independent thinkers and those who are genuinely passionate about improving childhood nutrition for a healthier and happier planet. Bring your whole self to your work at Once Upon A Farm, a proud equal-opportunity employer. In your application, please feel free to note which pronouns you use.
In an effort to help us remove unconscious bias from our resume review process, we ask that you please remove all identifying information from your resume (like profile photos) before you upload it. Once Upon A Farm is committed to cultivating an inclusive environment where a diverse group of people can and want to do their best work, and that starts with our hiring practices.
Once Upon a Farm, PBC, provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants in all company facilities without regard to race, color, religious creed, sex, national origin, ancestry, cast, citizenship status, pregnancy, childbirth, physical disability, mental and/or intellectual disability, age, military status or status as a Vietnam-era or special disabled veteran, marital status, registered domestic partner or civil union status, gender (including sex stereotyping and gender identity or expression), medical condition (including, but not limited to, cancer-related or HIV/AIDS-related), genetic information, or sexual orientation in accordance with applicable federal, state and local laws. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including, but not limited to, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.
You must reside in the United States to be considered for this position.
