Food Impact Partners is exclusively partnered to hire a Senior Legal Counsel for our client, a pioneering biotechnology company building more resilient and sustainable ingredients.

The company has developed a proprietary, biology-driven platform that designs and produces high-performance fats and oils without the environmental, ethical, or supply-chain burdens of traditional sources.

By harnessing advanced fermentation and microbial engineering, they create tailored molecules that unlock innovation across food, nutrition, personal care, and related industries. Their commercial model centers on strategic partnerships and technology licensing with established ingredient and CPG companies, enabling global scale while remaining focused, agile, and science-driven.

The Opportunity

Our client is seeking a commercially minded, pragmatic, and highly collaborative Senior Legal Counsel to serve as a key legal partner across the organization.

This is a high-impact, hands-on role suited for someone who thrives in dynamic environments and understands how to balance risk with opportunity. The successful candidate will act as the primary legal advisor to a mission-driven startup scaling its partnerships, technology platform, and operations.

The ideal candidate combines strong transactional expertise with sound startup judgment, able to identify material risks and distinguish them from theoretical ones.

This role will work cross-functionally with Business Development, Technology, Finance, Operations, and Leadership, helping the company move quickly and responsibly within a complex regulatory and commercial landscape.

Key Responsibilities:

Commercial & Transactional Leadership

Serve as lead in-house counsel across all commercial legal matters, managing collaboration with external counsel where specialized expertise is required
Draft, review, and negotiate:
Strategic partnership agreements
Licensing agreements
Contract manufacturing agreements
Services agreements
Material Transfer Agreements (MTAs)
Confidentiality agreements
Provide practical guidance on structuring and executing complex commercial transactions
Advise business leaders on contractual rights, obligations, and risk mitigation strategies

Corporate & Strategic Matters

Support corporate governance, board materials, and resolutions
Assist with financings, investor materials, M&A transactions, and other strategic initiatives
Provide legal analysis related to securities compliance and corporate structuring
Advise on entity management and governance processes
Advise on HR matters, including hiring, terminations, performance issues, investigations, wage and hour compliance, and relevant employment laws
Support HR with policy updates, employee handbook reviews, and compliance training
Maintain clear communication with the Board and oversee corporate recordkeeping
Serve as Corporate Equity Plan administrator (experience with Carta preferred)

Regulatory & Risk Advisory

Provide business-oriented counsel on regulatory, trade compliance, and contractual risk
Support data security, privacy, AI governance, and B2B marketing compliance
Ensure alignment with applicable laws and company policies

Intellectual Property (IP) Portfolio Management

Oversee IP protection strategy in collaboration with external counsel and the technology team
Manage patent portfolio strategy and trade secret protection
Ensure safeguarding of proprietary technology critical to competitive advantage

Experience required:

Juris Doctor (JD) or equivalent; active State Bar membership (California preferred)
6+ years of legal experience, ideally combining law firm and in-house roles
Prior experience in a Series A–D startup strongly preferred
Experience across several of the following areas:
Commercial contracts and complex negotiations
Corporate governance
Financing transactions and investor materials
Intellectual property strategy (with outside counsel)
Data security and privacy
AI governance
Employment and HR matters
B2B marketing compliance
Regulatory and trade compliance

Mindset & Capabilities:

Strong commercial acumen and business judgment
Comfortable operating in ambiguity and fast-moving environments
Ability to prioritize material risks over theoretical perfection
Resourceful, creative, and solutions-oriented
Excellent written and verbal communication skills
Proven ability to manage multiple priorities simultaneously
Strong interpersonal skills and cross-functional collaboration experience

Why Join?

Work at the forefront of climate-positive biotechnology innovation
Influence company strategy at a pivotal stage of growth
Partner with mission-driven scientists, operators, and entrepreneurs
Build legal infrastructure that enables scale

Food Impact Partners Client

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Senior Legal Counsel