Application Guide
How to Apply for Deputy General Counsel
at The Good Food Institute
🏢 About The Good Food Institute
The Good Food Institute is a unique nonprofit at the forefront of the alternative protein revolution, working to transform the global food system by promoting plant-based and cultivated meat innovations. Unlike traditional legal environments, GFI combines mission-driven advocacy with scientific and market-based solutions, offering the chance to use legal expertise for significant environmental and ethical impact.
About This Role
As Deputy General Counsel, you'll serve as the primary legal advisor for GFI's U.S. operations, managing the full contract lifecycle and ensuring compliance across international and multistate activities. This role is impactful because you'll directly enable GFI's programmatic work—from scientific research grants to partnerships with food companies—while mitigating risks in a rapidly evolving regulatory landscape for alternative proteins.
💡 A Day in the Life
A typical day might involve reviewing a research agreement with a plant-based food startup, advising the policy team on lobbying compliance for state-level legislation, and leading a training session for staff on contract intake processes—all while collaborating remotely with colleagues across time zones to support GFI's mission-driven initiatives.
🚀 Application Tools
🎯 Who The Good Food Institute Is Looking For
- An attorney with 8+ years of experience, ideally including in-house or nonprofit roles, who understands the unique compliance challenges of 501(c)(3) organizations operating internationally.
- A specialist in contract lifecycle management, from drafting research agreements to negotiating partnerships with food industry stakeholders, with proven skill in risk assessment for mission-driven work.
- Someone deeply familiar with nonprofit legal frameworks, including lobbying compliance, intellectual property considerations for open-access research, and multistate charitable registration requirements.
- A collaborative advisor who can translate complex legal concepts for scientists, policy advocates, and operations staff working on plant-based and cultivated meat initiatives.
📝 Tips for Applying to The Good Food Institute
Highlight specific experience with nonprofit compliance issues like charitable solicitation registrations, IRS lobbying rules, or international grantmaking—GFI operates in multiple countries.
Quantify your contract experience: mention the volume and types of agreements you've managed (e.g., research collaborations, vendor contracts, licensing agreements) relevant to GFI's work.
Demonstrate knowledge of the alternative protein sector by referencing GFI's specific initiatives, such as their work on cultivated meat regulation or plant-based labeling advocacy.
Emphasize remote work proficiency, as this role supports U.S.-based teams distributed across time zones, requiring strong asynchronous communication skills.
Tailor your resume to show how your legal expertise enables programmatic goals—GFI values lawyers who help advance their mission, not just mitigate risk.
✉️ What to Emphasize in Your Cover Letter
["Explain why you're drawn to GFI's specific mission of transforming the food system through plant-based and cultivated proteins, not just nonprofit work generally.", "Provide concrete examples of how you've managed legal complexities for organizations with international or multistate operations, highlighting risk mitigation strategies.", 'Describe your approach to serving as a legal advisor to non-legal staff, emphasizing collaboration with scientists, policy experts, and advocates.', "Mention any familiarity with food, agricultural, or environmental law, even if tangential, to show understanding of GFI's regulatory context."]
Generate Cover Letter →🔍 Research Before Applying
To stand out, make sure you've researched:
- → Explore GFI's specific program areas (e.g., corporate engagement, policy, science) to understand the legal needs of each division.
- → Review GFI's public positions on regulatory issues, such as FDA labeling for plant-based products or USDA oversight of cultivated meat.
- → Study the nonprofit's international footprint, including partnerships in Asia or Europe, to grasp the scope of compliance challenges.
- → Look into GFI's open-access research philosophy and how it might intersect with intellectual property considerations.
💬 Prepare for These Interview Topics
Based on this role, you may be asked about:
⚠️ Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Submitting a generic application that doesn't address GFI's focus on alternative proteins or nonprofit-specific legal challenges.
- Overemphasizing litigation or adversarial legal experience without highlighting advisory, compliance, or contract management skills relevant to in-house work.
- Failing to demonstrate remote work competence or experience supporting distributed teams, which is critical for this fully remote role.
📅 Application Timeline
This position is open until filled. However, we recommend applying as soon as possible as roles at mission-driven organizations tend to fill quickly.
Typical hiring timeline:
Application Review
1-2 weeks
Initial Screening
Phone call or written assessment
Interviews
1-2 rounds, usually virtual
Offer
Congratulations!
Ready to Apply?
Good luck with your application to The Good Food Institute!