Associate Legal Counsel - Food Law

About Ferrero:

Ferrero began its journey in the small town of Alba in Piedmont, Italy, in 1946. Today, it is one of the world’s largest sweet-packaged food companies, with many iconic brands sold in countries all over the world. Find out more about Ferrero at ferrero.com.

About the Role:

We have a current opening for an Associate Legal Cousel, Food Law and are actively reviewing applicants.

This opening is advertised based in our Chicago office. Alternatively, we will consider applicants based in our Parisppany, NJ office.

Ferrero North America’s Food Law & Food Regulatory team sits at the intersection of product strategy and regulatory risk—setting the legal standards that keep products and innovations compliant across the U.S. (including Puerto Rico), Canada, and the Caribbean while positioning the portfolio to withstand the MAHA-era wave of ingredient scrutiny, warning-law momentum, and consumer-protection litigation. The team operates clear, business-ready frameworks for labeling, claims, ingredients/additives, and advertising and protects the company from and in litigation so cross-functional teams can move forward without creating avoidable regulatory or class-action exposure.

The Food Law & Regulatory Associate Counsel is the day-to-day owner of North America Food Law governance, defining the legal risk posture for labeling, claims, and ingredient/additive strategy from concept through commercialization. This role works shoulder-to-shoulder with Innovation, Research & Development, Quality, Marketing, and Institutional Affairs to build scalable tools, drive consistent approvals across portfolios, and harden decisions with defensibility in mind; tight substantiation and evidence positioning, so the business can innovate confidently and stay ahead of emerging regulations.

Main Responsibilities:

• Deliver actionable counsel on U.S., Canadian, and Caribbean food laws and regulations impacting product development and commercialization.
• Execute NAM strategy on chemical/additive and warning-law compliance (including Prop 65 and PFAS-related requirements) and support MAHA-driven initiatives.
• Own claims, labeling, and advertising standards across all brand portfolios; approve complex claims and substantiation approaches,
• Build scalable governance toolkits (policy positions, substantiation standards, label/pack checklists, SOPs, and training materials).
• Develop onboarding frameworks for new brands, co-manufacturers, and suppliers to ensure consistent legal standards and faster ramp-up.
• Ensure compliance across ingredient, recipe, packaging and marketing/media (digital, influencer, broadcast), and align North America standards with Global claims and labeling approaches.
• Supervise documentation and substantiation creation by setting standards, training contributors, and spot-checking high-risk recipes and dossiers.
• Embed legal requirements across Open Innovation, Research & Development, Quality, Packaging, Marketing, and Legal.
• Collaborate with industry groups to advance Ferrero’s interests.
• Proactively identify and triage emerging regulatory and litigation trends (UPF theories, additive bans, AG probes), converting them into practical playbooks, guardrails, and escalation triggers.
  
  

About You:

• J.D. with U.S. bar admission; advanced training in food and ingredient regulation and litigation or equivalent hands-on experience.
• 5–7 years of CPG food law/regulatory experience either in-house or at a firm, ideally spanning multiple categories (e.g., protein, chilled/frozen, breakfast, better-for-you, treats).
• Deep expertise in labeling and claims compliance, advertising substantiation, and governance design for scalable approval processes.
• Strong working knowledge of chemical/additive and warning-law frameworks (including Prop 65 and PFAS-related compliance), and familiarity with FSMA obligations.
• Proven ability to move with agility and translate complex legal requirements into practical tools (policies, SOPs, checklists, trainings) that enable speed-to-market.
• Demonstrated success partnering with cross-functional leaders (Innovation, Research & Development Quality, Marketing, Institutional Affairs) and influencing outcomes.
• Experience supervising and quality-controlling workstreams (e.g., formulation/specification files) and driving consistent standards.
• Strong PowerPoint/executive storytelling skills—able to translate legal and regulatory risk into crisp, decision-ready materials for senior stakeholders.
• Fluency with modern legal technology (e.g., workflow tools, knowledge platforms, GenAI copilots) and comfort adopting new tools to scale governance, speed approvals, and improve quality.

As part of our recruitment process, Ferrero may use artificial intelligence (AI) enabled tools to assist with reviewing candidate applications. These tools are used solely to support recruiters by summarizing application information and identifying potential alignment with job requirements. AI does not independently screen out or select candidates, and it does not replace human judgment. Final decisions regarding candidate progression are always made by Ferrero recruiters and hiring managers.

Compensation Data

The base salary range for this position is $126,489 - $168,653 annually.  Actual compensation will be determined based on experience, qualifications, and other job-related factors permitted by law. This range represents the anticipated salary for this position at this time. 

In addition to base salary, we offer a comprehensive benefits package, including health insurance, retirement plans, paid time off, and other benefits. 

Our Benefits & Perks:

Careers with caring built in - discover our benefits here.

DE&I at Ferrero:

Ferrero is committed to building a diverse and inclusive culture in which all employees feel welcomed and appreciated and have the same opportunities. We believe all our people are equally talented in their own way. In nurturing the curiosity and natural abilities of our employees, we provide them, generation after generation, the means to succeed personally and professionally, enabling them to craft their journey at Ferrero. The diversity of our talents is what makes our work environment multicultural, innovative, and highly rewarding.
Find out more here.

Ferrero is an equal opportunity employer and complies with all applicable human rights laws. Ferrero will recruit, hire, train, and promote all persons without regard to race, creed, color, sex (including pregnancy, gender, sexual orientation, and gender identity), religion, national origin or ancestry, age, disability, or history of disability (except where physical or mental abilities are a bona fide occupational requirement and the individual is not able to perform the essential functions of the position even with reasonable accommodations), citizenship, or any other protected characteristic.

Ferrero will accommodate the needs of applicants with disabilities throughout all stages of the selection process. If you need accommodation during the recruitment process, please advise the People & Organization (HR) Representative. Information relating to the need for accommodation and accommodation measures will be addressed confidentially.