Senior Vice President of Legal & Deputy General Counsel

Creating a world where pets live longer, healthier lives, from their very first meal.

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We’re Looking For A(n): Senior Vice President of Legal & Deputy General Counsel

Location: Hybrid (El Segundo, CA and/or Burbank/North Hollywood, CA)

What You’ll Be Doing: The Senior Vice President or Legal & Deputy General Counsel (SVP & DGC) will be responsible for leading the company's legal strategy and management in alignment with business objectives. As a key member of the executive leadership team, the SVP & DGC will drive legal excellence, risk management, corporate governance, and compliance across the enterprise. This role requires a leader who can balance pragmatic, business-first counsel with the rigor, governance, and transparency required of a sophisticated, high-growth organization.

An ideal candidate would have previous public company experience as a General Counsel or 5+ years of experience as Deputy General Counsel with proven SEC and Board/C-Suite management interaction. This role reports to the current GC/CLO with the intention of becoming the GC/CLO for the company after an interim period and demonstrated success in the company.

Must be located in Los Angeles and have the required experience listed below.

Executive Leadership & Strategy

Partner with the CEO, CFO and Board of Directors on governance matters, risk oversight, and strategic initiatives

Develop and execute a comprehensive legal strategy aligned with long-term business goals and investor expectations

Serve as a trusted advisor to senior leadership on corporate structure, M&A, commercial transactions, and enterprise risk

Build and lead a high-performing legal function that operates as a true business partner across the organization

Corporate Governance & Compliance

Design and maintain a robust corporate governance framework, including Board and committee charters, policies, and reporting cadences

Oversee compliance with all applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulatory requirements

Partner with Finance and the Board on governance disclosures, reporting obligations, and fiduciary responsibilities

Implement and manage internal controls related to legal and compliance processes in alignment with best-in-class governance standards

Advise on equity plan administration, capitalization table matters, and investor-related agreements

Commercial & Transactional Legal

Lead all M&A activity, including due diligence, structuring, negotiation, and integration

Oversee commercial contracting across procurement, sales, licensing, co-manufacturing, and distribution

Manage and optimize the company's use of outside counsel to ensure cost-effective, high-quality legal support

Provide legal support for financing transactions, including debt, equity, and strategic partnerships

Regulatory, IP & Litigation

Oversee the company's intellectual property portfolio, including trademarks, trade secrets, and licensing agreements

Manage all litigation, regulatory proceedings, and dispute resolution strategy

Ensure compliance with food safety, labeling, and pet product regulatory requirements (FDA,

AAFCO, FTC, etc.)

Monitor legislative and regulatory developments affecting the business and proactively advise leadership

Risk Management & Ethics

Develop and lead an enterprise-wide risk management framework

Own the company's Code of Conduct, ethics hotline, and compliance training programs

Partner with HR and Finance on employment matters, executive compensation, and benefits-related legal issues

Lead data privacy and cybersecurity legal strategy, including compliance with CCPA and applicable data protection laws

Qualifications (Note: We strongly encourage you to apply even if you don’t tick ALL of these boxes.):

15+ years of legal experience, with 5+ in-house at a corporate legal function in a public company

Proven public company track record in corporate governance, M&A, SEC, and commercial legal areas, including advertising, regulatory (FDA/FTC), ERISA/benefits, and intellectual property

Corporate legal experience with organizations having complex corporate/ownership structures

Deep expertise in SEC law, corporate governance, commercial transactions, and Board/C-suite engagement is particularly critical for this role

Demonstrated success in building, managing, and scaling legal operations in a high-growth company

Exceptional executive presence, communication, and stakeholder management skills

Prior experience as General Counsel or Deputy General Counsel in a public company

Required Education: U.S. law degree (JD)

Preferred Education: Top U.S. law school

Preferred Experience: Deep in SEC law and associated public company governance including managing and planning public Board meetings and associated governance with management.

Preferred Licensure/Certification: California Bar

Required Licensure/Certification: Admitted to the California Bar

Golden Perks & Benefits:

Comprehensive healthcare coverage – We cover 100% of premiums for medical, dental, and vision plans for employee-only plans.

Annual bonus

We match up to 3.5% of your 401k contributions , ensuring your retirement savings grow alongside your career.

6 paid sick and mental health days, an Employee Assistance Program, free weekly yoga and meditation classes, and additional mental health benefits, because we take a holistic approach to your well-being.

Invest in your future with our Employee Stock Ownership Plan , where company contributions fund your retirement plan with company stock. Learn more.

Reimbursements for a portion of personal cell phone and internet usage for eligible employees.

Professional development opportunities with mentorship, continuous learning programs, and performance-based pay increases, empowering you to progress and excel in your career.

Through our charity sponsorships, you can make a positive impact on communities worldwide. We’ve donated over $9 million to date.

Potential for quarterly KPI bonuses.

The base salary range is $320,000-$400,000, plus bonus potential.

The posted salary range in this job posting reflects data based on California's cost of labor analysis. This salary range is subject to change per state; please click here to find the pay differential in your state of residence if the role is remote.

Salary is based on a wide range of factors that include relevant experience, knowledge, skills, other job-related qualifications, and geographical location. We will consider for employment all qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with applicable law.

A Note to Recruiting Agencies: At Golden Pet Brands, we handle all hiring through our internal Talent Acquisition team. Occasionally, we might use staffing or recruiting agencies to support our internal team in finding the right candidates. Agencies are not authorized to contact our hiring teams directly to present candidates. Our internal Talent Acquisition team is responsible for all candidate presentations to our hiring managers. Golden Pet Brands will need written approval and a signed agreement before submitting any candidate info for a specific job opening. Without this, we won’t pay any fees for placements. Thank you for your understanding.

Candidate Safety: The safety of our candidates is our highest priority. When looking for a job, please be aware of cyber criminals, fake domains, and fraudulent job offers. Golden Pet Brands recruiters will only contact applicants from our official company e-mail domain, ( NAME@GOLDENPETBRANDS.COM ) or through our internal Applicant Tracking System, Greenhouse. In addition, Golden Pet Brands recruiters will never send you checks, or ask you to disclose personal financial details.

Click here to learn more about general internet safety and our hiring practices.