Use your legal skills to transform the food industry
The Good Food Institute (GFI) is a nonprofit think tank working to make the global food system better for the planet, people, and animals. Alongside scientists, businesses, and policymakers, GFI’s teams focus on making plant-based, fermentation-enabled, and cultivated meat delicious, affordable, and accessible. Powered by philanthropy, GFI is an international network of organizations advancing alternative proteins as an essential solution needed to meet the world’s climate, global health, food security, and biodiversity goals.
How You Will Make a Difference
In this role, you will have the opportunity to help level the regulatory playing field and expand public-sector support for alternative proteins. The Policy Attorney will be responsible for:
- Analyzing regulatory proposals and working with the Associate Director of Regulatory Affairs to draft submissions to regulators.
- Supporting GFI’s litigation efforts, including by conducting legal research and analysis and assisting in the drafting of discovery requests, motions, and briefs.
- Drafting public-facing policy briefs and fact sheets to support GFI’s policy priorities.
- Drafting internal legal memoranda and analyses to support GFI’s policy and government relations initiatives.
- Speaking persuasively to legal and nonlegal audiences on plant-based, fermentation-derived, and cultivated meat and related regulatory and policy issues.
- Working with the Associate Director of Regulatory Affairs and Regulatory Attorney to monitor and analyze regulatory developments, including in select multilateral institutions.
- Working with the broader policy team on legislative and policy research, analysis, and drafting, including drafting language for bills, reports, amendments, and accompanying press releases.
- Performing other duties as assigned.
Who We’re Looking For
An ideal candidate for the Policy Attorney position will have experience that reflects the following:
- A J.D. and admission to the bar of at least one state or the District of Columbia.
- At least 2 years of experience as counsel, attorney, or law clerk.
- Self-motivation and the ability to work independently and with a team.
- Exceptional attention to detail.
- Strong persuasive and analytical legal writing skills.
- The ability to communicate complex information clearly in writing and oral presentations to a range of audiences.
- Strong organizational and interpersonal skills.
- Sound judgment in decision-making, including setting and managing priorities, proposing and meeting deadlines, and resolving logistics challenges.
- A commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion and to building an inclusive workplace where everyone feels like they belong.
- Strong support for GFI’s philosophy and mission; demonstrated interest in plant-based & other alt proteins, public health, environmentalism, climate change, animal protection, or hunger relief.
- A commitment to GFI’s values: believe change is possible, do the most good we can, share knowledge freely, act on evidence, and invite everyone to the table.
The strongest candidates will also have one or more of the following:
- Experience working as an administrative law attorney.
- Experience litigating in federal courts.
- Experience drafting legislation or serving as legislative counsel.
- An understanding of food law.
We want the best people and we don’t want biases holding us back. We use a third-party anonymizing tool to redact personal information from submitted applications — including name, location, contact details, and several other factors — to reduce bias and increase fairness in our process. We strongly encourage people of every race, color, orientation, age, gender, origin, and ability to apply. Since we value a diverse workplace, we prioritize an inclusive climate absent of discrimination and harassment during the application process and after you join the team.
Research indicates that men tend to apply for jobs when they meet just 60% of the criteria, while women and people from other marginalized groups only apply if they are a 100% match. If you are passionate about GFI’s mission and think you have what it takes to be successful in this role even if you don’t check all the boxes, please apply. We’d appreciate the opportunity to consider your application.
The Fine Print
- Terms of employment: Full-time, exempt
- Reports to: Madeline Cohen, Associate Director, Regulatory Affairs
- Location: Farragut Square, Washington, D.C.; Hybrid (Monday/Thursday in office; Tues/Wed/Fri optional from home or office).
- Relocation Benefit: A relocation stipend of up to $5,000 will be paid to cover the costs of relocation from outside of the Washington, D.C. area.
- Travel: Up to two weeks per year for organization retreats (reasonable accommodations for and exemptions from organization retreats considered on a case-by-case basis).
- Benefits: Hybrid work schedule, full medical coverage, optional dental and vision packages, a 401(k) plan with employer match, flexible holiday and vacation plans, lifestyle spending account, tax-free commuting with DC Metro Smart Benefits, opportunity for advancement, respectful managers, and supportive colleagues. More information here: https://tinyurl.com/GFIBenefits.
- This is a U.S.-based position: In compliance with federal law, all persons hired will be required to verify identity and eligibility to work for any employer in the United States and to complete the required employment eligibility verification form upon hire. At this time, GFI's policy is not to sponsor or take over sponsorship of employment visas.
- Salary: $110,817.20 - $116,358.16 (depending on experience and qualifications)
Important Dates
Application deadline: February 11, 2025
Anticipated start date: On or around March 31, 2025
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Decided not to apply? If after reviewing this job description, you have decided not to apply, please let us know why by completing this short survey: https://tinyurl.com/GFIJobSurvey.
Interested in working at the Good Food Institute? Join us for the Career Opportunities Webinar to learn more about our work and ask questions about specific job opportunities! See upcoming webinar dates and more information at https://tinyurl.com/GFICareers.
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Application Instructions
GFI uses an anonymized hiring system that redacts key identifying personal information from all applications. We use this tool as part of a wider effort to reduce bias in our hiring process. Following these instructions will help to ensure your application is not delayed by a failed redaction.
- Where possible, limit the creative formatting of your documents. If the name on your resume is an inserted image file or is styled with large spaces between each letter, for example, the redaction is likely to fail. Colors and designs are OK, but wherever possible, the text itself should just be regular text.
- Please use consistent names. It helps to ensure that the name you use in your resume and cover letter is the same as the name you type into the application below. For example, if your name is Jennifer, please sign your cover letter as “Jennifer” rather than “Jenny.”
- Submit PDF or .docx files only. Other file formats, like .txt, are likely to fail redaction.
- Please do not include personal identifying information in your responses to the application questions. Referencing past education, work experience, and mission-alignment is OK.
- Please do not contact the role’s supervisor or any potential member of the hiring team. If you have questions, please email careers@gfi.org.
Thank you for helping us to ensure that the redaction process works smoothly and to review your application as quickly as possible!
