Associate Legal Counsel - Food Law

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

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.

• 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.

• 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…