In-House Counsel

JonnyPops In-House Counsel

At JonnyPops, our team is empowered to make an impact at work every day — from producing high-quality, innovative frozen novelties to spreading kindness one pop at a time. JonnyPops manufactures in-house at our SQF Certified, peanut-free facility in Elk River and operates corporate offices in Plymouth. Our products are sold across national retail, club, natural and food service channels, including Target, Kroger, Costco, Walmart and Whole Foods.

We look for bright, ambitious people who seek out challenges, thrive in fast-paced, high-growth environments, and align with our core values — and who want to help us build "A Better Pop for a Better World!"

The In-House Counsel is JonnyPops' dedicated legal partner, reporting to the CFO. The role handles the day-to-day legal work of a growing food and CPG brand: commercial contracting with vendors and customers, review of labeling, packaging, advertising and creative, consumer affairs matters, and food regulatory compliance. The right person is a practical, business-first lawyer with real food and CPG experience who can turn contracts and reviews quickly, knows where the regulatory lines are, and knows when to bring in outside counsel and how to collaborate with them efficiently.

This role works side by side with Sales, Marketing and Commercialization, Supply Chain and Procurement, FSQA and Consumer Affairs, Finance, and HR. It manages outside counsel relationships and outside legal spend, and keeps the ELT informed on legal risk in plain language. As JonnyPops builds the contracting templates, intake process and shared-service foundation it needs for 2027, this role puts in place the legal infrastructure that lets routine agreements move fast and consistently.

The role is based at our Plymouth, MN corporate office with a hybrid schedule and flexibility. Occasional travel to the Elk River manufacturing facility and to customer or legal meetings is expected as needed.

Cross-functional partners include ELT; Sales; Marketing and Commercialization; Supply Chain and Procurement; FSQA and Consumer Affairs; Finance and Accounting; HR and Office; Operations. Outside counsel (corporate, equity, litigation and IP) is managed by this role.

What success looks like includes:

• Routine contracts, NDAs and creative reviews move through a simple intake and approval process with fast, consistent turnaround.
• Labels, packaging, on-pack claims and marketing content are cleared before print and launch dates, with no regulatory surprises.
• Standard templates and a contract repository are in place and in use.
• Outside counsel is used deliberately and managed to budget, with clear status reporting.
• Consumer complaints, demand letters and disputes are handled with documented, fact-based response strategies.

Key responsibilities include:

• Commercial Contracting
• Labeling, Packaging, Advertising and Creative Review
• Consumer Affairs and Product Matters
• Regulatory Compliance and Research
• Disputes, Terminations and Litigation Management
• Intellectual Property
• Employment, Insurance and Corporate Support
• General

Food safety responsibilities include:

• Reviewing labels, allergen statements, ingredient and nutrition panels, and on-pack claims.
• Supporting FSQA and Operations on withdrawals and recalls.
• Ensuring supplier, co-manufacturer and customer agreements reflect food safety requirements.
• Handling consumer complaints, adverse event reports and regulatory inquiries.
• Completing required food-safety and GMP awareness training.

Minimum qualifications include:

• J.D. from an accredited law school.
• Active bar admission in Minnesota.
• 5+ years of legal experience.
• Hands-on experience with food labeling, packaging and advertising claims review.
• High-volume commercial contracting experience.

Skills and competencies include:

• Business-first legal mindset.
• Fast, practical turnaround on contracts and creative reviews.
• Plain-language communicator.
• Organized and independent.
• Knows when and how to use outside counsel.
• Committed to JonnyPops core values.

Preferred qualifications include:

• In-house experience at a food, beverage or CPG company.
• Admission in additional states.
• Experience handling consumer complaints, product liability matters or recalls.
• Experience with trademark portfolio management.
• Exposure to employment matters, insurance, financing, corporate governance or corporate transactions.

Why this role matters:

Every new product, retailer, claim and campaign at JonnyPops carries a contract, a label or a piece of creative that has to be right. The In-House Counsel keeps that work moving at the speed of a high-growth brand while protecting what we have built: our products, our brand and our name. By bringing practical food and CPG legal judgment inside the business, this role helps us say yes faster, spot real risk earlier, and keep outside legal spend focused where it counts.

JonnyPops offers a competitive benefits package, including:

• Medical/Health Insurance
• Dental Insurance
• Vision Insurance
• HSA
• FSA
• DCFSA
• Life & AD&D Insurance
• Short & Long Term Disability
• FTO/PTO
• EAP Programs
• Paid Holidays
• Employee Referral Program
• Sick & Safe Leave
• 401k
• Company Sponsored Meal Plan

Expected Pay Range: $155,000-$185,000