Vice President Legal and Compliance

Position Overview

The Vice President of Legal & Compliance is a senior executive leader responsible for overseeing all legal, regulatory, and risk management functions for a franchise-driven foodservice brand operating primarily within supermarket and grocery retail environments. This role encompasses franchise law, retail site agreements, food compliance, employment matters, and broader corporate legal needs. As a trusted advisor to the executive team, the VP develops and enforces systems to ensure regulatory compliance, mitigate risk, and support sustainable growth across franchise and corporate operations.

Key Responsibilities and Duties

Franchising & Licensor Oversight

    • Lead the legal administration of Franchise Disclosure Documents (FDDs) and Franchise Agreements, ensuring compliance with federal and state franchise laws.
    • Manage renewals, enforcement, and updates to franchise agreements in line with legislative changes and business goals.
    • Ensure franchisees understand and implement required operational, compliance, and brand standards.

Supermarket & Retail Site Legal Support

    • Draft, negotiate, and manage contracts and agreements specific to franchise locations embedded in supermarkets and third-party retail sites.
    • Collaborate with real estate and business development teams on licensing, site use, and retail-host integration.

Contract & Vendor Agreement Management

    • Oversee legal review and negotiation of a wide range of contracts including those with vendors, marketing partners, technology providers, landlords, and franchisees.
    • Ensure contracts align with business goals while minimizing legal risk.

Regulatory, Policy, and Licensing Compliance

    • Provide legal support on regulatory issues including food safety, local health and operational permits, labeling requirements, and licensing.
    • Work with external counsel as needed to manage litigation, governmental inquiries, and policy interpretations.

Risk Management & Insurance

    • Ensure adequate insurance coverage requirements are met across the franchise system.
    • Lead development and execution of risk mitigation strategies for areas of legal exposure affecting both corporate and franchise entities.

Employment & HR Legal Matters

    • Serve as legal advisor to the HR department on employment law issues including employee policies, hiring and termination practices, workplace safety, wage and hour compliance, investigations, and dispute resolution.
    • Ensure employment practices comply with federal, state, and local labor laws across both corporate-owned and franchise-operated units.
    • Support resolution of employee claims, EEOC matters, and internal investigations, etc.

Corporate & General Business Legal Support

    • Advise the executive team on general corporate law matters including governance, entity management, and compliance with business and commercial regulations.
    • Provide legal guidance on new initiatives, M&A activity, and company-wide risk exposure.
    • Maintain strong corporate recordkeeping and compliance frameworks in collaboration with finance and operations.

Compliance Program Leadership

    • Lead the company’s ethics and compliance program, including training, monitoring, investigations, and remediation.
    • Identify areas of compliance vulnerability and develop corrective action plans.
    • Foster a company-wide culture of ethical business conduct and legal accountability.

Franchisee & Partner Support

    • Act as the primary legal liaison to franchisees and retail partners, addressing compliance questions, dispute resolution, and operational alignment.
    • Monitor franchisee legal obligations and ensure consistent adherence to brand policies and standards.

Team Management & Cross-Functional Collaboration

    • Lead a legal and compliance team and oversee the engagement and management of outside counsel.
    • Oversee the daily workflow of the Legal & Compliance department. Recruit, interview, and train management-level staff. Provide constructive and timely performance evaluations. Handle discipline of employees in accordance with company policies.
    • Partner with cross-functional departments including Operations, Finance, HR, Marketing, and Franchise Development.

Travel

    • Travel up to 10–25% to franchise and supermarket locations, legal conferences, regulatory meetings, and partner visits as needed.

Other Duties/Projects

    • Perform other duties as assigned.

Qualifications & Skills

    • J.D. from an accredited law school; licensed and in good standing with a U.S. state bar.
    • Minimum 10 years of broad legal experience, including at least 5 years in a leadership role in a franchise, food, or retail industry environment.
    • Demonstrated expertise in franchise law, employment law, and retail site/real estate agreements.
    • Strong background in foodservice or hospitality-related regulatory issues.
    • Experience managing compliance programs and leading investigations or legal audits.
    • Proficient with Microsoft Office Suite or related software.
    • Proven ability to collaborate with senior leadership and lead a legal department in a dynamic, growth-oriented company.
    • Excellent interpersonal, negotiation, and communication skills.
    • Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
    • Excellent conflict resolution skills.
    • Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail.
    • Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.

Physical Requirements:

    • Prolonged periods of sitting at a desk and working on a computer.
    • Must be able to lift up to 15 pounds at times.

Location:  On-site

Salary range: $214,00.00-$295,000.00/annual