Legal & Sustainability Associate

Matchbox; Melbourne; On-site; AUD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid-3 days in office

L&D budget

Carbon-negative & plastic-negative

Parental leave support

Pet-friendly offices

Job summary

Lyka Pet Food is seeking a Legal & Sustainability Associate to lead Lyka's sustainability strategy, reporting, and initiatives while supporting a broad range of in-house legal matters. The role blends legal and ESG work with a proactive, collaborative approach to risk management and environmental stewardship.

The ideal candidate is admitted to practice in Australia or a sustainability professional with strong regulatory and data-analysis skills, ready to grow into broader ESG leadership within a

Qualifications

• 3+ years of relevant experience in law, sustainability, or ESG.
• Experience driving projects independently with limited guidance.
• Strong research skills applying new legislation and regulatory requirements.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder engagement across levels of the organisation.

Responsibilities

• Lead Lyka's sustainability strategy, metrics and targets.
• Oversee reporting, data collection and compliance requirements.
• Support in-house legal matters, including contract review and regulatory research.
• Build expertise across environmental laws and sustainability frameworks.
• Deliver training and communications to build understanding and action.
• Collaborate with suppliers to drive positive environmental and social impact.

Skills

Legal understanding

Sustainability

Stakeholder engagement

Research

Data analysis

Contract review

Education

Law degree

Environmental Science / Sustainability

Tools

Regulatory databases

AASB S2

APCO

BCorp knowledge

Job description

# Legal & Sustainability AssociateLyka Pet FoodOn-site • Melbourne, Victoria, AustraliaFull-time## Role OverviewWho are we?Lyka is an Australian founded pet wellness company that’s shaking up an outdated industry and paving the way for happier, healthier pets. Despite medical advancements, animal lifespans are on the decline. Today, the average pet only reaches 37% of their full potential lifespan and statistics have shown us that many suffer from dental disease, cancer, and obesity. Simply put, the status quo is not enough.As humans, we’ve experienced firsthand the positive impact fresh wholefoods can have on our health and wellbeing, and we believe our furry friends deserve the same. We're on a mission to do just that, starting with nutritionally balanced, wholefood meals delivered direct to doors around Australia. As the world’s most sustainable pet wellness company, we’re putting pets and our planet first - one bowl at a time.Today, we are proud to share we’ve served 100 million meals to puppers and their parents across Australia, and this is just the beginning. Our vision is to create multiple nutritional products, adding disease prevention meals and supplements, and expand into new markets.Currently, we have a team of 250+ pet-obsessed people and we're continuing to grow (yes, looking at you!). These carefully selected people are dedicated to building the next generation of technology and products to help empower pet parents to take control over their pet’s wellbeing.To date, we have raised over $60M in funding from venture capital investors and pet industry insiders, who believe in our mission and ability to drive change in a stagnant industry, providing nutrition that nourishes puppers from the inside out.Are you ready to shake things up and give pets the life they deserve? Come join our pack!Our MissionThe time we share with our pets is being cut short. Despite medical advancements, they’re getting sicker earlier. They’re dying prematurely. The industry has it backwards - prioritising treating symptoms instead of addressing the root cause. That’s where we come in.At Lyka, we take a preventative, holistic and personalised approach to pet care. We look at the full picture, factoring in the diet, lifestyle and environment of each individual animal.We don’t stop at symptoms, instead we dig for the root cause. We create nutrition plans unique to each pet, because it’s not just about living longer, but living well too.Our mission is to increase the lifespan of dogs and cats.The RoleWe're looking for a Legal & Sustainability Associate to lead the delivery and ongoing development of Lyka's sustainability strategy, reporting and initiatives, while supporting a broad range of general in-house legal matters.Our ideal candidate is a lawyer admitted to practice in Australia with a strong interest in environmental sustainability, ESG and responsible business - you don't need to be an established expert, just the curiosity and initiative to build that expertise quickly. Equally, if you're not a lawyer but bring strong sustainability, ESG or responsible-business experience and are comfortable working closely with our legal function, we'd love to hear from you.What you’ll do* Lead the delivery and ongoing development of Lyka's sustainability strategy, metrics and targets, monitoring performance and reporting regularly to leadership and the Board.* Support general in-house legal matters, including contract review, legal and regulatory research, compliance and practical legal guidance.* Build expertise across environmental laws, regulations and reporting frameworks relevant to Lyka's operations and value chain, and identify emerging legal and sustainability-related risks and legislation to support risk management.* Manage sustainability reporting, data collection and compliance requirements.* Embed sustainability into day-to-day operations and long-term planning, working with business teams to identify opportunities for improvement.* Act as internal subject matter expert for sustainability and ESG, with support to grow into areas outside your existing expertise.* Establish scalable processes, templates and policies across legal and sustainability to support high growth and strong cross-functional relationships.* Deliver training and communications that build understanding and inspire action.* Manage sustainability events, awards and industry submissions, and communicate progress confidently internally and externally, acting as custodian of Lyka's sustainability story.* Work with suppliers and business partners to drive positive environmental and social impact across our value chain.RequirementsWe're open to candidates from either a legal or sustainability background. You may be:* A lawyer admitted to practice in Australia (private practice or in-house), with a strong demonstrated interest in environmental sustainability, ESG or responsible business; or* A sustainability, ESG or responsible business professional with strong relevant experience, comfortable working closely with an in-house legal function.In addition, you’ll ideally bring* Qualifications in Law, Environmental Science, Sustainability, ESG, Business or a related discipline, with 3+ years' relevant experience.* A track record of driving projects independently and delivering initiatives to completion, including through unfamiliar or evolving subject matter with limited guidance.* Strong research skills, with the ability to apply new legislation, regulatory requirements and technical frameworks - including an understanding of, or willingness to develop expertise in, frameworks such as AASB S2, Modern Slavery, B Corp and APCO.* Experience collecting, analysing and interpreting data and financial metrics to support decision-making.* Excellent communication and stakeholder engagement skills, with the ability to influence and constructively challenge at all levels of the organisation.* A proactive, collaborative approach, with a genuine interest in sustainability, responsible business and staying ahead of emerging regulation, legislation and opportunities relevant to Lyka.Benefits* Work in a fast-growing start-up, experiencing what goes behind the scenes to sustain hyper-growth for a start-up with a physical product!* Growth and Development - Lyka is growing extremely quickly, which means you will have the opportunity to experience different challenges every day and progressively acquire more responsibilities as our facility and team expands. We provide an annual L&D budget for you to continue your personal development.* Work for a sustainability focused company - we care about the health of our dogs and our planet. We’re proud to be Australia’s only carbon-negative and plastic-negative pet company and we’re always looking at ways for us improve sustainability practices.* Be part of a diverse top talent team, coming from widely different backgrounds and geographies.* Up to 18 weeks of paid parental leave top-up.* Wellbeing assistance and tools to take care of your mental and physical wellbeing so you can do your best work.* Hybrid working - 3 days per week in office. We have pet-friendly offices and industrial kitchens in Sydney and Melbourne. Onsite days are required during your onboarding.* Pupper parent support to care for your furry friends - flexible arrangements for new pets, pet-friendly offices, discounts, and financial allowance for dog training & care to help them live their best life!We are committed to building inclusive and diverse teamsLyka is an equal opportunity employer devoted to providing a working environment that embraces and values diversity and inclusion.We celebrate diversity, are devoted to creating an inclusive environment for all staff and encourage people of all backgrounds to apply. If you have any support or access requirements, we encourage you to advise us at the time of application.## The Team You'll JoinBusiness Operations