Corporate Counsel (Business Development & Regulatory)

Botrista; New York (NY); On-site; USD 144,000 - 194,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

Flexible PTO & holidays

Wellness benefits

Cell phone & internet reimbursement

401K

Job summary

Botrista is seeking an experienced in-house counsel to join our rapidly growing beverage robotics team as our first dedicated legal counsel. You will report to the Chief Legal Officer/Global General Counsel and serve as the primary legal advisor for our U.S.

Business Development teams, with potential cross-border work. This role blends high-volume commercial contracting, institutional procurement expertise (K-12 and Higher Ed), and deep understanding of federal food safety regulations.

Qualifications

• J.D. from ABA-accredited law school.
• Admitted to State Bar or eligible for immediate registration.
• 10+ years of legal practice, preferably with top-tier firm and in-house in tech/robotics/food-tech startup.
• Experience with government/institutional contracting or food-service sector regulations.
• Experience with publicly traded/large food and beverage companies preferred.
• Solutions-oriented business partner capable of providing practical legal advice in a fast-paced environment.

Responsibilities

• Support national customer agreements, including MSAs, Pilot/Testing, and HaaS contracts for chains and universities/colleges.
• Navigate RFP processes for K-12 procurement with NSLP and state/ local rules.
• Monitor compliance with NSF/ANSI 169 and FDA/USDA food safety regulations across all states.
• Manage product liability risk and safety certifications (e.g., UL 3320) for robotics.
• Ensure FERPA-related data privacy compliance for student meal integrations.
• Develop scalable contract templates and playbooks to accelerate sales.

Skills

Commercial contracting

Regulatory compliance

Negotiation

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

J.D. from ABA-accredited law school

State Bar admission or eligible

Job description

Job Summary

We are seeking an attorney who is proactive, with a “practical deal-maker" spirit while sufficiently sophisticated in their legal risk management capabilities to join our rapidly growing beverage robotics team as our first dedicated In-House Counsel under the Global Legal Team. You will be reporting to Chief Legal Officer/Global General Counsel directly and serve as the primary legal counsel for our nation-wide Business Development teams in the U.S. and may have opportunities to be involved in potential transnational/cross-border transactions and/or investment projects.

This role requires a unique blend of high-volume commercial contracting, institutional procurement expertise (K-12 and Higher Ed), and a deep understanding of federal food safety and relevant regulations.

Key Responsibilities

• Business Development Support: Serve as the key counsel supporting our business negotiation for national customer agreements, including Master Service Agreements (MSAs), Pilot/Testing Agreements, and Hardware-as-a-Service (HaaS) contracts for chain restaurants and university/colleges canteens.
• Institutional Procurement: Navigate and execute complex RFP (Request for Proposal) processes for K-12 school districts, ensuring strict compliance with USDA National School Lunch Program (NSLP) and local state agency procurement rules.
• Regulatory Compliance: Monitor and ensure that our "bots" comply with NSF/ANSI 169 sanitation standards and FDA/USDA food safety regulations across all 50 states.
• Safety & Liability: Manage product liability risk and safety certifications (e.g., UL 3320) for robotic equipment operating in high-traffic student environments.
• Privacy & Data Protection: Ensure all data collection processes (e.g., student meal plan integrations) adhere to FERPAand evolving state-level data privacy laws.
• Template Development: Build and maintain a scalable library of commercial contract templates and playbooks to accelerate the sales cycle.

Qualifications

• Education: J.D. from an ABA-accredited law school
• Licensure: Admitted to the State Bar or eligible for immediate registration.
• Experience: 10+ years of legal practice, preferably with a mix of top-tier law firm training and in-house experience at a technology, robotics, or food-tech startup.
• Industry Knowledge: Proven experience with government/institutional contracting or food-service sector regulations is highly preferred.
• Preferred: Experience with publicly traded/large food and beverage companies (e.g., Coca-Cola, Pepsi, etc.).
• Mindset: A solutions-oriented "business partner" capable of providing practical legal advice in a fast-paced environment.
• Experience working with a diverse and multinational, multicultural workforce is a plus.

• Fully company-paid Medical and 99% company-paid Dental and Vision Insurance
• Flex PTO, 7 sick days, 14 holidays, Wellness Benefits, Cell Phone and Internet reimbursement, 401K
• Salary Range $[144-194]K
• The starting salary is commensurate with geographic location, experience, and qualifications.