Senior Regulatory & Compliance Attorney

Publix Super Markets; Lakeland (FL); On-site; USD 150,000 - 210,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Employee stock ownership plan (ESOP)

Free hot lunches at facilities

401(k) retirement savings plan

Tuition reimbursement

Job summary

Publix Super Markets seeks a Senior Regulatory & Compliance Attorney to be embedded with the Corporate Legal team in Lakeland, FL. You will provide practical guidance to leaders across retail, manufacturing, and distribution to manage regulatory risk and ensure compliant operations.

You will lead training, respond to regulatory inquiries, and collaborate with internal partners and outside counsel on complex matters, while advancing Publix’s safety and consumer protections.

Qualifications

• Juris Doctor degree from an accredited law school.
• Active admission to a state bar in the United States and in good standing.
• At least seven years of regulatory and compliance law experience.
• Experience with laws in two or more relevant areas (food safety, environmental, transportation, etc.).
• Ability to translate complex legal/regulatory requirements into practical guidance.

Responsibilities

• Advise Publix associates and leaders on regulatory and compliance matters across operations.
• Develop and strengthen practical regulatory compliance programs for business teams.
• Serve as a legal SME for cross-functional projects with complex regulatory issues.
• Guide teams on food safety, environmental, hazardous materials, transportation, and consumer practices.
• Develop training on HIPAA, records management, marketing, manufacturing, and food safety practices.

Skills

Regulatory & compliance law

Legal advisory

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Juris Doctor

Tools

Westlaw

Microsoft Office

Job description

Job Category

Corporate Support & Strategy, Legal & Public Affairs

Department

Legal & Risk Management

Description

Why Publix?

Are you an experienced regulatory and compliance attorney ready to bring your expertise inside a complex, growing business? At Publix, you will advise from within one of the nation’s most respected supermarket companies, working closely with business leaders and operational teams whose decisions affect stores, pharmacies, manufacturing and distribution facilities, and corporate functions across eight southeastern states.

About The Team

Publix’s Corporate Legal team provides practical, timely, and business-focused legal guidance that helps the company operate responsibly and effectively. Working alongside attorneys, compliance professionals, and partners throughout the organization, the team helps business areas understand evolving regulatory expectations, strengthen compliance programs, and make informed decisions that support Publix associates, customers, and operations.

About The Opportunity

This is an opportunity to move beyond advising a business from the outside and become a trusted legal partner embedded in the day-to-day operations of a large organization with more than 260,000 associates. As Senior Regulatory & Compliance Attorney, you will serve as an approachable, practical resource to associates and leaders at every level. You will help teams understand legal requirements, evaluate options, and find workable paths forward as laws and regulations evolve. Your collaborative guidance will help Publix manage regulatory risk, avoid operational disruptions, and continue serving customers efficiently and responsibly. This is a fully on-site position based at Publix’s corporate offices in Lakeland, Florida.

What You’ll Do

• Serve as a trusted legal advisor to Publix associates and leaders at every level across retail, transportation, corporate support, and other business operations.
• Partner with business teams to develop and strengthen practical regulatory compliance programs that support operations while addressing legal requirements.
• Serve as a legal subject matter expert for cross-functional projects involving complex or emerging regulatory issues.
• Guide business teams on matters involving food safety, environmental requirements, hazardous materials, transportation, and consumer practices.
• Develop and support regulatory training on topics such as HIPAA, records management, marketing, manufacturing and food safety best practices, and advertising claims.
• Manage regulatory inquiries, demand letters, and related disputes in partnership with internal stakeholders and outside counsel, when appropriate.
• Monitor legal and regulatory developments, communicate changes clearly, and collaborate with teams on practical adjustments that support compliant and effective operations.
• Advise the Retail and Industrial Food Safety , Environmental, Hazardous Waste, and Transportation compliance teams and other internal partners on applicable legal and regulatory requirements.

Perks of Working at Publix

• Employee ownership through our Employee Stock Ownership Plan, or ESOP.
• Free lunch at our corporate facilities.
• Meaningful, business-embedded work with opportunities to influence important operational decisions.
• Career growth and professional development within a stable, promotion-from-within culture.

Required Qualifications

• Juris Doctor degree from an accredited law school.
• Active admission to a state bar association within the United States and membership in good standing.
• At least seven years of regulatory and compliance law experience.
• Experience with laws and regulations in at least two relevant areas, such as food safety, environmental and hazardous materials, transportation, employee benefits, securities, consumer practices, or antitrust.
• Knowledge of laws and regulations affecting supermarket, retail, or similarly complex business operations.
• Ability to translate complex legal and regulatory requirements into clear, practical guidance that helps teams achieve business objectives.
• Strong written and verbal communication, negotiation, planning, and organizational skills.
• Demonstrated ability to build trust, collaborate effectively, and provide approachable counsel to employees and leaders with varied roles, responsibilities, and levels of legal knowledge.
• A team-oriented, solutions-focused advising style that enables progress while appropriately managing legal and regulatory risk.
• Demonstrated ability to manage projects, work independently, and bring complex matters to a successful conclusion.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications and legal research platforms such as Westlaw.
• Ability to work fully on-site at Publix’s corporate offices in Lakeland, Florida.

Preferred Qualifications

• Active bar membership in good standing in a state where Publix operates.
• Eight or more years of regulatory and compliance law experience.
• Environmental regulatory and compliance experience is strongly preferred, though not required, and would bring valuable expertise in an area where Publix is seeking to expand its internal legal capabilities.
• Regulatory and compliance experience within a retail, grocery, pharmacy, manufacturing, distribution, or other consumer-facing organization.
• Experience developing or improving enterprise compliance programs and training.
• Familiarity with continuous quality improvement methodologies.

Benefits Information

• Employee stock ownership plan that contributes Publix stock to associates each year at no cost
• An opportunity to purchase additional shares of our privately-held stock
• 401(k) retirement savings plan
• Group health, dental and vision plans plan
• Paid Time Off
• Paid Parental Leave
• Short- and long-term disability insurance
• Tuition reimbursement
• Free hot lunches (buffet-style) at facilities with a cafeteria
• Visit our website to see all of our benefits: https://jobs-beta.publix.com/benefits/

Year End Bonus

As a year-end bonus to associates, Publix issues one month’s extra pay (pro-rated in the first year) each year if associate remains employed through issue date of the bonus check that year. This is calculated as a 13th month of pay in the Potential Annual Pay with Bonus line above.

Additional Information

Your application may have additional steps that you will need to complete in order to remain eligible for consideration. Please be sure to monitor your email, including your spam folder, on a daily basis for critical, time-sensitive emails that could require action within 24-48 hours. Please do not use your Publix email address when applying. Once your application has been successfully submitted you will receive a confirmation email.

For this position, Publix does not and will not file a petition or application with the USCIS or Department of State on behalf of any noncitizen for any immigration-related benefit to work and/or to continue to work in the United States, e.g., an H-1B or TN petition or permanent residence.