Job Description

Vita Coco, the leading coconut water brand, launched in 2004 when two friends, Michael Kirban and Ira Liran learned about the tropical elixir after a chance encounter at a New York City bar. Not only did their discovery bring coconut water into the mainstream beverage aisle, it rebranded coconut water as a premium lifestyle drink and helped propel the trend of natural-functional beverages. Fast forward 17 years, and Vita Coco is available in 30 countries and has expanded coconut water into new occasions with innovations like Coconut milk, and Coconut Oil.

In 2018, The Vita Coco Company, Inc. expanded into a true portfolio company. Through innovation and the introduction of new product categories, the company is changing the ready-to-drink beverage landscape by offering its consumers better-for-you, yet convenient, options. Despite its debut as a public company listed on The Nasdaq Stock Market in 2021, Vita Coco maintains the same entrepreneurial spirit on which it was founded, with a can-do culture that’s just beginning to tap the potential of the better-for-you beverage space. Vita Coco is a Delaware Public Benefit Corporation and certified B Corporation focused on protecting nature’s resources for the betterment of the world and its habitants by creating ethical, sustainable, better-for-you beverages and consumer products that not only uplift our communities, but that do right by our planet.

Vita Coco is headquartered in New York City with international offices in Singapore and London. Preference is given to candidates willing to be physically in New York offices, with consideration for more remote work arrangements for very strong candidates.

Vita Coco reported 2023 Net Revenue of $494 million and adjusted EBITDA of $68 million

Reporting to the CEO, Martin Roper, the General Counsel and Corporate Secretary (“General Counsel”) will be a member of the Leadership Team, supporting the team’s execution of the Company’s strategies, and overseeing all legal matters including (but not limited to) litigation management, corporate compliance, contracts, intellectual property, labor/employment legal matters, governance and the obligations of the Company as a public company including equity management and compliance training programs. The role involves acting as a strategic partner to, and extensive collaboration with, members of the Leadership Team.

As Corporate Secretary, the General Counsel counsels management and the Board on matters related to relevant federal and state laws, coordinates Board communication and scheduling, supports and educates Directors and Board committees on their governance obligations and best practices and is a key liaison for Directors in meeting organization and preparation, and Director education. The General Counsel currently oversees a small high-performing team consisting of an Assistant General Counsel and a Senior Compliance Specialist, with support of key third party legal specialists. As the Company grows, the team is expected to grow to support complexity, business needs and transactional growth. The job is a unique opportunity for a lawyer to be part of an entrepreneurial leadership team and participate in business decisions for a small international company in a fast-paced growth environment.

Main Responsibilities:

• Active participation as a key member of the senior management team in the resolution of a broad range of legal, business and general management issues, which will include policy formulation, allocation of resources and achievement of the Company’s overarching strategies.

• Counseling on both the business and legal ramifications of significant Company strategic imperatives, including possible mergers and acquisitions, dispositions, joint ventures and investments.

• Advising the Company on the litigation and regulatory risks of possible business decisions and offering advice on how to best manage those risks, including anticipating the fallout and possible issues that could result from those earlier decisions.

• Serving as the Corporate Secretary and ensuring compliance with applicable corporate governance requirements and best practices in conjunction with outside counsel.

• Oversee legal review and preparation and filing of all public disclosure documents, including SEC securities filings, such as proxy statements, Forms 10-K, 10-Q, 8-K, and Section 16 filings/reports.

• Assisting with negotiating and structuring major commercial contracts. Creating and managing policies and procedures of basic contract generation, tracking, negotiation, and management.

• Managing all legal aspects of any ongoing regulatory issues or inquiries, and compliance with laws and regulations.

• Litigation management, settlement negotiation and dispute resolution with an emphasis on commercial, intellectual property, regulatory compliance, labor/employment, product liability and environmental issues.

• Preventive legal counseling, particularly with respect to the legal risks associated with business practices. Develop policies and provide guidance and direction to senior management regarding compliance with FDA. FCPA, antitrust, securities compliance, corporate conduct and other polices.

• In conjunction with CFO and Internal Audit, performing periodic risk assessment processes that assure overall compliance and proactively identify both legal and business risks, including ensuring adequate disclosures in public filings.

Lead support for the Board and Board Committees.

• Selecting and managing outside counsel; establishing procedures for evaluating the quality, performance and cost of outside counsel and generally managing department budget and forecast.

• Counseling senior management and the Board of Directors on matters relating to relevant federal and state securities laws in conjunction with outside counsel. Ensuring that the Company’s management and Board are advised of any new legislation or regulation which may significantly affect the Company.

Qualifications, Skills, Knowledge & Experience:

The General Counsel must be an experienced lawyer with the legal background, commercial orientation and interpersonal skills sufficient to provide strong legal and compliance leadership at a public company, while being a team player and operating effectively in a fast-paced entrepreneurial environment. They will be a person of high integrity, judgment and business acumen who is collaborative and comfortable working with colleagues at every level of the organization. They will have experience across a broad array of corporate and commercial legal matters, including commercial agreements, corporate transactions (including M&A), and must have public company corporate and securities matters experience. They will be a highly commercially oriented legal professional who is highly comfortable advising the CEO, executive leadership team and board, while also comfortable rolling up their sleeves and digging in on the day-to-day legal requirements as part of a small internal legal team, knowing when to execute internally or to outsource as needed.

In terms of a specific profile, it would be most desirable if the candidate has the following background:

• Law degree from an accredited U.S. law school and be a member of a state bar.

• Experience in a publicly-held corporation; ideally a sitting General Counsel, although a Deputy General Counsel with appropriate experience, span of responsibility and executive presence will also be considered.

• Prior work in branded consumer products, (beverage is preferred but not required), with exposure to FDA/regulatory, contracts (manufacturing, distribution and marketing), trademarks, and employment law

• Experience counseling senior management and Boards of Directors on all legal matters, including securities and corporate governance requirements of a public company.

• Mergers and acquisitions experience a plus.

• Experience assessing and mitigating legal risk and identifying and solving issues of materiality to the company.

• Works well in a multidisciplinary team environment. Demonstrated ability to cooperate with and relate to company personnel at all corporate and operating levels.

• Experience working in a hands-on legal role within a small multi-functional legal department, while managing external counsel within a budget as needed.

• Brings a pragmatic and balanced approach. Smart, personable, pragmatic and diligent leader, with excellent communication skills, but doesn't take themselves too seriously.

• A strong work ethic, with a sense of urgency, honesty and fairness.

• Experience in working in a mid-size or small company with global business with offices and legal entities located in multiple jurisdictions.

Indicate that you saw this posting on GoInhouse.com when applying.

At The Vita Coco Company, compensation decisions are dependent upon a variety of factors, which may include, but are not limited to: skill set, experience, education, training, licensure and certifications, knowledge and abilities of the applicant, alignment with market data, and other business and organizational needs. A reasonable estimate of the current pay range for this position is $250,000-300,000 plus Bonus and LTIP. This range may vary for positions that will be performed outside of California, Colorado, Nevada, New York City, Westchester County, NY, Rhode Island, or Washington.

The Vita Coco Company is committed to the principles of equal employment. We are committed to complying with all federal, state, and local laws providing equal employment opportunities, and all other employment laws and regulations. It is our intent to maintain a work environment that is free of harassment, discrimination, or retaliation because of age, race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sex, sexual orientation (including transgender status, gender identity or expression), physical or mental disability, genetic information, marital status, AIDS/HIV status, military service, veteran status, or any other status protected by federal, state, or local laws. The Company is dedicated to the fulfillment of this policy regarding all aspects of employment, including but not limited to recruiting, hiring, placement, transfer, training, promotion, rates of pay, and other compensation, termination, and all other terms, conditions, and privileges of employment.

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