Senior Counsel, Product & EU Policy

About Us

Airbnb was born in 2007 when two Hosts welcomed three guests to their San Francisco home, and has since grown to over 4 million Hosts who have welcomed more than 1 billion guest arrivals in almost every country across the globe. Every day, Hosts offer unique stays and experiences that make it possible for guests to connect with communities in a more authentic way.

Airbnb’s Legal Department is a global team that will require working with diverse international colleagues around the world. The successful candidate will be someone who is adaptable, collaborative and embodies Airbnb’s Core Values. Candidates will be required to approach complex legal issues with a balance for local and global perspectives, while being adaptable to cultural differences and nuances. A genuine and demonstrated interest in Airbnb and a commitment to ethics, integrity and fostering a workplace that emphasizes diversity and belonging is a must.

The Community You Will Join:

Airbnb is a mission-driven company dedicated to helping create a world where anyone can belong anywhere. It takes a unified team committed to our core values to achieve this goal. Airbnb’s various functions embody the company’s innovative spirit and our fast-moving team is committed to leading as a 21st century company.

Airbnb’s legal team in EMEA embodies the company’s innovative, forward-thinking spirit. At the frontier of the new sharing economy, Airbnb is breaking new ground in matters of policy, law, and government relations. Where some see obstacles, we see opportunities to find creative, practical solutions. We are committed to further developing a team of talented, collaborative and self-motivated legal professionals across the globe who believe in Airbnb’s mission.

The Difference You Will Make:

We are seeking a highly motivated, business-oriented Senior Legal Counsel with deep experience in product counseling and public policy work to join our growing legal team in EMEA. Your role as a member of the Airbnb legal team will involve providing support and advice to Airbnb’s EMEA business, EU Policy and global product teams. You must have excellent judgment in balancing legal risks with business strategy and a proven ability to learn new areas of law and function independently in a vibrant, fast-paced environment. We’re looking for a highly adaptable and collaborative team player who can handle ambiguity and rapidly shifting priorities with flexibility, patience, and poise.

This role will be based in United Kingdom, Germany, France or Netherlands and will report to our Associate General Counsel, Product EMEA based in Berlin.

A Typical Day:

• Provide creative and business-oriented product, regulatory and compliance advice to the business, public policy, product and engineering teams on a wide range of matters including tourism, travel, consumer protection, unfair competition, e-commerce, payments, privacy and tax.
• Review and provide guidance on the launch of new products and initiatives.
• Research complex and nuanced legal issues; create, update and maintain actionable guidelines.
• Draft and manage terms of service for both supply and demand side of the Airbnb platform.
• Identify, analyze and advise on political developments and regulatory proposals in the EU and their potential impact on Airbnb’s business and products.
• Support Airbnb’s EU policy team in engaging with academia, industry associations, policy makers, regulators and other stakeholders on political and legislative developments.
• Manage and direct outside counsel in multiple jurisdictions in connection with regulatory and public policy activities and matters.

Your Expertise:

• Qualified as a lawyer in at least one EU jurisdiction.
• 8+ years of relevant post-qualification experience at a law firm and/or in-house environment, preferably in the tech / digital space.
• Substantive knowledge and demonstrated expertise in EU consumer protection, competition and general contract law as well as relevant Brussels focussed public policy, advocacy, and government relations experience, ideally gained from experience working directly in – or with – the EU institutions.
• Excellent English language skills, both spoken and written. Proficiency in other European languages is highly desirable.
• Strong, proven ability to work cross functionally with business partners and other stakeholders.
• General experience with working in an international and multicultural working environment with geographically dispersed team members.
• A strong working knowledge of the Airbnb platform, evolving product lines, and competitive landscape.

The successful candidate should also have:

• Ability to understand technology-driven businesses, communicate concisely, and influence effectively across a wide audience including regulators, Airbnb leadership, engineering and product teams and members of the legal and policy teams.
• Strong negotiation and “ambassadorial” skills, which you will put to work both internally and externally by engaging with policy makers, regulators and other stakeholders.
• Exceptional ability to consistently deliver creative, thoughtful and business-oriented advice that appropriately balances growth and risk in a fast-paced and high-pressure environment.
• Flexibility and willingness to work with all levels of the organization, and to roll up your sleeves to get the job done.
• Intellectually curious, open-minded, adaptable, comfortable with ambiguity and risk, and excited by dynamic change and solving problems.
• Ability to work both collaboratively and autonomously while prioritizing competing tasks in a fast-paced, challenging environment.
• High level of integrity, professionalism, intellectual curiosity, sense of humor, and willingness to grow.
• Some international travel may be required.

Our Commitment To Inclusion & Belonging:

Airbnb is committed to working with the broadest talent pool possible. We believe diverse ideas foster innovation and engagement, and allow us to attract creatively-led people, and to develop the best products, services and solutions. All qualified individuals are encouraged to apply.

We strive to also provide a disability inclusive application and interview process. If you are a candidate with a disability and require reasonable accommodation in order to submit an application, please contact us at: reasonableaccommodations@airbnb.com. Please include your full name, the role you’re applying for and the accommodation necessary to assist you with the recruiting process.

We ask that you only reach out to us if you are a candidate whose disability prevents you from being able to complete our online application.