Sr. Managing Counsel - Flights Product

It wasn’t so long ago that booking a trip to see the Eiffel Tower, stroll down New York’s iconic Madison Avenue or feel the sand between our toes on Copacabana Beach was simply a matter of a few taps on our smartphone.

In fact, that’s what we do at Booking.com. We make it easier for everyone to experience the world. And while that world might feel a little farther away right now, we’re busy preparing for when the world is ready to travel once more.

Across our offices worldwide, we continue to innovate. To solve for some of the most complex challenges in travel and technology, and to plan for the exciting developments that lie ahead. With strategic long-term investments into what we believe the future of travel can be, we are opening up new career opportunities that will have a strong impact on our mission.

We are united in the belief that our very human desire to explore the planet’s beauty and discover more about other people and cultures will endure. The world is waiting for us. Together, we will be ready.

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In order to be ready, Booking.com's Legal department is looking to welcome a Senior Managing Counsel - Flights to focus on an extremely important and developing product of ours. The successful candidate will directly support the Product teams in establishing and growing a world-class Flights product (and other travel-related products, as directed from time to time), as well as lead the assessment, interpretation and application of the law governing the sale of these products.

The successful candidate will show deep subject matter expertise in travel-related services regulation, as well as a strong commercial and product instinct that helps to apply that knowledge in practical and actionable ways. As an individual contributor, the role is a ‘hands-on’ legal advisory support role, embedded in the business and working closely with the Product and Commercial teams.

As Senior Managing Counsel - Flights, you will have a global scope, so the Lawyer in this role should equally have a global worldview, and be capable of sourcing, critiquing and managing input form a range of internal and external stakeholders, to form a view even outside of their direct experience.

This role is a critical component in the construction of a safe, compliant and scalable global Flights product, which is a critical feature of the connected trip, and therefore a vital contributor to Booking.com’s goals.

B.Responsible:

• Procures and interprets legal advice to the Flights Product team, to support the global roll-out plan for Flights, and ensure compliance with law and regulations.
• Coordinates legal support for the Flights Product team across different specialisms and areas (including Consumer, Data Protection, Public Affairs) as a single point of contact for the Product team.
• Support the negotiation and drafting of critical vendor contracts to enable the flights product, such as inventory suppliers, optimising for commercial outcomes whilst protecting the company from foreseeable circumstances.
• Enables a regulatory strategy that supports the Flights Product and also facilitates and enables broader product goals, across a range of travel-related services, including Linked Travel Arrangements and Packages.
• Works with other internal stakeholder groups, including Finance and other brands within the Holdings Group, to define and manage a regulatory strategy in support of travel services.
• As a Senior member of the team, fosters collaboration and encourages best practices in ways of working and knowledge sharing.

B.Skilled:

• 8+ years’ experience and a Master’s degree or Specialised Diploma
• Expertise in Flights and Travel Product regulations is a must-have
• Held a similar position in an international, fast-paced, fast-changing working environment
• Extensive experience being the first-point of contact for Product teams and other internal stakeholders
• In-depth knowledge of handling and advising on regulatory legal matters concerning Flights and Travel products
• A proven track record of excellent negotiation skills and full resilience in handling pushback from the business
• A proactive self-starter and strategic thinker with a thirst for knowledge and continued growth - combined with a team-player mentality
• A quick and flexible learner; intellectually curious, open-minded, adaptable, comfortable with ambiguity and motivated by dynamic change
• An ambitious mindset that enables you to successfully work independently with little guidance but also to be pragmatic, use good judgment and call out issues
• Fluency in English (a must-have; additional European languages are a benefit)