About Us: At Booking.com, data drives our decisions. Technology is at our core. And innovation is everywhere. But our company is more than datasets, lines of code or A/B tests. We're the thrill of the first night in a new place. The excitement of the next morning. The friends you encounter. The journeys you take. The sights you see. And the memories you make. Through our products, partners and people, we make it easier for everyone to experience the world.
Role Description: Booking.com's growing Legal and Public Affairs team is looking forward to welcoming a dynamic and innovative Junior Legal Counsel - Trips, to work across the Trips Business Unit (namely, the following verticals: Rental Cars, Rides and Attractions) and play an active role supporting the senior members of the Trips legal team (and wider Legal and Public Affairs team, where required) to help the verticals in delivering on their strategic priorities, and ensuring compliance with laws and policies. The Trips verticals are a significant part of Booking.com's strategy to build the "Connected Trip" and to grow and scale Booking.com's multi-product offerings to its customers.
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This is a Trips product and regulatory role (supporting senior stakeholders across the relevant teams) however more generalist experience, for example, commercial contract experience, would be beneficial.
You will be required to support from a product and consumer law perspective; including advising on a range of legal questions related to product development and user experience, working with more senior members of the team on more complex projects. (An understanding of data protection laws is preferred but not compulsory.) The individual will be required to support the more senior members of the legal team with regards to internal and external consumer-legal queries and ensuring 'best practice' with regards to compliance laws. This will extend to supporting enquiries from regulatory bodies.
The individual will also be required to support from a regulatory perspective, including reviewing compliance and licensing requirements (in respect of business operations globally).
From time to time, you may be required to support from a commercial perspective; for example, supporting senior legal stakeholders in helping draft and negotiate simple commercial agreements, maintaining the Trips contract template library and modernising our contracting processes in collaboration with the wider LPA department.
Key Job Responsibilities and Duties:
- Demonstrate a collaborative approach to getting the job done, drawing on technical specialist support from other members of the Legal & Public Affairs team and with a range of stakeholders both within the Trips business and externally.
- Continually review and assess our precedents and guidelines to ensure that we are being innovative and bold, whilst recognising the agreed risk appetite.
- Demonstrate a keenness to learn about new areas of law and compliance, including within digital and AI regulation, the travel sector and more specialist areas connected to the individual verticals.
- Liaise directly with senior members of the Trips legal team (as a reliable and commercially minded point of contact) in supporting product and compliance projects.
- Support with the creation and implementation of efficient and scalable ways of working to enable sustainable business growth, including, as applicable, the implementation of legal tech solutions.
- Provide timely and commercially focused advice in relation to our Trips consumer facing website. Reviewing, drafting and amending general consumer terms and conditions and website conditions of use including recommending appropriate structures.
- Research new compliance and regulatory topics, across multiple jurisdictions, and confidently turn research into pragmatic legal advice and actions.
- Support in respect of legal and regulatory enquiries and reviews, providing independent legal advice and consolidating input for Trips legal and business stakeholders (i.e. responding to Trips regulatory enquiries).
Qualifications & Skills:
- Educated to degree standard.
- Practicing Solicitor.
- NQ - 3 years relevant PQE experience either gained with a reputable law firm or in-house (other PQE experience and in-house experience will be considered).
- Ability to act as a real team player, easily adopting to change and possessing the ability to resolve complex legal issues with efficiency and pragmatism.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English.
- Ability to work to tight deadlines and prioritize work based on deadlines set by external parties.
- Able to work independently whilst recognising the commercial necessity to share knowledge cross-team.
- Attention to detail and an ability to extract relevant information for the purposes of taking commercial and legally sound decisions.
Further traits we look for:
- Alignment with Booking.com's values (Customer First, Succeed Together, Own It, Learn Forever, Do the Right Thing).
- Curiosity, flexibility, and a creative, pragmatic approach to problem-solving.
- Confidence with collaboration.
- Ability to influence stakeholders at all levels.
- Proactivity, resilience, and a drive to deliver results.
- Strong judgment with attention to both the big picture and key details.
- Courage to take a stance and make tough decisions.
- Team-oriented, self-aware, and a good listener.
- Agility in prioritizing and meeting deadlines.
- Forward-thinking, with a focus on emerging legal and policy issues.
Why join the Legal & Public Affairs Team now?
This is a pivotal moment in e-commerce and travel, and joining Booking.com's Legal & Public Affairs (LPA) team provides you with opportunities to shape the future. The LPA team plays a key role in enabling Booking.com to become a one-stop solution for all travel-related needs, from accommodation to rental cars, flights and attractions, and beyond. This offers travellers what we like to call the 'connected trip' - enabling them to book every aspect of their travel experience seamlessly through our familiar, easy-to-use website or mobile app. As a member of the LPA team you will partner with the business to navigate complex regulations, build new products, and negotiate key deals-while driving ethical, sustainable growth.
Who we are?
We are an award winning team of around 200 professionals from 36+ nationalities, with lawyers qualified in multiple jurisdictions and non-lawyers specializing in public policy, economics, compliance, and risk. We have been recognised and shortlisted individually and as a team by the Legal 500 GC Powerlist, Assoc. of Corp Counsel, Global Competition Review, The Lawyer GC of the Year (shortlisted), Compliance Week and the Financial Times. We encourage active participation in the industry, with board membership and representation at industry bodies at multiple levels, starting with our Chief Legal & Public Affairs Officer, who is currently ACC President for Europe. We also engage with stakeholders on policy issues impacting travel and tech innovation, including through our new public affairs blog, "A World Worth Experiencing."
As a team, we believe in:
- Being integral to decision-making, shaping Booking.com's future.
- Supporting Booking's mission to make travel accessible, fostering openness and curiosity.
- Offering opportunities for team members to explore new areas or specialize.
- Providing holistic, integrated legal and public affairs advice.
- Continuously improving Legal Operations, innovating, and sharing best practices.
- Learning from mistakes and embracing growth.
- Working collaboratively with a sense of humor and enjoying the journey together!
Benefits & Perks - Global Impact, Personal Relevance:
Booking.com's Total Rewards Philosophy is not only about compensation but also about benefits. We offer a competitive compensation and benefits package, as well unique-to-Booking.com benefits which include:
- Annual paid time off and generous paid leave scheme including: parent, grandparent, bereavement, and care leave
- Hybrid working including flexible working arrangements, and up to 20 days per year working from abroad (home country)
- Industry leading product discounts - up to 1400 per year - for yourself, including automatic Genius Level 3 status and Booking.com wallet credit
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) at Booking.com:
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion have been a core part of our company culture since day one. This ongoing journey starts with our very own employees, who represent over 140 nationalities and a wide range of ethnic and social backgrounds, genders and sexual orientations.
Take it from our Chief People Officer, Paulo Pisano: "At Booking.com, the diversity of our people doesn't just build an outstanding workplace, it also creates a better and more inclusive travel experience for everyone. Inclusion is at the heart of everything we do. It's a place where you can make your mark and have a real impact in travel and tech."
We ensure that colleagues with disabilities are provided the adjustments and tools they need to participate in the job application and interview process, to perform crucial job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment.
Application Process:
This section should provide:
- Let's go places together: How we Hire
- Detailed instructions on post-application requirements including any required application materials, deadlines, portfolios, coding challenges, or other assessments as defined by BU or department.
This role does not come with relocation assistance.
Booking.com is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace and is an affirmative action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status. We strive to move well beyond traditional equal opportunity and work to create an environment that allows everyone to thrive.