Legal Counsel, Employment

Checkout Ltd; Paris; Hybrid; EUR 150,000 - 230,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid work policy

Job summary

Checkout.com is seeking a talented Legal Counsel with a strong French employment law background to join our Employment Legal team in Paris. You will advise on the full spectrum of French labor issues and support global employment law initiatives, collaborating with the People Team and stakeholders across EMEA, APAC, and the Americas.

You will handle individual and collective dismissals, CSE consultations, restructurings, settlements, and HR audits, taking a pragmatic, risk-aware approach while

Qualifications

• Qualified lawyer with a French Bar admission; 5+ years in French employment law.
• Experience advising on works councils (CSE) and restructurings.
• Fluent in French and English; able to communicate complex issues to leadership.
• Willing to work in Paris and participate in a hybrid model.

Responsibilities

• Advise on the full spectrum of French employment law issues
• Support global employment law initiatives across EMEA, APAC and the Americas
• Handle individual and collective dismissals, restructurings, and settlement negotiations
• Manage HR audits, performance management, and investigations with a business-focused approach
• Develop scalable processes and templates; monitor regulatory developments across EMEA

Skills

French employment law

In-house counsel

Bilingual English/French

Hybrid work policy

Education

French Avocat / Bar admission

Job description

Company Description

We’re Checkout.com. You might not know our name, but companies like eBay, Spotify, Klarna, Uber, and Sony do, because we’re behind many of the digital experiences you use every day.

We are where the world checks out, enabling over 10 billion transactions yearly for more than one billion global shoppers.

Whether you want to book a holiday, order food, renew a subscription, or check out online, there’s a good chance our tech powers the payments behind the scenes. Our platform helps the most ambitious businesses deliver effortless digital experiences, at scale.

If you want to do career-defining work, you’ve come to the right place. We move fast, think globally, and believe great teams are built by hiring exceptional people with conviction, curiosity, and the desire to make an impact.

With 20 offices across six continents and London as our HQ, we’re shaping the future of fintech - and we’re just getting started.

Role Summary

Checkout.com is seeking a talented and dynamic Legal Counsel with a strong French employment law background to join our Employment Legal team. This role will involve advising on the full spectrum of employment law issues across our French business and supporting broader global employment law initiatives, especially across other EMEA jurisdictions.

You will work closely with our People Team and key business stakeholders in France and internationally. This is a great opportunity to support and develop our French employment legal strategy while collaborating as part of a global team supporting employees across EMEA, APAC, and the Americas. You’ll take a consultative and commercial approach to handling complex Labor Code compliance matters, works council (CSE) consultations, litigation, employee relations, and strategic projects across France. You’ll also advise on individual and collective dismissals, restructurings, settlement negotiations, performance management, misconduct investigations and HR audits. You’ll monitor legal and regulatory developments across EMEA and provide proactive guidance on emerging risks and legal requirements. You’ll also help the employment legal team develop scalable processes, templates, and compliance frameworks, including through the use of AI tools.

You will be able to handle multiple areas of responsibilities autonomously, demonstrating excellent critical judgment with hands-on approach. You will report into our Associate General Counsel (Head of Employment) based in London. You will also work closely with the regional People Team leads, based in France and other EMEA jurisdictions.

You will be joining a high-achieving legal team in one of Europe’s most valuable fintechs. Our mission is to be the best legal team in the world, providing pragmatic and commercially focused advice, finding creative solutions to manage risk and becoming trusted advisers to our colleagues in the business.

Essential Qualifications

• French qualified lawyer (Avocat admitted to the French Bar or Master 2 in French Employment Law / Droit du Travail)
• 5+ years experience specializing in French employment law, either in a reputable law firm or in-house
• Fluency in French and English (both written and spoken) with the ability to articulate complex legal issues clearly to non-French leadership.
• Within a commutable distance from our Paris office and comfortable working in the office as necessary under our hybrid working policy (currently three days per week on scheduled office days).

Strong candidates will demonstrate the following

• Experience as in-house employment counsel, ideally in a large global business headquartered outside of France.
• Extensive experience managing CSE consultations, collective negotiations, restructurings, and pre-litigations/settlement strategy in France.
• Work with a high-growth technology or another fast-paced company.
• Exceptional analytical and writing skills, with a business-centric focus on risk.
• Excellent time management skills and experience managing a diverse workload and competing stakeholder demands.
• Enthusiasm for new challenges and working with a range of different stakeholders.
• Be a systemic thinker with proven abilities for process improvement and simplification, including AI.
• Comfortable with ambiguity, constant change, and a fast-paced culture.

Role Type and Location

This is a permanent and full-time role based in Paris. Under our current hybrid working policy, office attendance is mandatory on 3 days per week.

Additional Information

We believe in equal opportunities

We work as one team. Wherever you come from. However you identify. And whichever payment method you use.

Our clients come from all over the world — and so do we. Hiring hard-working people and giving them a community to thrive in is critical to our success.

When you join our team, we’ll empower you to unlock your potential so you can do your best work. We’d love to hear how you think you could make a difference here with us.

We want to set you up for success and make our process as accessible as possible. So let us know in your application, or tell your recruiter directly, if you need anything to make your experience or working environment more comfortable. We’ll be happy to support you.

Bring all of you to work

We create the conditions for high performers to thrive, through real ownership, fewer blockers, and work that makes a difference from day one.

Here, you’ll move fast, take on meaningful challenges, and be recognized for the impact you deliver. It’s a place where ambition gets met with opportunity, and where your growth is in your hands.

We work as one team, and we back each other to succeed. So whatever your background or identity, if you’re ready to grow and make a difference, you’ll be right at home here.

It’s important we set you up for success and make our process as accessible as possible. So let us know in your application, or tell your recruiter directly, if you need anything to make your experience or working environment more comfortable.

Life at Checkout.com

We understand that work is just one part of your life. Our hybrid working model offers flexibility, with three days per week in the office to support collaboration and connection.