Counsel, Employment - International (Hybrid)

OpenTable; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid work model

Therapy sessions

Headspace subscription

Parental leave

Birthday leave

Free lunch 2 days per week

Job summary

OpenTable in London is seeking a Counsel, Employment - International (Hybrid) to provide business-focused employment law guidance across EMEA and APAC. You will own all international employment matters, partnering with People & Culture and senior leadership to support expansion while managing risk across the employee lifecycle.

You’ll advise on recruiting, compensation, performance, leaves, terminations, investigations, and complex employee relations; coordinate with outside counsel and drive

Qualifications

• Licensed, qualified solicitor in England & Wales.
• 5–8 years PQE in employment law at a top firm or global in-house team.
• UK/EMEA employment law expertise with APAC expansion willingness.
• Experience handling works councils, workforce change, ER matters, investigations, restructurings and disputes.
• Ability to translate cross-border legal concepts into practical, risk-adjusted advice.
• In-house experience with high-growth tech, SaaS, or marketplace with distributed workforces.
• Proven track record building scalable legal processes, playbooks, and AI-assisted workflows.
• Thrives in a fast-paced, high-growth environment and builds trusted relationships.

Responsibilities

• Lifecycle guidance on recruiting, compensation, performance, leaves, and terminations across EMEA + APAC.
• Lead works councils, employee consultation processes, and labour relations strategies.
• Counsel on workforce change, restructurings, mobility, and global EOR models.
• Draft and localize employment agreements, handbooks, and policies; ensure privacy compliance.
• Coordinate multi-jurisdictional legal advice and manage outside local counsel.
• Direct employment disputes, investigations, and tribunal strategy.
• Leverage AI tools for research, drafting, and knowledge management.

Skills

Employment law expertise

Cross-border advisory

Stakeholder management

Commercially focused advice

In-house experience

AI/automation awareness

Fast-paced environment

Education

Qualified solicitor in England & Wales

Job description

Counsel, Employment - International (Hybrid)

London, United Kingdom

Location: London, UK (Hybrid Position, in office 2 days per week)

With millions of diners, 70,000+ restaurant partners and 25+ years of experience, OpenTable, part of Booking Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: BKNG), is an industry leader with a passion for helping restaurants thrive. Our world-class technology empowers restaurants to focus on what matters most – their team, their guests, and their bottom line – while enabling diners to discover and book the perfect restaurant for every occasion.

Every employee at OpenTable has a tangible impact on what we do and how we do it. You’ll also be part of a global team and its portfolio of metasearch brands. Hospitality is all about taking care of others, and it defines our culture.

About the Role As Counsel, Employment - International, you will serve as a strategic legal advisor providing business-focused employment law guidance across EMEA and APAC, . Reporting into the US-headquartered global Legal team, you will independently own all EMEA + APAC employment matters, acting as a trusted advisor to the People & Culture team and senior business leadership to support international expansion while proactively managing risk across the full employee lifecycle.

Key Responsibilities

• Lifecycle Guidance: Advise on recruiting, compensation, performance management, leaves, and terminations across EMEA + APAC. Lead and advise on sensitive workplace investigations and complex employee relations matters.
• Works Councils & Labor Relations: Lead strategies and engagements for works councils, employee consultation processes, and employee representation bodies across European jurisdictions.
• Cross-Border Initiatives & Workforce Change: Counsel on workforce change management, structural consultations, reorganizations, restructurings, global mobility, Employer of Record (EOR) models, contingent workforce compliance, and M&A due diligence/integration.
• Contract, Policy, & Privacy Frameworks: Draft, maintain, and localize employment agreements, separation packages, handbooks, and compliance policies, while overseeing workforce privacy and employee data compliance in close partnership with the Privacy team.
• Multi-Jurisdictional Oversight & Local Counsel Management: Coordinate multi-jurisdictional legal advice across international regions and manage outside local counsel where needed, ensuring effective risk mitigation.
• Dispute & Litigation Management: Resolve employment disputes, direct litigation strategy, agency investigations, and employment tribunal claims.
• AI & Operational Scaling: Leverage AI-powered tools to streamline multi-jurisdiction legal research, drafting, knowledge management, and self-service playbooks for cross-functional partners.

Required Qualifications

• Licensed, qualified solicitor in England & Wales
• 5 to 8 years of post-qualification experience (PQE) specializing in employment law within a reputable firm or global in-house legal department.
• Substantial expertise in UK and EMEA employment law, with practical experience or a strong willingness to expand support across APAC.
• Demonstrated experience handling works councils, workforce change management/consultations, complex ER matters, sensitive workplace investigations, restructurings, and employment disputes.
• Exceptional ability to translate complex cross-border legal concepts into clear, risk-adjusted, commercially aligned advice.
• With prior in-house experience supporting a high-growth technology, SaaS, or marketplace business with distributed global workforces.
• With a track record of building scalable legal processes, playbooks, and training resources for HR and business stakeholders, including specific examples where you used AI tools, agents, or workflow automation to move faster, raise quality, or scale your impact.
• Who thrives in a very fast paced, high growth environment.
• Who builds relationships and trust with senior stakeholders and colleagues - and is a great teammate.
• Who takes ownership and drives initiatives independently.Who has a continuous learning mindset, and is eager to grow.

Benefits and Perks

• Work from (almost) anywhere for up to 20 days per year
• Focus on mental health and well-being:
• Company-paid therapy sessions through SpringHealth
• Company-paid subscription to Headspace
• Annual company-wide week off a year - the whole team fully recharges (and returns without a pile-up of work!)
• Paid parental leave
• Time off for your birthday
• Focus on your career growth:
• Access to thousands of on-demand e-learnings
• Travel Discounts
• Employee Resource Groups
• Income protection and life assurance
• Employee Assistance Program - including 24/7 GP & free legal advice
• Pension plan contributionsDiscounted gym membership
• Bike2Work
• Season ticket loan
• Social events & Thursday happy hours
• Free lunch 2 days per week

The best connections happen face-to-face, whether you’re sitting down to dinner or having coffee with a coworker. That’s why OpenTable has adopted a hybrid workplace model. This role aligns with that approach, with an expectation of coming into the office two days a week—giving employees the best of both worlds: in-person collaboration and flexibility.

At OpenTable, we pride ourselves on fostering a global and dynamic work environment. As a team member with us, you will benefit from a schedule tailored to accommodate a global workforce operating across multiple time zones. While the majority of your responsibilities may align with conventional business hours, there will be instances where you are expected to manage communications - via calls, Slack messages, or emails - outside of regular working hours to effectively collaborate with international colleagues, respond to restaurant partners, and/or address urgent matters. OpenTable will always abide by and consider local laws and regulations.

Inclusion

We’re committed to creating a workplace where everyone feels they belong and can thrive. We know the best ideas come when we bring different voices to the table, so we're building a team as dynamic as the diners and restaurants we serve—and fostering a culture where everyone feels welcome to be themselves.

If you need any reasonable adjustments during the application/interview process, or on the job, we’re here to support you. Please reach out to your recruiter to request any accommodations.