Senior Managing Counsel - Product (Ground Transport and Attractions)

Booking.com; Manchester; On-site; GBP 80,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading online travel agency is seeking a Senior Managing Counsel for its Ground Transport and Attractions sectors. This role involves providing legal guidance for product development and managing a high-performing legal team. Candidates should have extensive experience in product law, strong leadership skills, and the ability to navigate complex legal issues. This position is located in Manchester, and offers opportunities for growth in a dynamic, international environment.

Benefits

Annual paid time off

Flexible working arrangements

Up to 1400 in product discounts per year

Qualifications

• Extensive experience advising across product law matters.
• Adept at managing legal teams and communicating with stakeholders.
• Ability to work in high-pressure, fast-paced environments.

Responsibilities

• Provide legal guidance for product development.
• Manage the legal team's annual budget and resources.
• Collaborate with stakeholders on legal strategy.

Skills

Principled leadership

High-level legal analysis

Strong communication skills

Team management

Project management

Education

Bachelor's degree in law

Additional legal qualifications

Tools

Google Suite

Job description

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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.

The Role

The Senior Managing Counsel, Product (Ground Transport and Attractions) provides leadership in assessing, interpreting, advising on and applying laws governing global platform and intermediation services offered by Booking.com across our Ground Transport (Cars and Rides) and Attractions verticals. The Ground Transport and Attractions verticals sit in the Trips Business Unit alongside our Flights and Insurance business verticals. The role directly partners with Product teams within Ground Transport and Attractions to develop and expand our offerings as well as supporting the respective Leadership Teams. The role requires deep expertise in platform and travel-related services regulation as well as "vertical specific" legislation, coupled with strong commercial and product acumen to provide practical and actionable guidance and advice.

The Senior Managing Counsel role manages a (junior) Legal Counsel (Product) and together they serve as the central point of contact between Product Trips, Engineering & Data Trips, and LPA. The role closely partners with the business and with the various functions across LPA, to ensure that the strategic goals of the Trips teams are well understood and supported, the risks are recognised and appropriately managed, and to provide guidance and support for a broad variety of strategic product initiatives and opportunities throughout the company. The role also has the opportunity to partner closely with the RegTech engineering team to ensure timely and proper implementation of regulatory requests and new legislation across all verticals of the Trips Business Unit. This is a hands-on role, embedded within the business, working closely with Product teams globally to identify, define, prioritise, support and implement Product legal strategies and product initiatives across these diverse verticals, which are at different stages in their journey. The role requires applying business-focused legal analysis to translate business needs into practical solutions. The role works in tandem with the Commercial lawyers for Ground Transport and Attractions.

The Senior Managing Counsel's team will continuously invest in, and assess, efficient ways of working with the business (including developing playbooks, improving processes and leveraging AI functionalities) in order to scale their support and allow the legal team to focus on the areas where they can add most value.

As a manager, this role requires direct coaching and professional development skills.

Success requires creative problem-solving and efficient, responsible advancement of product initiatives. A strong international perspective is essential, with the ability to synthesise input from diverse stakeholders and provide confident guidance, even beyond direct expertise. This role is critical in enabling Booking.com to launch product initiatives for our Customers (travellers and partners) that drive ongoing growth and innovation.

The role is global in scope, so a truly international perspective is key, as is the ability to source, analyse and manage input from a range of internal and external stakeholders to form a view and advise even outside of your direct experience. This role is a critical component in the successful partnership between LPA and Trips Business Unit, and you will be a vital contributor to Booking.com's continued growth, innovation and success.

The ideal candidate will have extensive experience in advising stakeholders from a junior to senior level on a wide range of 'product law' matters across multiple jurisdictions and collaborating with product teams to turn ideas into smart, responsible, customer-centric innovation, particularly in a fast-paced, technology-driven environment, demonstrating a strong customer centric mindset while balancing business interests and legal risk.

This role is based in Manchester.

Key responsibilities

• Serve as the primary LPA point of contact for Trips Product and Trips Engineering & Data leadership and support the company's Connected Trip product strategy.
• Provide clear, concise, pragmatic and commercially focused legal and strategic guidance to the Ground Transport and Attractions leadership teams on a wide array of issues, including product development, impact on commercial contracts, disputes/regulatory outreach, competition/consumer law, and relevant regulations. Collaborate with other LPA experts to ensure Trips' activities, policies, business practices, and transactions adhere to applicable laws and regulations.
• Lead, manage, and develop a high-performing Trips Product Legal team (Ground Transport and Attractions) through collaborative and inclusive leadership.
• Manage the Trips Product legal team's annual budget (Ground Transport and Attractions) and support the Senior Director with broader Legal & Public Affairs budget management.
• Coordinate collaboration between key business stakeholders, Trips Product Legal and wider LPA teams (in close partnership with Trips Legal Commercial), and across other Booking Holdings brands.
• Identify and implement best practices to enhance efficiency and improve ways of working with the business and between LPA through improved systems, processes, (AI) tools, services and resource allocation. Develop and deliver training as needed.
• Continuously review and update legal precedents, playbooks and guidelines to foster innovation and ensure suitable risk management.
• Take ownership of planning and providing legal support and leadership for relevant Company Priorities and Trips strategic priorities, liaising with senior stakeholders across the business and LPA colleagues to ensure excellent communication and efficient execution.
• Effectively manage multiple projects and deadlines by applying strong organisational and prioritisation skills.
• Oversee the analysis and implementation of relevant case law and legislative/regulatory developments impacting Trips Product and its growth. Facilitate the implementation of necessary changes to meet regulatory requirements.
• Manage engagement with external counsel, seeking opportunities to streamline processes and improve controls.
• Promote best practices and collaboration within LPA, supporting knowledge sharing and effective work methods. Ensure that all relevant perspectives (e.g., privacy, tax, product, competition & consumer law, public affairs, fintech legal and compliance) are integrated into relevant initiatives.

Skills and experience required

• Bachelors at undergraduate level with additional legal specific qualifications, and admission to practise in at least one jurisdiction
• 8-12 years experience in a reputable law firm or in-house team, preferably in a product legal role
• Qualified to practice law in the EU, UK, or US
• Native or fluent English speaking and writing skills
• Adaptable, with a growth mindset, ready to embrace change in order to meet evolving business needs, work in ambiguous situations and under pressure, and learn from mistakes
• Strong ability to lead and inspire a team
• Experience in translating company and department strategy into team objectives for yourself, and your team members
• Experience in management of and impactful communication with senior stakeholders, effectively communicating complex ideas and projects simply and succinctly
• In-depth understanding of the legal issues that commonly arise in the industry, along with ability to quickly learn and grasp the importance of new and emerging issues and manage processes from inception to completion
• Excellent drafting skills and attention to detail
• Ability to successfully manage multiple projects or a portfolio of projects whilst meeting deadlines and prioritising appropriately.
• Demonstrated cross-functional project leadership and commercial acumen, with ability to balance risk with business objectives.
• Strong collaborative, professional approach; able to succeed in and lead diverse, multidisciplinary, multicultural teams.
• High proficiency in Google Suite (Sheets, Docs), and AI platform usage, with a commitment to continuous improvement.

Further traits 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."

• 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

Inclusion at Booking.com:

Inclusion has 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.

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:

• 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.

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.