Legal Counsel, ANZ & SEA

Airbnb’s Legal Department is a global team that will require working with diverse international colleagues around the world. The successful candidate will be someone who is adaptable, collaborative and embodies Airbnb’s Core Values. Candidates will be required to approach complex legal issues with a balance for local and global perspectives, while being adaptable to cultural differences and nuances. A genuine and demonstrated interest in Airbnb and a commitment to ethics, integrity and fostering a workplace that emphasizes diversity and belonging is a must.

The Community You Will Join: 

Airbnb’s Legal team embodies the company’s innovative, forward-thinking spirit. At the frontier of the sharing economy, Airbnb is breaking new ground in matters of policy, law, and government relations. Where some see obstacles, we see the opportunity to find creative, practical solutions, right at the cutting edge. Our adventurous, fast-moving legal team is committed to building a team of talented, collaborative and self-motivated legal professionals across the globe who believe in Airbnb’s mission and leading as a 21st century company. 

The Difference You Will Make:

We are in search of a Counsel to support Senior Counsels for Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific (ANZ), and Southeast Asia, Hong Kong and Taiwan (SEA) regions.This role reports to the Associate General Counsel, APAC, and serves as legal partner to many other teams outside Legal. Collaboration will be a key attribute as this role will work very closely with the other members of the legal team both in the region and globally.

This role can be based either in Australia (ACT, WA, Victoria or NSW) or Singapore.

A Typical Day: 

• Act as an effective and trusted partner to the fast-paced and high-performing Airbnb ANZ and SEA teams. 

• Deliver clear, effective and practical legal advice to the various business functions comprising the ANZ and SEA teams. These include business development, public policy, marketing and communications.  

• Advise on the ANZ and SEA legal landscape, including planning and short term rental accommodation, consumer protection, competition, marketing, discrimination, digital platforms/e-commerce, employment, privacy, tax, dispute resolution, and law enforcement. Be attuned to legal developments in ANZ and SEA in these areas. 

• Assisting with regulatory compliance projects. 

• Advise on, draft and negotiate commercial contracts and documents.

• Be adept in making sensible legal risk assessments which consider practical solutions to mitigate legal risk whilst keeping business priorities at the forefront. 

• Work with Litigation Team with respect to resolving pre-litigation/tribunal matters and other user disputes in ANZ and SEA. 

• Effectively collaborate with regional and global colleagues to (i) provide globally aligned legal advice that appropriately balances domestic and global perspectives and needs; and (ii) participate in global workstreams. 

• Help design, implement and iterate legal team processes to keep up a high level of efficiency.

• Active championship of Airbnb’s mission, ethics and integrity.

• Support for Airbnb’s commitment to building and maintaining a diverse and inclusive workplace, free of discrimination and harassment.

Your Expertise:

• Possesses a bachelor of law or its equivalent, and is qualified to practice in a major jurisdiction

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills

• At least 6 years’ post-qualification experience, including ideally some relevant experience in practice as well as in-house and prior experience in areas such as consumer protection and e-commerce

• Demonstrated expertise and experience in navigating and excelling in highly ambiguous environments

• Consistently delivers creative, thoughtful and business-oriented results that appropriately balance growth and risk in a fast-paced and high-pressure environment

• Ability to spot key risks, analyse and practically assess risk, and provide actionable recommendations

• Flexibility and willingness to work with all levels of the organization, and to roll up your sleeves to get the job done

• Intellectually curious, open-minded, adaptable, comfortable with ambiguity and risk, and excited by dynamic change

• Highly collaborative with excellent communication and listening skills

• Self-starter, driven and able to work autonomously while prioritizing competing tasks in a fast-paced, challenging environment

• Empathetic, caring and humble

• Entrepreneurial and business-orientated

• Adaptable individual possessing high integrity, excellent judgment, a sense of humour and a love for fun and adventure

• Some international travel may be required

Our Commitment To Inclusion & Belonging:

Airbnb is committed to working with the broadest talent pool possible. We believe diverse ideas foster innovation and engagement, and allow us to attract creatively-led people, and to develop the best products, services and solutions. All qualified individuals are encouraged to apply.

We strive to also provide a disability inclusive application and interview process. If you are a candidate with a disability and require reasonable accommodation in order to submit an application, please contact us at: reasonableaccommodations@airbnb.com. Please include your full name, the role you’re applying for and the accommodation necessary to assist you with the recruiting process. 

We ask that you only reach out to us if you are a candidate whose disability prevents you from being able to complete our online application.