Counsel, Employment - International (Hybrid)

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About the role

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. We’re looking for someone: • 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

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