Associate Counsel, Japan

Job Description

We are looking for a bright, talented lawyer who is passionate about Airbnb and travel.

Founded in 2008, Airbnb’s mission is to create a world where people can belong through healthy travel that is local, authentic, diverse, inclusive and sustainable. Airbnb uniquely leverages technology to economically empower millions of people around the world to unlock and monetize their spaces, passions and talents to become hospitality entrepreneurs. Airbnb’s accommodation marketplace provides access to 5+ million unique places to stay in more than 81,000 cities and 191 countries. With Experiences, Airbnb offers unprecedented access to local communities and interests through 15,000 unique, handcrafted activities run by hosts across 1,000+ markets around the world. Airbnb's people-to-people platform benefits all its stakeholders, including hosts, guests, employees and the communities in which it operates.

We are looking for an attorney qualified in Japan to join our global legal team, to be based in Tokyo. You will report to the Japan Senior Counsel, and help to support our fast-growing business teams in Japan and across the APAC region. Airbnb Legal won both "Most Innovative In-House Team of the Year" and “ In-House Lawyer of the Year" at Japan Law Awards 2018, and we are keen to have another superstar for our business teams.

Key Responsibilities

• General legal support for the various teams and functions across APAC, with a specific focus on the operations, business development and marketing teams in Japan
• Provide regulatory, compliance and general commercial (including contracts) advice and support from both country and regional perspectives, across a wide range of areas including consumer rights, e-commerce, privacy, marketing, product counseling, dispute resolution, and industry-specific regulations
• Manage legal risk effectively and decisively
• Efficiently manage and creatively collaborate with outside counsels across Japan as one team
• Participate in global and regional projects
• Regular international travel required

Qualifications and Prerequisites

• Native-level command of Japanese (written and oral). Business-level English (written and oral) is essential.
• Qualified in Japan (as bengoshi ) is a must . Qualification in a major common law jurisdiction is a plus.
• 2-7 years post-qualification experience. In-house (secondment) in an MNC or start-up (technology and/or travel industries preferred) is a plus.
• General experience with multicultural working environment with geographically-dispersed clients and team members is a plus

Personality and Attitudes

• High integrity and excellent judgment in balancing legal risks with business needs
• Creative and flexible, with a practical, commercially-focused and business-oriented outlook
• Self-starter with strong organizational skills
• Able to enjoy and thrive in a busy, fast-paced and high-pressure environment
• Skilled in navigating highly ambiguous situations and solving novel problems with little or no precedent
• Passion for Airbnb with a keen interest in travel and an ability to adapt to surprises
• Team player with proven people and inter-personal skills
• Sense of humour and love for adventure and fun