Policy Campaign Manager, Italy & South East Europe

Job Description

Founded in August of 2008 and based in San Francisco, California, Airbnb is a trusted community marketplace for people to list, discover, and book unique travel experiences around the world. Whether an apartment for a night, a castle for a week, or a villa for a month, Airbnb allows people to Belong Anywhere through unique travel experiences at any price point, in more than 65,000 cities and over 191 countries. We promote a culture of curiosity, humanity, and creativity through our product, brand, and, most importantly, our people.

Airbnb’s public policy team aims to work closely with politicians, regulators, and the broader public to introduce them to Airbnb and the “sharing” or “collaborative” economy, highlight the significant social and economic contribution our business makes to local areas and its inhabitants, and showcase best practices from around the world.

On the one hand, we want policy makers to understand the regulatory challenges that affect our host community and find models that are good for cities and our thriving local communities. On the other, we want to help our societies embrace a new collaborative economy, where we can all belong.

Across EMEA, we are engaged in well over a hundred local conversations and negotiations with governments big and small, and our skilled colleagues and network of activists across the region engage not only governments at local, regional and national levels directly but also use innovative advocacy strategies that actively involve our community in making the case for fair, progressive home sharing rules, and innovative approaches to local experiences.

We structure our work in local campaign pods, drawing on a wide range of tools and campaign disciplines - from detailed policy work, through high-impact partnerships, proactive media relations, community organising, digital platforms and content, polling, and innovative data science and research.

The role of the Campaign Manager is to lead that work within the pod to ensure the conception and execution of successful campaigns.

Campaign Manager, Italy & South East Europe

The Campaign Manager for Italy & South East Europe is responsible for developing and executing integrated plans and leading our public policy team on a day-to-day basis for our pod in Milan, Italy, designed to legitimise and enable Airbnb’s business in local, regional and national legislation and regulation.

S/he conducts an integrated team of functional specialists, who are delivering complementary strands of work to deliver the overall campaign strategy.

Strategy Development: The Campaign Manager leads the process of setting strategy for each market and geography - determining the ultimate policy goals and developing operational plans that deliver progress towards those goals.These strategies are developed in close collaboration with the functional management of the policy team in EMEA - covering government relations, digital content, strategic partnerships, community organising and public affairs communications.

At Airbnb, our strategies are always founded on high-quality insight and analysis, and are well aligned with the company’s global approaches and values.

Leadership and Delivery: Leading a diverse operation, s/he provides direction and motivation to a multi-disciplinary team.

Core tasks within this area includes:

• Inspire others to get behind a vision, and deploy first-rate organisational skills to ensure that developed strategy is executed, targets are set, and projects delivered;
• Commission and empower other functions in the campaign organisation to devise and execute tactics that will contribute to the agreed strategic goals.
• Deploy first-rate empowering management to ensure all team members are appropriately mentored, cared for and that the parts of the campaign add up to far more than its individual contributors would separately.

In addition to overall day-to-day de facto development of operations, s/he will be directly line-managing some members of the Campaign Team, and take responsibility for recruitment in some cases.

Resource management: In charge of a policy campaign, the successful Campaign Manager sets the strategic foundation and vision for the overall direction, allowing functional specialists to work directly with legislative bodies and government agencies on Airbnb’s priority issues.

In charge of the operational budget for her/his concerned pod, s/he ensures all work done is cross-functional and that existing campaign resources (money, people, time) are spent in the best possible of ways, in harmony with the overall campaign plan of the concerned market. An integral part of this area also involves flagging local issues that may have pan-regional implications, and working with colleagues in San Francisco to develop global solutions and approaches as required.

Communication and Accountability: Being an integral part of a larger business, the Campaign Manager liaises closely with their local business partners (e.g. Country Manager, marketing lead, legal counsel) to make sure that campaign plans fit with other local business priorities and outcomes.

S/he also ensures that crucial internal stakeholders understand the campaign strategy and plans, and that information is flowing smoothly to everyone with a “need to know”.

Progress is reported regularly, and roadblocks flagged in a timely fashion.

Requirements:

• Well-developed management skills, substantial experience in mentoring other people and supporting and developing growing teams;
• Experience of managing complex projects with multiple stakeholders in a matrix organisation or equivalent. Highly organised and able to stay on top of multiple projects simultaneously;
• At least five years’ experience working with policy campaigns in a relevant business or non-governmental organisation, or in a political, governmental or regulatory context (a mix of public and private sector experience is an advantage);
• Experience of policy or campaigning in the fields of tourism, housing, landlord/tenant relationships, e-commerce and internet would also be advantageous. Experience of budget/resource management and allocation;
• First-rate personal, political, analytical and organisational skills;Ability to quickly get up to speed on complex technical and regulatory issues;
• Excellent communicator with great interpersonal and presentation skills, both for subject matter experts and the layperson;
• Ability to work independently as well as a team player in a multi-task work environment while producing the highest calibre work product in a timely manner;
• Self-starter with a sense of humour and the ability to thrive in a fast moving and sometimes stressful environment.

Airbnb is committed to working with the best and brightest people from the broadest talent pool possible. We provide equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to sex, race, colour, ethnic or social origin, genetic features, language, religion or belief, political or any other opinion, membership of a national minority, property, birth, disability, age or sexual orientation.

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