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Senior Legal Counsel - Human Rights at Humanity
Job Description
Job Description
Established in 1996 in Amsterdam, Booking.com has grown from a small Dutch start-up to the third largest e-commerce company in the world. Booking.com is the largest business within Booking Holdings (NASDAQ: BKNG) and accounts for the vast majority of Booking Holdings’ total revenue. Booking Holdings is a leading Fortune 500 e-commerce conglomerate with a market cap of approximately $80 billion.
With a mission to make it easier for everyone to experience the world, Booking.com invests in digital technology that helps take the friction out of travel. Booking.com connects travellers with the world’s largest selection of incredible places to stay, including everything from apartments, vacation homes, and family-run B & Bs to 5-star luxury resorts and even tree houses. The Booking.com website and mobile apps are available in over 40 languages, offer more than +28 million total reported listings, and cover +140K destinations in +200 countries worldwide.
The Senior Legal Counsel, Human Rights is a human rights lawyer with substantial stakeholder engagement and awareness-raising experience. You will be part of the newly established Human Rights Program at Booking.com.
The Senior Legal Counsel, Human Rights will be principally responsible for leading, developing, implementing and maintaining strategic engagement, learning, and awareness-raising programs within the Human Rights Program and for providing guidance on human rights laws and best practices to the Human Rights Team and for. You will work closely with other verticals within the Compliance, Legal & Public Affairs, PR / Communications, Sustainability, and Risk & Control functions at Booking.com and Booking Holdings, Inc. to develop best-in-class approaches for addressing risks of adverse human rights impacts throughout our value chain.
You will establish and manage various programs and projects, including related to strategic engagement, learning, and awareness-raising, to help ensure that Booking.com meets its human rights commitments in line with the UNGPs and established best-practices. You will also provide guidance on human rights law and emerging mandatory human rights due diligence regulations. You will lead and provide input on human rights impact assessments and help guide the company in how best to use its leverage to address potential human rights impacts. Your responsibilities are an on-going initiative which continually responds to business growth and a changing regulatory environment.
An effective advocate and accomplished communicator, you will be able to seamlessly articulate our human rights strategy and commitments to diverse internal and external stakeholders. You have extensive experience working with and for civil society organizations from all over the world and have demonstrated experience establishing sustainable, mutually impactful partnerships with rights holders and their legitimate representatives.
The role reports to the Head of Human Rights with flexible/remote working arrangements to be determined with the successful candidate.
The Senior Legal Counsel, Human Rights is responsible for:
• Provides day-to-day guidance on human rights law, EU and other applicable regulations, and other emerging regulations and business and human rights best practices.
• Supports in the development and maintenance of human rights related policies, procedures and processes to ensure compliance with applicable internal, legal and regulatory standards.
• Develops both short-term and long-term recommendations and execution plans to drive Human Rights Program objectives, with a focus on stakeholder engagement, learning, and awareness-raising.
• Acts as an effective change agent utilizing proper stakeholder analysis and change management techniques.
• Manages the Human Rights Program engagement program, including developing and implementing an external stakeholder and rightsholder engagement strategy according to business developments, human rights salience assessments, and Human Rights Program priorities.
• Manages the Human Rights Program “learn and promote” program, including by developing and implementing internal- and external-facing human rights learning and awareness-raising strategies, in close collaboration with Booking.com Public Relations and Communications teams, that effectively uses Booking.com’s leverage to inform leadership, employees, customers, guests, and the industry at large about our human rights priorities and due diligence.
• Leads the Informed Communications messaging strategy at Booking.com and BHI brands, with an objective to provide holistic, impactful, and meaningful communications on the Booking.com and BHI Brands’ platforms about human rights and the travel and tourism industry.
• Manages implementation of impactful and strategic external human rights communications as aligned with human rights mitigations and strategies. This includes writing, editing, and working with internal stakeholders on the release and publication of communications.
• Prepares and presents detailed human rights reports and assessments for internal and external stakeholders, including internal and external auditors, shareholders, rights holders and civil society, and senior management.
• Supports the Human Rights Program with human rights guidance and input, including on impact assessments, mitigations, grievance mechanisms, and leverage.
• Supports the Human Rights Program with due diligence procedures; leads the drafting of assessments and recommendations.
• Advises global business partners, BHI brands, company leadership, and key functions on corresponding human rights risks and opportunities and provides human rights input and oversight to strategic projects/initiatives and new products.
• Develops thought leadership and additional resources for human rights awareness and due diligence.
The Senior Legal Counsel, Human Rights will be skilled in:
• Holds a relevant academic degree in Law
• 5 - 8 years of relevant experience in a top tier Law firm and/or major corporation
• A respected subject matter expert in the field of human rights with extensive experience working with international organizations, civil society, think tanks, and academics on matters of human rights, international justice, conflict and peacebuilding, or related fields.
• Experience leading and managing large-scale communications plans / projects on topics related to human rights, business and human rights, international justice, conflict and peacebuilding, or related fields.
• Excellent writing, editing, and publication management experience.
• Strong communications skills and experience, including on sensitive topics related to human rights, international justice, conflict, and society.
• The ability to communicate and present complex information in a way that people understand.
• Extensive experience working with, or as a member of, civil society organizations across the globe and in particular in Africa, MENA, Latin America, and Asia.
• Experience implementing inclusive, holistic, and horizontal engagement plans with local rights holders or their legitimate representatives.
• Strong internal stakeholder management skills, working with both senior leadership and subject matter experts.
• Knowledge of systemic and emerging human rights issues and strategies for communicating about human rights risks.
• Able to collaborate across teams while connecting the dots with business, supply chain, social impacts, security, etc.
• Balanced and persuasive influencer of both internal and external stakeholders.
• Experience managing multiple simultaneous projects on time and budget.
• Experience with facilitation, change management and problem solving.
• Excellent grasp of societal and community expectations on the role of corporations and human rights.
• Experience working in a multi-cultural environment and with persons of diverse backgrounds.
Further skills we are looking for:
• Aligning with Booking.com’s Values (Think Customer First, Succeed Together, Own It, Learn Forever, Do the Right Thing)
• Being curious, flexible, and a creative & pragmatic problem solver
• Confident yet collaborative
• Ability to influence stakeholders across all levels within the organisation
• Being proactive, resilient and having the drive to get things done
• Having sound judgement and the ability to see the big picture and simultaneously appreciate the details necessary to operationalise the strategy
• Having the courage to take positions and make tough judgment calls
• Being a team player, self aware and a good listener - a diverse group will always find the best solution!
• Ability to move with agility, prioritise workloads and meet deadlines
• Forward thinking with an interest in emerging issues in legal and policy
Booking.com ensures equal employment opportunity to all employees and applicants. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, ancestry,
Established in 1996 in Amsterdam, Booking.com has grown from a small Dutch start-up to the third largest e-commerce company in the world. Booking.com is the largest business within Booking Holdings (NASDAQ: BKNG) and accounts for the vast majority of Booking Holdings’ total revenue. Booking Holdings is a leading Fortune 500 e-commerce conglomerate with a market cap of approximately $80 billion.
With a mission to make it easier for everyone to experience the world, Booking.com invests in digital technology that helps take the friction out of travel. Booking.com connects travellers with the world’s largest selection of incredible places to stay, including everything from apartments, vacation homes, and family-run B & Bs to 5-star luxury resorts and even tree houses. The Booking.com website and mobile apps are available in over 40 languages, offer more than +28 million total reported listings, and cover +140K destinations in +200 countries worldwide.
The Senior Legal Counsel, Human Rights is a human rights lawyer with substantial stakeholder engagement and awareness-raising experience. You will be part of the newly established Human Rights Program at Booking.com.
The Senior Legal Counsel, Human Rights will be principally responsible for leading, developing, implementing and maintaining strategic engagement, learning, and awareness-raising programs within the Human Rights Program and for providing guidance on human rights laws and best practices to the Human Rights Team and for. You will work closely with other verticals within the Compliance, Legal & Public Affairs, PR / Communications, Sustainability, and Risk & Control functions at Booking.com and Booking Holdings, Inc. to develop best-in-class approaches for addressing risks of adverse human rights impacts throughout our value chain.
You will establish and manage various programs and projects, including related to strategic engagement, learning, and awareness-raising, to help ensure that Booking.com meets its human rights commitments in line with the UNGPs and established best-practices. You will also provide guidance on human rights law and emerging mandatory human rights due diligence regulations. You will lead and provide input on human rights impact assessments and help guide the company in how best to use its leverage to address potential human rights impacts. Your responsibilities are an on-going initiative which continually responds to business growth and a changing regulatory environment.
An effective advocate and accomplished communicator, you will be able to seamlessly articulate our human rights strategy and commitments to diverse internal and external stakeholders. You have extensive experience working with and for civil society organizations from all over the world and have demonstrated experience establishing sustainable, mutually impactful partnerships with rights holders and their legitimate representatives.
The role reports to the Head of Human Rights with flexible/remote working arrangements to be determined with the successful candidate.
The Senior Legal Counsel, Human Rights is responsible for:
• Provides day-to-day guidance on human rights law, EU and other applicable regulations, and other emerging regulations and business and human rights best practices.
• Supports in the development and maintenance of human rights related policies, procedures and processes to ensure compliance with applicable internal, legal and regulatory standards.
• Develops both short-term and long-term recommendations and execution plans to drive Human Rights Program objectives, with a focus on stakeholder engagement, learning, and awareness-raising.
• Acts as an effective change agent utilizing proper stakeholder analysis and change management techniques.
• Manages the Human Rights Program engagement program, including developing and implementing an external stakeholder and rightsholder engagement strategy according to business developments, human rights salience assessments, and Human Rights Program priorities.
• Manages the Human Rights Program “learn and promote” program, including by developing and implementing internal- and external-facing human rights learning and awareness-raising strategies, in close collaboration with Booking.com Public Relations and Communications teams, that effectively uses Booking.com’s leverage to inform leadership, employees, customers, guests, and the industry at large about our human rights priorities and due diligence.
• Leads the Informed Communications messaging strategy at Booking.com and BHI brands, with an objective to provide holistic, impactful, and meaningful communications on the Booking.com and BHI Brands’ platforms about human rights and the travel and tourism industry.
• Manages implementation of impactful and strategic external human rights communications as aligned with human rights mitigations and strategies. This includes writing, editing, and working with internal stakeholders on the release and publication of communications.
• Prepares and presents detailed human rights reports and assessments for internal and external stakeholders, including internal and external auditors, shareholders, rights holders and civil society, and senior management.
• Supports the Human Rights Program with human rights guidance and input, including on impact assessments, mitigations, grievance mechanisms, and leverage.
• Supports the Human Rights Program with due diligence procedures; leads the drafting of assessments and recommendations.
• Advises global business partners, BHI brands, company leadership, and key functions on corresponding human rights risks and opportunities and provides human rights input and oversight to strategic projects/initiatives and new products.
• Develops thought leadership and additional resources for human rights awareness and due diligence.
The Senior Legal Counsel, Human Rights will be skilled in:
• Holds a relevant academic degree in Law
• 5 - 8 years of relevant experience in a top tier Law firm and/or major corporation
• A respected subject matter expert in the field of human rights with extensive experience working with international organizations, civil society, think tanks, and academics on matters of human rights, international justice, conflict and peacebuilding, or related fields.
• Experience leading and managing large-scale communications plans / projects on topics related to human rights, business and human rights, international justice, conflict and peacebuilding, or related fields.
• Excellent writing, editing, and publication management experience.
• Strong communications skills and experience, including on sensitive topics related to human rights, international justice, conflict, and society.
• The ability to communicate and present complex information in a way that people understand.
• Extensive experience working with, or as a member of, civil society organizations across the globe and in particular in Africa, MENA, Latin America, and Asia.
• Experience implementing inclusive, holistic, and horizontal engagement plans with local rights holders or their legitimate representatives.
• Strong internal stakeholder management skills, working with both senior leadership and subject matter experts.
• Knowledge of systemic and emerging human rights issues and strategies for communicating about human rights risks.
• Able to collaborate across teams while connecting the dots with business, supply chain, social impacts, security, etc.
• Balanced and persuasive influencer of both internal and external stakeholders.
• Experience managing multiple simultaneous projects on time and budget.
• Experience with facilitation, change management and problem solving.
• Excellent grasp of societal and community expectations on the role of corporations and human rights.
• Experience working in a multi-cultural environment and with persons of diverse backgrounds.
Further skills we are looking for:
• Aligning with Booking.com’s Values (Think Customer First, Succeed Together, Own It, Learn Forever, Do the Right Thing)
• Being curious, flexible, and a creative & pragmatic problem solver
• Confident yet collaborative
• Ability to influence stakeholders across all levels within the organisation
• Being proactive, resilient and having the drive to get things done
• Having sound judgement and the ability to see the big picture and simultaneously appreciate the details necessary to operationalise the strategy
• Having the courage to take positions and make tough judgment calls
• Being a team player, self aware and a good listener - a diverse group will always find the best solution!
• Ability to move with agility, prioritise workloads and meet deadlines
• Forward thinking with an interest in emerging issues in legal and policy
Booking.com ensures equal employment opportunity to all employees and applicants. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, ancestry,
Job Responsibilities
- You will work closely with other verticals within the Compliance, Legal & Public Affairs, PR / Communications, Sustainability, and Risk & Control functions at Booking.com and Booking Holdings, Inc. to develop best-in-class approaches for addressing risks of adverse human rights impacts throughout our value chain
- You will establish and manage various programs and projects, including related to strategic engagement, learning, and awareness-raising, to help ensure that Booking.com meets its human rights commitments in line with the UNGPs and established best-practices
- You will also provide guidance on human rights law and emerging mandatory human rights due diligence regulations
- You will lead and provide input on human rights impact assessments and help guide the company in how best to use its leverage to address potential human rights impacts
- Your responsibilities are an on-going initiative which continually responds to business growth and a changing regulatory environment
- Provides day-to-day guidance on human rights law, EU and other applicable regulations, and other emerging regulations and business and human rights best practices
- Supports in the development and maintenance of human rights related policies, procedures and processes to ensure compliance with applicable internal, legal and regulatory standards
- Develops both short-term and long-term recommendations and execution plans to drive Human Rights Program objectives, with a focus on stakeholder engagement, learning, and awareness-raising
- Acts as an effective change agent utilizing proper stakeholder analysis and change management techniques
- Manages the Human Rights Program engagement program, including developing and implementing an external stakeholder and rightsholder engagement strategy according to business developments, human rights salience assessments, and Human Rights Program priorities
- Manages the Human Rights Program “learn and promote” program, including by developing and implementing internal- and external-facing human rights learning and awareness-raising strategies, in close collaboration with Booking.com Public Relations and Communications teams, that effectively uses Booking.com’s leverage to inform leadership, employees, customers, guests, and the industry at large about our human rights priorities and due diligence
- Leads the Informed Communications messaging strategy at Booking.com and BHI brands, with an objective to provide holistic, impactful, and meaningful communications on the Booking.com and BHI Brands’ platforms about human rights and the travel and tourism industry
- Manages implementation of impactful and strategic external human rights communications as aligned with human rights mitigations and strategies
- This includes writing, editing, and working with internal stakeholders on the release and publication of communications
- Prepares and presents detailed human rights reports and assessments for internal and external stakeholders, including internal and external auditors, shareholders, rights holders and civil society, and senior management
- Supports the Human Rights Program with human rights guidance and input, including on impact assessments, mitigations, grievance mechanisms, and leverage
- Supports the Human Rights Program with due diligence procedures; leads the drafting of assessments and recommendations
- Advises global business partners, BHI brands, company leadership, and key functions on corresponding human rights risks and opportunities and provides human rights input and oversight to strategic projects/initiatives and new products
- Develops thought leadership and additional resources for human rights awareness and due diligence
Requirements / Qualifications
-
Holds a relevant academic degree in Law
-
5 - 8 years of relevant experience in a top tier Law firm and/or major corporation
-
A respected subject matter expert in the field of human rights with extensive experience working with international organizations, civil society, think tanks, and academics on matters of human rights, international justice, conflict and peacebuilding, or related fields
-
Experience leading and managing large-scale communications plans / projects on topics related to human rights, business and human rights, international justice, conflict and peacebuilding, or related fields
-
Excellent writing, editing, and publication management experience
-
Strong communications skills and experience, including on sensitive topics related to human rights, international justice, conflict, and society
-
The ability to communicate and present complex information in a way that people understand
-
Extensive experience working with, or as a member of, civil society organizations across the globe and in particular in Africa, MENA, Latin America, and Asia
-
Experience implementing inclusive, holistic, and horizontal engagement plans with local rights holders or their legitimate representatives
-
Strong internal stakeholder management skills, working with both senior leadership and subject matter experts
-
Knowledge of systemic and emerging human rights issues and strategies for communicating about human rights risks
-
Able to collaborate across teams while connecting the dots with business, supply chain, social impacts, security, etc
-
Balanced and persuasive influencer of both internal and external stakeholders
-
Experience managing multiple simultaneous projects on time and budget
-
Experience with facilitation, change management and problem solving
-
Excellent grasp of societal and community expectations on the role of corporations and human rights
-
Experience working in a multi-cultural environment and with persons of diverse backgrounds
-
Aligning with Booking.com’s Values (Think Customer First, Succeed Together, Own It, Learn Forever, Do the Right Thing)
-
Being curious, flexible, and a creative & pragmatic problem solver
-
Confident yet collaborative
-
Ability to influence stakeholders across all levels within the organisation
-
Being proactive, resilient and having the drive to get things done
-
Having sound judgement and the ability to see the big picture and simultaneously appreciate the details necessary to operationalise the strategy
-
Having the courage to take positions and make tough judgment calls
-
Being a team player, self aware and a good listener - a diverse group will always find the best solution!
-
Ability to move with agility, prioritise workloads and meet deadlines
-
Forward thinking with an interest in emerging issues in legal and policy
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