APAC Data Privacy Counsel/Senior Counsel

Airbnb seeks an experienced privacy professional to fill the role of Data Protection Officer for Airbnb in APAC, based in our Singapore office. You will play a critical role and work collaboratively across multiple teams and regions to continue to build, develop, and deliver a compliance framework for data protection law. You will also serve as the primary point of contact for Data Protection Authorities for issues related to Airbnb’s privacy policies and practices.

Responsibilities

You will be responsible for building Airbnb’s privacy programme in APAC as well as monitoring, overseeing and advising Airbnb on its compliance with the obligations created by relevant data protection and privacy laws

You will oversee employee training in relation to data protection across all relevant areas of the business (e.g., customer service agents, product, engineering) who access and work with our community’s personal data. In addition to this you will work closely with our Employee Experience team to ensure that our employees’ data is processed in accordance with relevant data protection and privacy laws

Together with other privacy and data security experts in the Legal team and elsewhere within the organisation, you will ensure that there is adequate monitoring of Airbnb’s compliance with relevant data protection and privacy laws including checking data protection policies and procedures, and conducting audits

You will be our point of contact with data protection authorities in APAC with regard to Airbnb’s data protection and privacy practices. In addition you will be responsible for managing proactive and reactive engagement with other APAC supervisory authorities as may be required from time to time and acting as the point of contact for our users in relation to data protection and privacy

You will provide advice in relation to privacy impact assessments and co-ordinate notifications of any data breaches with support from privacy and data security experts in the Legal, Security, Product and Engineering teams

Together with our Policy Team and Outside Counsel, you will track, advise and (where necessary) engage with industry associations / regulators on legislative developments around APAC insofar as this may have an impact on Airbnb’s product and compliance with relevant regulatory requirements

You will receive support in your role from around the organisation including in particular the Legal team but also Security and Human Resources

Experience/Qualifications:

Fluency (reading/writing/speaking) in English is essential

Qualified as a lawyer in a major jurisdiction, preferably with IAPP/other privacy certification

At least 8 years’ post-qualification experience, including ideally at least 2 years’ relevant in-house experience in an MNC, preferably in the tech / digital space / in a role with privacy or data protection specialisation

Substantive knowledge and demonstrated expertise in global data protection law and privacy framework, particularly EU and APAC

The successful candidate should also have:

Ability to understand technology-driven businesses, communicate concisely, and influence effectively across a wide audience including regulators, Airbnb leadership, engineering and product teams, and members of the legal team

Strong negotiation and “ambassadorial” skills, which they will put to work both internally to foster a strong data protection culture throughout the organisation and externally in the area of data privacy to maintain and enhance users’ trust in Airbnb

Exceptional ability to consistently deliver creative, thoughtful and business-oriented results that appropriately balance growth and risk in a fast-paced and high-pressure environment

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

Experience creating and managing compliance processes

Ability to work both collaboratively and autonomously while prioritizing competing tasks in a fast-paced, challenging environment

International travel will be required (when travel opens)

Driven, caring, self-starting, humble keen learner with growth mindset, adaptable individual possessing high integrity, excellent judgment, a strong sense of humour and a love for fun and adventure