About Us: At Booking.com, data drives our decisions. Technology is at our core. And innovation is everywhere. But our company is more than datasets, lines of code or A/B tests. We're the thrill of the first night in a new place. The excitement of the next morning. The friends you encounter. The journeys you take. The sights you see. And the memories you make. Through our products, partners and people, we make it easier for everyone to experience the world.

About the Team:

The Legal Strategy & Business Operations team enables the Legal & Public Affairs (LPA) function to operate effectively, efficiently and at scale. We partner across LPA and the wider business to improve legal service delivery, simplify operations and support the successful implementation of strategic priorities through operational excellence, process improvement and technology-enabled transformation.

Role: The Operational Excellence Lead plays a key role in driving operational excellence and continuous improvement across the Legal & Public Affairs (LPA) function.

Reporting to the Director, Legal Strategy & Business Operations, the role will lead cross-functional operational improvement initiatives that enhance legal processes, operating models and ways of working. Working closely with the LPA team and cross-functional stakeholders, the role will identify opportunities, design practical solutions and deliver measurable business improvements through process excellence, and legal technology.

The role independently leads initiatives from problem definition through implementation, helping Legal & Public Affairs operate more efficiently, scale effectively and continuously improve the way legal services are delivered.

Key Responsibilities

Operational Excellence Methodology & Standards

• Apply Operational Excellence methodologies and structured problem-solving approaches to deliver measurable business improvements.
• Translate Operational Excellence best practices into standardised processes, frameworks and operating procedures across Legal & Public Affairs.
• Contribute to the continuous development of Operational Excellence practices by sharing knowledge, coaching colleagues and promoting best practices.

Process Excellence & Legal Transformation

• Lead high-impact, cross-functional operational improvement initiatives across Legal & Public Affairs.
• Analyse current-state processes, identify optimisation opportunities and design scalable future-state solutions.
• Develop business cases and recommendations to support prioritisation and decision-making.
• Define success measures and monitor process performance to drive continuous improvement.
• Identify opportunities to simplify, standardise, automate and optimise legal service delivery.

Technology-Enabled Improvement

• Partner with cross-functional teams to implement and optimise legal technology and workflow solutions.
• Identify opportunities to improve legal workflows through technology, automation and emerging digital capabilities.
• Support adoption of new tools and ways of working by embedding effective change management and user enablement.
• Evaluate the effectiveness of implemented solutions and recommend further improvements.

Delivery & Performance

• Lead operational improvement initiatives from scoping through implementation and adoption.
• Develop and manage delivery plans, milestones, risks, dependencies and success measures.
• Gather and align business requirements across multiple stakeholders.
• Measure and report outcomes using qualitative and quantitative data to support evidence-based decision-making.

Stakeholder Management

• Build trusted relationships across Legal & Public Affairs and partner functions.
• Facilitate workshops and working sessions to align stakeholders, build consensus and resolve complex operational challenges.
• Influence managers, senior managers and directors through compelling communication, practical recommendations and clear business cases.
• Act as a liaison across functions to support successful delivery of operational improvements.

Key skills and experience required:

• Bachelor Degree or equivalent relevant experience.
• 5+ years of professional experience, including a minimum of 2-3 years working within a legal environment in Legal Operations, Legal Technology, Legal Engineering, Legal Transformation, or a related operational role, gained within an in-house legal department, private practice, legal services provider and/or legal technology organisation.
• Lean Six Sigma Black Belt certification, or equivalent practical experience leading operational excellence and continuous improvement initiatives using Lean Six Sigma or comparable methodologies.
• Strong process design, operational excellence and structured problem-solving capability.
• Experience leading cross-functional operational improvement or transformation initiatives from scoping through implementation.
• Experience applying Operational Excellence methodologies, including Lean Six Sigma or similar continuous improvement approaches.
• Strong analytical capability, using qualitative and quantitative data to identify opportunities, develop business cases and support decision-making.
• Experience implementing or optimising legal technology solutions, including Contract Lifecycle Management (CLM), legal intake, matter management, workflow automation, knowledge management or similar platforms.
• Strong understanding of legal operations and legal service delivery, with the ability to improve legal workflows through process redesign, technology and automation.
• Practical understanding of emerging technologies, including Generative AI, and the ability to evaluate their application to improve legal workflows and operational effectiveness.
• Excellent stakeholder management, communication and influencing skills, with the ability to build alignment across managers, senior managers and directors.
• Highly organised and able to manage multiple initiatives, competing priorities and ambiguity while delivering measurable business outcomes.

This role does not come with relocation

Further traits look for:

• Alignment with Booking.com's values (Customer First, Succeed Together, Own It, Learn Forever, Do the Right Thing).
• Curiosity, flexibility, and a creative, pragmatic approach to problem-solving.
• Confidence with collaboration.
• Ability to influence stakeholders at all levels.
• Proactivity, resilience, and a drive to deliver results.
• Strong judgment with attention to both the big picture and key details.
• Courage to take a stance and make tough decisions.
• Team-oriented, self-aware, and a good listener.
• Agility in prioritizing and meeting deadlines.
• Forward-thinking, with a focus on emerging legal and policy issues.

Why join the Legal & Public Affairs Team now?

This is a pivotal moment in e-commerce and travel, and joining Booking.com's Legal & Public Affairs (LPA) team provides you with opportunities to shape the future. The LPA team plays a key role in enabling Booking.com to become a one-stop solution for all travel-related needs, from accommodation to rental cars, flights and attractions, and beyond. This offers travellers what we like to call the 'connected trip' - enabling them to book every aspect of their travel experience seamlessly through our familiar, easy-to-use website or mobile app. As a member of the LPA team you will partner with the business to navigate complex regulations, build new products, and negotiate key deals-while driving ethical, sustainable growth.

Who we are?

We are an award winning team of around 200 professionals from 36+ nationalities, with lawyers qualified in multiple jurisdictions and non-lawyers specializing in public policy, economics, compliance, and risk. We have been recognised and shortlisted individually and as a team by the Legal 500 GC Powerlist, Assoc. of Corp Counsel, Global Competition Review, The Lawyer GC of the Year (shortlisted), Compliance Week and the Financial Times. We encourage active participation in the industry, with board membership and representation at industry bodies at multiple levels, starting with our Chief Legal & Public Affairs Officer, who is currently ACC President for Europe. We also engage with stakeholders on policy issues impacting travel and tech innovation, including through our new public affairs blog, "A World Worth Experiencing."

As a team, we believe in:

• Being integral to decision-making, shaping Booking.com's future.
• Supporting Booking's mission to make travel accessible, fostering openness and curiosity.
• Offering opportunities for team members to explore new areas or specialize.
• Providing holistic, integrated legal and public affairs advice.
• Continuously improving Legal Operations, innovating, and sharing best practices.
• Learning from mistakes and embracing growth.
• Working collaboratively with a sense of humor and enjoying the journey together!

Benefits & Perks - Global Impact, Personal Relevance:

Booking.com's Total Rewards Philosophy is not only about compensation but also about benefits. We offer a competitive compensation and benefits package, as well unique-to-Booking.com benefits which include:

• Annual paid time off and generous paid leave scheme including: parent, grandparent, bereavement, and care leave
• Hybrid working including flexible working arrangements, and up to 20 days per year working from abroad (home country)
• Industry leading product discounts - up to 1400 per year - for yourself, including automatic Genius Level 3 status and Booking.com wallet credit

Inclusion at Booking.com:

Inclusion has been a core part of our company culture since day one. This ongoing journey starts with our very own employees, who represent over 140 nationalities and a wide range of ethnic and social backgrounds, genders and sexual orientations.

Take it from our Chief People Officer, Paulo Pisano: "At Booking.com, the diversity of our people doesn't just build an outstanding workplace, it also creates a better and more inclusive travel experience for everyone. Inclusion is at the heart of everything we do. It's a place where you can make your mark and have a real impact in travel and tech."

We ensure that colleagues with disabilities are provided the adjustments and tools they need to participate in the job application and interview process, to perform crucial job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment.

Application process:

• Let's go places together: How we Hire
• Detailed instructions on post-application requirements including any required application materials, deadlines, portfolios, coding challenges, or other assessments as defined by BU or department.

Booking.com is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace and is an affirmative action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status. We strive to move well beyond traditional equal opportunity and work to create an environment that allows everyone to thrive.

Pre-Employment Screening

If your application is successful, your personal data may be used for a pre-employment screening check by a third party as permitted by applicable law. Depending on the vacancy and applicable law, a pre-employment screening may include employment history, education and other information (such as media information) that may be necessary for determining your qualifications and suitability for the position.

Pre-Employment Screening

If your application is successful, your personal data may be used for a pre-employment screening check by a third party as permitted by applicable law. Depending on the vacancy and applicable law, a pre-employment screening may include employment history, education and other information (such as media information) that may be necessary for determining your qualifications and suitability for the position.