Legal Commercial Team Lead

Emerging Travel Group

10d • Remote

About The Position

Emerging Travel Group is seeking a Commercial Legal Team Lead to lead its in-house legal team and support the company’s international business. The role combines team management with hands-on commercial legal work, including advising on contracts, products, payments, and regulatory matters and helping teams develop practical solutions as the company grows.

The position involves working with colleagues across the business and external lawyers in multiple jurisdictions. The successful candidate will help identify and manage legal risks, respond to regulatory changes, and establish sound legal foundations for new products and business models. It is a remote vacancy for candidates willing to work in the European time zone and qualified to practise law in England and Wales, the US, or an EU Member State; the requirements section also refers to qualification in England and Wales or an EU Member State, or a degree from a university in one of those countries.

Requirements

• Qualified to practise law in England and Wales or an EU Member State, or holds a degree from a university in one of these countries. (The introductory role description also lists qualification to practise in the US.)
• 8+ years of post-qualification experience, including substantial in-house work with an international consumer technology, digital platform, or travel technology business operating across the EU and UK.
• Experience working with an online travel agency (OTA), bedbank, travel marketplace, travel distribution platform, or travel technology company.
• Experience leading or managing a legal team, or taking ownership of major cross-functional legal projects.
• Strong commercial contracting experience across common-law and civil-law jurisdictions.
• Sound understanding of rules affecting online travel businesses, including consumer protection, e-commerce, package travel, intermediary liability, payments, digital platforms, and privacy.
• Experience advising on commercial and product matters across several European jurisdictions.
• Confidence managing complex cross-border matters and working with external counsel.
• Strong project management skills and ability to work effectively with teams across the business.
• Practical approach to legal advice, with the ability to explain risks clearly and help colleagues decide what to do next.
• Fluent English, written and spoken (C1 or higher).

Nice To Haves

• Fluent Russian, written and spoken.

Responsibilities

• Lead and develop the in-house legal team, set priorities, and ensure the business receives clear, timely advice.
• Take the lead on complex legal matters and coordinate external counsel across multiple jurisdictions.
• Support the professional development of junior and mid-level legal team members.
• Lead cross-functional legal projects and work with stakeholders across the business.
• Draft and negotiate commercial agreements, including partnership, B2B and B2C, licensing, and technology agreements.
• Advise teams on contractual structures, identify key legal and commercial risks, and recommend practical solutions.
• Support strategic transactions and international commercial arrangements.
• Work with product and business teams on travel products, booking flows, customer journeys, ancillary services, cancellations, refunds, and payment solutions.
• Advise on the legal aspects of new products and business models.
• Support market entry and international expansion, including local regulatory assessments.
• Advise on payment flows, merchant models, PSP integrations, and the legal aspects of cross-border payment structures.
• Help the business navigate rules affecting online travel, including consumer protection, e-commerce, package travel, intermediary liability, payments, digital platforms, and privacy.
• Track changes in laws and regulations and help the business understand and address their impact.
• Help ensure the company’s operations comply with relevant requirements, including GDPR and ePrivacy.
• Support dispute resolution, including pre-litigation matters, arbitration, and cross-border litigation.
• Manage complex legal matters across jurisdictions, working with internal stakeholders and external counsel.

Benefits

• Flexible schedules and opportunity to work remotely.
• Ambitious and supportive team that values collaboration and growth.
• Internal programs for adaptation and training, development of soft skills, and leadership abilities.
• Partial compensation for participating in external training and conferences.
• Corporate English school offering group and individual lessons and speaking clubs with colleagues from around the world.
• Corporate prices on hotels and travel services.
• MyTime Day Off: an extra non-working day without loss of compensation.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior
• Education Level: No Education Listed