Sr Legal Counsel - Employment EMEA

The Company

PayPal has been revolutionizing commerce globally for more than 25 years. Creating innovative experiences that make moving money, selling, and shopping simple, personalized, and secure, PayPal empowers consumers and businesses in approximately 200 markets to join and thrive in the global economy. 

We operate a global, two-sided network at scale that connects hundreds of millions of merchants and consumers. We help merchants and consumers connect, transact, and complete payments, whether they are online or in person. PayPal is more than a connection to third-party payment networks. We provide proprietary payment solutions accepted by merchants that enable the completion of payments on our platform on behalf of our customers.

We offer our customers the flexibility to use their accounts to purchase and receive payments for goods and services, as well as the ability to transfer and withdraw funds. We enable consumers to exchange funds more safely with merchants using a variety of funding sources, which may include a bank account, a PayPal or Venmo account balance, PayPal and Venmo branded credit products, a credit card, a debit card, certain cryptocurrencies, or other stored value products such as gift cards, and eligible credit card rewards.  Our PayPal, Venmo, and Xoom products also make it safer and simpler for friends and family to transfer funds to each other. We offer merchants an end-to-end payments solution that provides authorization and settlement capabilities, as well as instant access to funds and payouts. We also help merchants connect with their customers, process exchanges and returns, and manage risk. We enable consumers to engage in cross-border shopping and merchants to extend their global reach while reducing the complexity and friction involved in enabling cross-border trade. 

Our beliefs are the foundation for how we conduct business every day.  We live each day guided by our core values of Inclusion, Innovation, Collaboration, and Wellness. Together, our values ensure that we work together as one global team with our customers at the center of everything we do – and they push us to ensure we take care of ourselves, each other, and our communities.

Job Summary:

PayPal is seeking an experienced international employment lawyer to join our lean, high-impact Employment Legal team supporting EMEA. Reporting to the Director of Employment Legal EMEA, you will work as part of a team of three to deliver strategic, proactive employment law advice to HR and business leaders across multiple jurisdictions within the region, while contributing to broader global initiatives impacting our EMEA workforce.

Job Description:

Essential Responsibilities:

• Provide clear, pragmatic, and solution-oriented legal advice to enable business strategy while managing legal risk.
• Participate in complex problem resolution, providing expert legal advice on high-stakes issues and disputes.
• Ensure compliance with relevant laws and regulations.
• Partner with business counterparts across the enterprise to help drive the delivery of effective legal services.
• Manage legal risks and safeguard PayPal's legal interests, developing comprehensive risk management frameworks.
• Escalate complex issues to senior legal leadership where appropriate.

Minimum Qualifications:

• 8+ years relevant experience and a Juris doctorate degree OR Any equivalent combination of education and experience.

What You’ll Do

• Provide timely, strategic employment law advice across Belgium, France, Germany, Israel, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Republic of Ireland, Spain, Sweden, UAE, and the UK & Northern Ireland, enabling compliant and commercially sound business decisions.

• Monitor and anticipate legislative and regulatory developments across the region, advising on legal risk, mitigation strategies, and required compliance controls.

• Lead and manage employee litigation matters in partnership with external counsel, shaping strategy and ensuring effective, proportionate outcomes aligned with business objectives.

• Advise on sensitive internal investigations, ensuring fair process, defensibility, and alignment with PayPal’s values and standards.

• Partner closely with People Partners and the Employee Relations team on labour law matters, including workforce consultations, works council engagement, and restructuring initiatives.

• Support organisational change and restructuring projects through proactive legal risk assessment and clear, pragmatic guidance.

• Deliver practical and engaging employment law training to HR, managers, and other stakeholders.

• Contribute to a consistent EMEA Employment Legal voice and approach, supporting cross-border alignment and collaboration within the team.

• Identify and manage employment-related risk proactively across the region.

• Travel within EMEA as required.

What We Are Looking For

• A qualified lawyer in one of the EMEA jurisdictions with strong practical expertise in employment and labour law, with experience across two or more EMEA jurisdictions.

• Significant post-qualification experience (ideally 8+ years), including proven senior in-house experience within a multinational organisation.

• Demonstrated capability in managing complex litigation, investigations, and workforce change projects.

• Commercially pragmatic, solutions-focused, and confident advising senior stakeholders across multiple countries.

• Excellent drafting and communication skills in English; additional European languages are advantageous.

• Strong judgment, stakeholder management capability, and the ability to balance legal risk with business priorities.

• Self-motivated, adaptable, and comfortable operating in a fast-paced, international environment.

Subsidiary:

PayPal

Travel Percent:

0

PayPal does not charge candidates any fees for courses, applications, resume reviews, interviews, background checks, or onboarding. Any such request is a red flag and likely part of a scam. To learn more about how to identify and avoid recruitment fraud please visit https://careers.pypl.com/contact-us.

For the majority of employees, PayPal's balanced hybrid work model offers 3 days in the office for effective in-person collaboration and 2 days at your choice of either the PayPal office or your home workspace, ensuring that you equally have the benefits and conveniences of both locations.

Our Benefits:

At PayPal, we’re committed to building an equitable and inclusive global economy. And we can’t do this without our most important asset-you. That’s why we offer comprehensive, choice-based programs, to support all aspects of personal wellbeing—physical, emotional, and financial—delivering meaningful value where it matters most. We strive to create a flexible, balanced work culture with a holistic approach to benefits, including generous paid time off, healthcare coverage for you and your family, and resources to create financial security and support your mental health.

Who We Are:

Click Here to learn more about our culture and community.

Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion 

PayPal provides equal employment opportunity (EEO) to all persons regardless of age, color, national origin, citizenship status, physical or mental disability, race, religion, creed, gender, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, genetic information, marital status, status with regard to public assistance, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law.  In addition, PayPal will provide reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities.  If you are unable to submit an application because of incompatible assistive technology or a disability, please contact us at [email protected].  

Belonging at PayPal: 

Our employees are central to advancing our mission, and we strive to create an environment where everyone can do their best work with a sense of purpose and belonging. Belonging at PayPal means creating a workplace with a sense of acceptance and security where all employees feel included and valued. We are proud to have a diverse workforce reflective of the merchants, consumers, and communities that we serve, and we continue to take tangible actions to cultivate inclusivity and belonging at PayPal.

Any general requests for consideration of your skills, please Join our Talent Community.

We know the confidence gap and imposter syndrome can get in the way of meeting spectacular candidates. Please don’t hesitate to apply.