Regional Public Policy Director, Latin America

The Community You Will Join:

Airbnb’s Public Policy team exists to further the interests of the community of Hosts and guests with politicians, regulators, opinion leaders and others who shape the political and legal context for our business, helping them to understand the significant social and economic contributions of our platform. Across the Latin America region, we are engaged in local conversations and negotiations with governments big and small. We engage governments at local, regional and national levels directly and also use innovative advocacy and partnership strategies that actively involve our community and our stakeholders in making the case for fair, progressive home sharing rules.

The Difference You Will Make:

You will engage governments at local, regional and national levels directly and also use innovative advocacy and partnership strategies that actively involve the Host community and our stakeholders in making the case for fair home sharing rules. To do this role effectively you must be able to build trust and help them understand our business and the contributions of our community.

The ideal candidate will be passionate about Airbnb, and have experience with or in government, politics, campaigns or advocacy groups. Our ideal candidate is also a creative and effective strategist; has broad business and people interests and knowledge; can create and execute ideas. S/he should be inclined to boldly take on issues and challenges; to comfortably confront and work through conflict; to communicate messages without hesitation. S/he should be self-aware; responsive to feedback; and flexible and adaptable and thrive in a dynamic environment with the ability to work on various projects simultaneously, requiring strong organizational and time management skills.

S/he should also have demonstrated experience in building trust and credibility with both internal and external stakeholders; a solid understanding of business strategies and priorities with an ability to connect business strategies into relevant policy campaigns. S/he should be a passionate, thoughtful and clear communicator, and be able to articulate policy strategies to the team and internal departmental stakeholders. It is a bonus to have worked in a startup, ecommerce, or other high growth, fast paced company.

This position will be based in one of  our regional offices: São Paulo, Miami or Mexico City and will report to our Global Campaign Director.

A Typical Day:

• Collaborate and align with global leadership and cross-functional regional partners  to develop and implement Airbnb’s regulatory, legislative and public policy strategies; including contextualizing global priorities, positions, and strategies
• Conceptualize, manage and operationalize political and lobbying campaigns ranging from small to multi million dollar, mutli-year strategies Support the execution of corporate and international business initiatives in specific jurisdictions throughout the Latin America region including the Caribbean, Mexico, Central America and South America
• Manage a team of seasoned public policy professionals in jurisdictions throughout the region
• Manage the financial resources necessary for the successful execution of each campaign
• Invest in the professional growth of team members
• Work closely with relevant stakeholders to engage with regulatory agencies on Airbnb’s priority issues, including crafting and negotiating language for legislation, drafting comments on administrative regulations, and managing the publication of substantive issue briefs and position papers
• Represent Airbnb in coalitions and collaborations to advance Airbnb’s advocacy initiatives
• Direct research, writing and other activities to provide analysis and critical thinking on developments affecting Airbnb’s priorities
• Monitor legislation and regulatory matters in assigned region and advise company with respect to policy challenges
• Ensure that executives and corporate leaders are well informed of regional and jurisdiction specific development that will impact business operations and brand perception
• Represent Airbnb in meetings with government and elected officials
• Build coalitions with other organizations to advance policy goals of Airbnb
• Advise Airbnb’s teams on public policy matters to guide development of products, services and policies

Your Expertise:

• Degree or advanced degree level in Political Science, Communications, Law, Public Relations, or related field
• Broad policy experience and preferably direct knowledge in one or more of the following fields: Internet, Tourism sector regulations, housing or landlord/tenant law
• Knowledge of the political and regulatory environment throughout Latin America and the Caribbean is essential
• At least 15 years experience working in politics, government, regulator, or relevant business or non-governmental organization (a mix of public and private sector experience is an advantage)
• First-rate personal, political, analytical and organizational skills
• Excellent leadership and management abilities
• An empathetic leader who cares about people, provides opportunities for people from all backgrounds to succeed and inspires and motivates others
• Ability to create an environment that fosters and promotes diversity and inclusion within the immediate team
• Guided by a personal integrity that reflects Airbnb’s core values and commitment to our stakeholders
• Record of maintaining the highest personal levels of ethical conduct, confidentiality, and integrity
• Makes decisions for the good of the whole organization and fosters a culture of mobility and individual growth
• Direct experience working within local, state, regional or national politics, government, think tanks, public interest groups or the field of corporate public policy
• Ability to quickly get up to speed on complex technical and regulatory issues
• Excellent communicator, written and verbal, with great interpersonal and presentation skills, both for subject matter experts and the layperson
• Ability to work independently as well as a team player in a multi-task work environment while producing the highest caliber work product in a timely manner
• Ability to support in-market advocacy campaigns, using tactics like community organizing and paid media
• Self starter with a sense of humor and the ability to thrive in a fast moving and sometimes stressful environment
• First-rate English communication skills - written and oral - in a wide range of formal and informal contexts
• Experience of working across more than one geography would be a significant advantage, knowledge of Spanish and Portuguese

Your Location:

This position needs to be based in one of our regional offices: São Paulo or Mexico City, 40 hours a week, or as required by the business needs for the role.

Our Commitment To Inclusion & Belonging:

Airbnb is committed to working with the broadest talent pool possible. We believe diverse ideas foster innovation and engagement, and allow us to attract creatively-led people, and to develop the best products, services and solutions. All qualified individuals are encouraged to apply.

We strive to also provide a disability inclusive application and interview process. If you are a candidate with a disability and require reasonable accommodation in order to submit an application, please contact us at: [email protected]. Please include your full name, the role you’re applying for and the accommodation necessary to assist you with the recruiting process. 

We ask that you only reach out to us if you are a candidate whose disability prevents you from being able to complete our online application.