Principal Employment Legal Counsel – Barcelona

<p><em>Location: Come and join us in Hamburg or Berlin </em><em><br></em><em><br></em>At Freenow, we empower smarter mobility decisions, helping people move freely and cities to thrive.</p> <p>We’re now hiring a <strong>Principal Legal Employment Counsel</strong> to lead our employment law strategy across Europe. In this high-impact role, you’ll shape the employee experience, drive compliance, and influence the culture of a fast-paced, tech-driven organization.</p> <p><br>YOUR DAILY ADVENTURES WILL INCLUDE:</p> <ul> <li>Lead employment law matters across European jurisdictions, including complex terminations, settlements, and litigation.</li> <li>Advise senior leadership and cross-functional teams on employment law risks, policies, and strategic decisions.</li> <li>Oversee external counsel relationships to ensure high-quality, business-aligned legal advice.</li> <li>Monitor and interpret regulatory developments (e.g., EU Platform Workers Directive) and proactively adapt internal policies.</li> </ul> <ul> <li>Advise on misclassification&nbsp; of independent contractors/freelancers.</li> <li>Manage external law firms to ensure accurate and commercially sensible legal advice.&nbsp;</li> <li>Communicate with authorities, courts, and other external parties, and resolve employment-related legal issues.</li> <li>Management of all communication relevant to legal matters to ensure complete and up-to-date documentation in accordance with applicable law.</li> <li>Shape legal operations and drive innovation through legal tech adoption.<br><br></li> </ul> <p>TO BE SUCCESSFUL IN THIS ROLE:</p> <ul> <li>Qualified lawyer with 7+ years of employment law experience, ideally across international environments.</li> <li>Fluent in English.&nbsp;</li> <li>Proven track record of delivering pragmatic legal advice in fast-paced, international environments.</li> <li>Strong communicator with the ability to influence senior stakeholders and translate legal complexity into actionable guidance.</li> <li>Experience leading negotiations with employee representatives and managing cross-border projects.</li> <li>Highly diligent, proactive, and self-motivated, with the ability to manage day-to-day legal functions independently.</li> </ul> <hr> <h2><strong>BENEFITS &amp; PERKS IN A NUTSHELL:</strong></h2> <table style="width: 31.8912%;"> <tbody> <tr style="text-align: left;"> <td style="width: 53.5922%;"> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Hybrid working models</span></li> </ul> </td> <td style="width: 46.4078%;"> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;"> <p class="p1">LinkedIn Learning</p> </li> </ul> </td> </tr> <tr style="text-align: left;"> <td style="width: 53.5922%;"> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Sabbatical &amp; special leave policies</span></li> </ul> </td> <td style="width: 46.4078%;"> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;"> <p class="p1">WeRoad partnership</p> </li> </ul> </td> </tr> <tr style="text-align: left;"> <td style="width: 53.5922%;"> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;">Birthday, 24th + 31st December off</li> </ul> </td> <td style="width: 46.4078%;"> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;"> <p class="p1">Short term EU work policy</p> </li> </ul> </td> </tr> <tr style="text-align: left;"> <td style="width: 53.5922%;"> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Mobility budget for FREE NOW App</span></li> </ul> </td> <td style="width: 46.4078%;"> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;">Health Insurance&nbsp;</li> </ul> </td> </tr> <tr> <td style="text-align: left; width: 53.5922%;"> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Employee assistance program</span></li> </ul> </td> <td style="width: 46.4078%;"> <p>&nbsp;</p> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <table> <tbody> <tr> <td> <p><strong>Plus more local benefits depending on your work location!</strong></p> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <p>&nbsp;</p> <hr> <h2><strong>DIVERSITY, EQUITY &amp; INCLUSION:</strong></h2> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Freenow is an equal opportunity employer and we consider qualified applicants regardless of race, religion, national origin, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability or age. <br></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">We want you to grow and evolve, </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">bring your true self to work</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">.&nbsp;<br><br></span></p> <hr> <h2><strong>ABOUT US:</strong></h2> <p>Freenow by Lyft empowers smarter mobility decisions, helping people to move freely and cities to thrive. Through our multi-mobility app, we feature broad options for everyone across 9 European markets and over 180 cities. Millions of passengers can access services including taxis, private hire vehicles, carsharing, car rental, e-scooters, e-bikes, e-mopeds, and public transport within a single app.&nbsp;</p> <p>In July 2025 Freenow was acquired by Lyft, a global mobility platform, which connects riders and drivers for billions of rides across North America and Europe. Together, Freenow and Lyft are creating a more caring and connected world, with transportation for everyone. We are a global, diverse, highly motivated, and collaborative team that strives for excellence and likes to have fun. Ready for your next ride?</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><a href="https://www.glassdoor.de/%C3%9Cberblick/Arbeit-bei-FREE-NOW-EI_IE954578.11,19.htm" target="_blank"><img style="max-width: 100%;" src="https://eu-images.contentstack.com/v3/assets/blt6e28a7086c72dd55/bltadef6ed7354e9cc4/65a10957984e23040a418da6/glassdoor-logotype-rgb_2.png" alt="" width="150"></a>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;<a href="https://www.kununu.com/de/mytaxi-intelligent-apps" target="_blank"><img style="max-width: 100%;" src="https://eu-images.contentstack.com/v3/assets/blt6e28a7086c72dd55/blte53af231aaa0c840/65a109382311a30407ba07ce/kununu_logo_black_2.png" alt="" width="150"></a> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/free-now/life/2b1603ea-741a-49f8-9847-f1214f483a1a/" target="_blank"><img style="max-width: 100%;" src="https://brand.linkedin.com/content/dam/me/business/en-us/amp/brand-site/v2/bg/LI-Logo.svg.original.svg" alt="" width="143"></a></p>