Uber Australia hiring lawyers, PR flaks

Uber Australia has two interlinked problems: because its operations appear to be against current regulations, and it behaves with impunity, a fair share of the public thinks it is a corporate scoundrel.

What a surprise then, that on the HR wishlist for the company's Sydney office are the following roles:

• Lead country counsel, ANZ
• Communications Associate, ANZ
• Public Policy internship, ANZ

The lawyer looks to be the company's second in Australia and will need to “Understand, interpret and apply current regulations as applicable to Uber” and “Ensure legal risk is managed in accordance with Uber’s appetite and regulatory framework.”

The internship offers this slab of text:

“Urban transportation has looked the same for a long time - a really long time - thanks in large part to regulatory regimes that don't encourage innovation. We think it's time for change. Uber’s Public Policy Team is helping facilitate that change around the world …”

Whoever gets the gig will need to be on their toes because “The Public Policy Team moves fast. The company depends on us to deliver quickly, in multiple jurisdictions and we need somebody not to keep the trains running on time, but to help speed them up.”

The Communications and Legal gigs both get a “monthly gym reimbursement” and the two job descriptions say “Employees are showered with Uber credits each month”.

At a guess, these jobs are being advertised to give Uber the muscle it needs start legitimising UberX's operations in Australia, while also putting a friendlier face on the company after mis-steps like allowing surge pricing during Sydney's late 2014 siege.

Uber's argument, to date, is that it gives consumers a choice in regulated industries that protect lazy incumbents. Those incumbents have been playing the regulatory game for years.

Let battle be joined. ®