Deputy Principal Legal Officer

Deputy Principal Legal Officer (with Relocation Support to Katherine, NT)

Join to apply for the Deputy Principal Legal Officer (with Relocation Support to Katherine, NT) role at Katherine Women's Information & Legal Service

Deputy Principal Legal Officer (with Relocation Support to Katherine, NT)

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Join to apply for the Deputy Principal Legal Officer (with Relocation Support to Katherine, NT) role at Katherine Women's Information & Legal Service

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Katherine Women's Information & Legal Service provided pay range

This range is provided by Katherine Women's Information & Legal Service. Your actual pay will be based on your skills and experience — talk with your recruiter to learn more.

Base pay range

A$120,000.00/yr - A$130,000.00/yr

• Join a specialist women's legal service in a senior leadership role, with opportunities to build your skills and career in trauma-informed, culturally safe practice across the Big Rivers Region
• Earn a competitive salary of up to $124, % superannuation, with annual bonus, and NFP salary packaging options to significantly increase your take-home pay
• Relocation assistance available to help make Katherine your new home + remote area expense and travel reimbursement (on top of salary packaging)
• Build your legal career while making real change in the heart of the Northern Territory

About Katherine Women's Information & Legal Service (KWILS)

Katherine Women's Information & Legal Service (KWILS) is a specialist women's legal service based in Katherine, Northern Territory, on Jawoyn, Wardaman, and Dagoman country. We provide trauma-informed and culturally safe legal support to women and gender-diverse people across the Big Rivers Region. Our legal practice primarily focuses on domestic, family and sexual violence, child protection, family law and victims of crime compensation.

Alongside legal services, KWILS is committed to systemic advocacy, law reform, and community legal education. We work at all levels – with individuals, within communities, and across systems – to create lasting change. We take a holistic approach that supports clients through wraparound, client-centred service delivery in collaboration with our internal support team and external stakeholders.

KWILS is guided by its 2025–2030 Strategic Plan, a roadmap that anchors our values, strengthens our organisational culture, and deepens our impact. Our team culture prioritises collaboration, equity, wellbeing, and sustainability. We offer conditions that support work-life balance, professional development, and long-term staff retention.

About the Opportunity

KWILS is looking for a full-time Deputy Principal Legal Officer, based in Katherine, NT.

This is a newly created leadership position offering the opportunity to work closely with a senior Principal Legal Officer (PLO) to develop your leadership capabilities and career development plan. The Deputy PLO will support the PLO to manage the day-to-day legal operations, support junior solicitors through supervision and mentoring, and represent KWILS in both legal and community settings.

More specifically, your responsibilities include but are not limited to:

• Delivering high-quality legal advice, casework, and representation in complex and/or litigious matters
• Providing trauma-informed support in areas including DFSV, child protection, and family law
• Supervising and mentoring a legal team of 4 solicitors, including onboarding, performance reviews, and professional development
• Acting as the Principal Legal Officer during periods of absence
• Leading legal outreach services within Katherine and across remote communities
• Designing and delivering community legal education workshops and resources
• Strengthening relationships with legal, government, and community stakeholders
• Contributing to internal strategy, compliance, risk, and funding reporting processes
• Regular travel for outreach activities, including overnight stays where required

About You

To qualify, you must be admitted as a solicitor in Australia and eligible to hold a Northern Territory Practising Certificate. You will also bring a minimum of 4 years post-admission legal experience in a relevant practice area.

Additionally, the following qualifications and experience will be highly regarded:

• Leadership and mentoring experience within a legal practice
• Expertise working within the fields of DFSV, family law or child protection, and familiarity with NT legislation or ability to upskill
• Demonstrated ability to work in trauma-informed, culturally responsive ways
• Experience working with Aboriginal communities and a commitment to cultural safety
• Excellent legal writing, communication, and stakeholder engagement skills
• Valid Working with Children's Check (Ochre Card), National Police Clearance, and Manual Driver's Licence

As our ideal candidate, you are a people-centred, values-based leader who builds strong relationships, fosters trust and creates clarity and steadiness in changing situations. You lead by example, are dedicated to the development of your team, and handle challenges with efficiency, fairness and transparency. This is a rewarding opportunity for someone ready to deepen their leadership skills while making a meaningful impact in women's access to justice across the NT.

Be Rewarded

You will be rewarded with a SCHADS Level 7 salary ($120,000 – $130,000, commensurate with skills and experience), plus:

• 12% superannuation
• 3% annual retention bonus, paid each year through to 2030
• Annual pay point progression within classification based on anniversary milestones
• 6 weeks annual leave, with 17.5% leave loading, giving you plenty of time to explore the Katherine region
• Tiered personal/carer's leave, increasing with years of service (up to 16 days from year five)
• 12 weeks paid parental leave (or 24 weeks at half-pay) after 12 months of service
• Relocation assistance to help make this vibrant regional community your new home, including the option to have a KWILS team member inspect rental properties on your behalf prior to moving
• Service vehicle and travel allowance for work-related travel
• $1,000 annual professional development budget, plus funded access to relevant training and CPD
• NFP salary packaging up to $15,899 tax-free annually
• Meals and entertainment packaging up to $2,650 per year
• Additional remote area benefits, including reimbursement of up to 50% of certain living and travel expenses
• Access to our Employee Assistance Program (EAP), with a choice of two service providers
• Leadership training and coaching, including access to an organisational psychologist and structured resilience sessions
• The ability to step into future leadership roles, including Acting Principal Legal Officer responsibilities as required

You'll also be joining a tight-knit and diverse team that is passionate about social justice and is committed to fostering a flexible, family-friendly working environment. KWILS is proud of its work-life balance culture, with a strong focus on sustainability, manageable workloads, and finishing on time. Staff are empowered to prioritise wellbeing while doing meaningful, community-driven work in one of Australia's most impactful legal landscapes.

Ready to Apply?

Join a values-driven legal service and help shape the future of access to justice in the Big Rivers Region.

We understand that relocating to a regional area is a big decision, and we'd be happy to chat with you about what it's like to live and work in the Big Rivers Region.

Apply now

Seniority level

• Seniority levelNot Applicable

Employment type

• Employment typeFull-time

Job function

• Job functionLegal
• IndustriesLegal Services

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