Legal Counsel

time left to apply End Date: September 12, 2025 (23 days left to apply)

job requisition id JR109043

- Be part of an organisation that helps to shape our communities
- Permanent role with structured career progression within our business
- Hybrid role within a friendly, flexible work environment

About SMEC

SMEC provides unique opportunities to work on iconic industry projects with experienced colleagues and leadership teams. We support and empower employees to drive innovation initiatives within a well-established and growing organisation.
Every employee plays a key role in shaping our business and is driven by teamwork, progressive thinking and creative ideas. We are committed to providing platforms to enable our people to engage in the business, deliver value to clients and develop their careers.

SMEC delivers smart solutions for clients and communities in Infrastructure, Urban Development and Energy & Resources driven by a desire to improve the world in which we live. Our diverse and skilled teams are engaged in major projects across Transport, Water, Energy and renewables sectors.

Role

We have a rare opportunity for an innovative Legal Counsel to join our team in Sydney on a full-time basis . This role would suit someone looking to make the move in-house, will have a national remit and is predominantly responsible for providing legal services and expertise to SMEC's Australia and New Zealand Division to ensure that all operations of the organisation are compliant with relevant legislation.

Another vital part of this role is developing the legal intellectual capital of the business and ensures efficient provision of processes and procedures of legal services, whilst ensuring minimal risk to the business. This role will also provide the opportunity to advise and work on projects or matters for the wider SJ Group with potential to work on global projects or with teams outside of Australia.

Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

- Undertaking extensive contract reviews and negotiations on proposed contracts and tenders with clients and sub- consultants for small, mid and large-scale projects; PPPs, Alliances and D&C projects
- Reviewing and advising on other agreements and related issues (such as subcontracts, teaming agreements, memoranda of understanding, joint ventures, leases, insurance coverage (in conjunction with Group Director - Insurance) and probity arrangements
- Providing legal advice on liability and risk identification, allocation and management (including developing commercial solutions to legal risks)
- Providing independent legal advice on contractual issues and claims or potential claims by or against SMEC to project managers and regional management
- Working in collaboration with the Director - Commercial and Legal Services, Group Director - Insurance and Compliance Director.
- Liaising with Group Director - Insurance on questions of insurance coverage and contractual undertakings relating to insurance, providing an efficient, competent and professional service that is tailored to the business needs and requirements to ensure transparency to management of risk undertaken
- Advising and assisting debt collection activities
- Providing advice on matters arising in the performance and administration of contracts.
- Assisting with delivery of contracts training across the business
- Providing input and assistance when standard documentation and user guides are reviewed and developed
- Promote compliance with group-wide legal and risk policies and procedures within the business
- Identification and reporting of non- compliances across the business
- Participating with Divisional management and SMEC Corporate teams in policy and procedure development (as requested)
- Identifying areas of improvement for the Division's legal and commercial practices and liaise with Business Unit Directors, Market Directors, National Managers and State Sector/Local Sector Managers to develop solutions for clients
- Working to foster positive working relationships with external clients while still acting to protect SMEC's interests
- Identifying internal client needs and seeks to address their reasonable requirements.
- Maintaining regular contact and dialogue with key clients

Suitable applicants will be/have:

- Bachelor's Degree in law
- Post graduate qualification in a relevant area (desirable)
- Current Legal Practicing Certificate
- Member of a State Law Society
- 5+ years PAE legal experience including commercial law, construction law, services contracts, leases and debt collection
- Strong front end and negotiation skills;
- High level of written and verbal skills;
- Pragmatic, practical and solution focused approach;
- Ability to prioritise and manage tasks to meet critical deadlines and work under pressure;
- High level of legal knowledge (contract law);
- Excellent time management skills with the ability to efficiently plan workloads and meet deadlines;
- Solid understanding of relevant Australian Standards and other common industry consultancy contracts;
- Excellent interpersonal and communication skills;
- Skilled in undertaking a co-operative and flexible work style to work in a team environment;

In return, SMEC offers you the benefits that come from working in a global multidisciplinary consultancy in an environment where your fresh ideas and enthusiasm will be welcomed and rewarded.

Link to benefits: http://www.smec.com/en_au/careers/your-career-with-SMEC

How to Apply

All applications must be submitted online. To apply, click on the "Apply Now" link below and follow the prompts.

For a confidential discussion regarding this opportunity, please contact Nicholas.Fischer-White@smec.com

To find out more about SMEC, please visit our careers page at www.smec.com/careers

All recruitment activities go through our Recruitment & Talent function and currently, this role doesn't require agency input. Please do not forward resume directly to SMEC employees/managers; we do not accept unsolicited resumes and are not responsible for any associated fees.

At Surbana Jurong, we put talent, hard work, teamwork and a fun workplace together to approach problems and solve them creatively and collaboratively. Join us in making a positive impact on the world

About Us

SMEC is a global engineering, management and development consultancy delivering innovative solutions for our clients and partners. Leveraging our 70-year history of delivering nation-building infrastructure, we provide technical expertise and advanced engineering services to resolve complex challenges across major infrastructure and energy projects.

SMEC has a long and proud history which dates back to Australia’s iconic Snowy Mountains Hydroelectric Scheme in 1949, one of the largest and most complex hydroelectric schemes in the world. Headquartered in Australia, we have offices across more than 35 countries in Oceania, Southeast Asia, South Asia, Africa and the Americas.Together with our clients and partners, we deliver projects that directly contribute to improving health, quality of life and development outcomes for communities and neighborhoods around the world. Driven by innovation, ingenuity and skill, our people have shaped these outcomes in some of the world’s most remote and challenging environments.

Since 2016, SMEC has been a member of the Surbana Jurong Group, an Asia-based global powerhouse of over 16,000 employees. Through our network of global specialists and by collaborating with local partners, we connect clients with the best teams and capabilities to deliver sustainable solutions.

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