Practice Group Head Commercial Bank, Transactional

Permanent, Full Time
- Sydney Location
- Flexible work arrangements

**How will I help?**

The Practice Group Head (PGH) will primarily support transactions and transactional support originating in the Business Lending Line of Business for products distributed through Commercial Banking. This team support Business Lending products sold through all brands including Westpac, St George, Bank SA, Bank of Melbourne in Australia. This role will work extremely closely with the PGH Business Lending, Pacific and Private Wealth as well as, where appropriate, other L&S colleagues and businesses in the Bank. Legal is proud of its role in maintaining Business Lending and Wealth’s position as the premier banking business in Australia.

**Responsibilities**:

- Leadership of Practice Leader and direct reports.
- Member of the CBWT & COO Legal Leadership team, including participating in decisions relating to CBWT & COO
- Decision making for key Commercial Banking, Transactional Support and LEAD Legal issues involving the Corporations Act, ASIC Act, Unfair Contract Terms legislation, the PPSA, Privacy Act, Banking Code of Practice, ASIC Market integrity rules and reg guides, and familiarity with the general regulatory framework relevant to ADIs, including AFSLs, ACLs.
- Attending and influencing at senior stakeholder meetings, working groups and Steering Committees.
- Building relationships with the Managing Director Commercial Banking and their direct reports.
- Oversee and act as 2-up decision maker for matters arising in Commercial Banking, Transactional Support and LEAD Legal’s day to day practice.
- Supporting and developing key processes for the delivery and completion of all non-standard transactions.
- Drive legal and/or business outcomes through strong leadership of the team, including recruiting and retaining the best people, embedding a high-performance culture by pro-actively managing team members’ performance, providing coaching and focusing on developing team members capabilities. Drive a continuous improvement culture and encourage and foster an environment of innovation, thought
- leadership and creative thinking.
- Build and maintain senior stakeholder relationships with business leaders and L&S colleagues to ensure appropriate level of governance, oversight and accountability.

**What’s in it for me?**

You’ll play a significant part of the future of a business that has been around for 200 years. Our purpose is to create better futures together. So, we’ll back you in the development of your career, internal career prospects, and flexible working. You’ll also keep learning to grow your career, backed by a fantastic team of people with a can-do, supportive structure.

Whatever shape your family takes, we offer generous paid and unpaid parental leave for your nominated primary and support carers. This includes leave to organise adoptions, surrogacy, and foster care arrangements. And we continue to pay your super contributions while you take all the time you need to get your new family settled.

**What do I need?**
- Admitted as a solicitor with a valid practicing certificate in Australia. Minimum 12 years PQE.
- Substantial private practice or in-house legal experience covering one or more of the areas of focus for the Commercial Banking, and Business Lending business (eg the Corporations Act, ASIC Act, Unfair Contract Terms legislation, the PPSA, Privacy Act, Banking Code of Practice, ASIC Market integrity rules and reg guides, and familiarity with the general regulatory framework relevant to ADIs, (including AFSLs, ACLs), financial products)
- Ideally some specific Agri Banking or Commercial property experience.
- Subject matter expert, with depth of knowledge and understanding of the legal issues impacting micro-SME, SME and Commercial Lending, including in particular credit contracts.
- Demonstrate the capabilities as outlined in the L&S Capability Framework.
- Broad expertise developed over a sustained period in relevant institutional legal practice (transactional, product development and regulatory change).

**What’s it like to work there?**

We are a collaborative team of passionate people with a shared ambition to make a difference for our customers, our communities and each other. At Westpac, making a difference means creating impact, unlocking our own and each other’s passions, and transformative success stories to create better futures together.

As well as competitive remuneration and a great culture, joining the Westpac family gives you access to a wide range of employee benefits to help you manage your priorities - whether that means family life, work/life balance, ambition to grow or all the little perks in between.

We’ll empower you to shape your career path. Through personalised upskilling, mentoring, and training opportunities, you’re in control of where you start and how you’ll grow.

As an equal opportunity employer, we are proud to have created a culture and work