Associate Legal Counsel

**Role Type**: Full time permanent role
**Salary**: Competitive salary + superannuation + salary packaging benefits
**The opportunity**:
Are you an experienced legal professional looking to make a meaningful impact in the healthcare and research sectors? Join the MCRI/VCGS Legal Office and play an integral role in supporting cutting-edge research and clinical trials. We are seeking a Mid-Level Associate to be part of a dynamic and collaborative team that handles a wide variety of legal and regulatory matters across one of the leading children’s research institutes in the world.
**About the Role**:
As a Mid-Level Associate, you will be responsible for providing legal advice on a wide array of matters, including:
Reviewing and negotiating various legal agreements (confidentiality agreements, material and data transfer agreements, research collaboration agreements, clinical trial agreements, licensing agreements and more).
Offering advice on legal risks as they relate to broader organizational strategy.
Managing diverse legal matters such as research ethics, biobanking, lab services agreements and clinical trials.
Collaborating closely with the Legal team, Innovation team, IP Manager, Research Support & Operations (RSO) and MCRI/VCGS leadership.
About your new team
Our mission is to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of our researchers by focusing our efforts in three important areas: providing more time for research; improving research resources and services; and delivering an excellent research environment. More research time and better resources allows our researchers to be best placed to continue to make discoveries to improve the health and wellbeing of children.
**Your responsibilities include**:
Provide practical, timely legal advice to researchers, clinicians, and staff across the organisation.
Assist in drafting and reviewing a wide range of agreements to support research and clinical operations.
Contribute to the management of internal policies, such as intellectual property, modern slavery and complaints handling policies.
Support training and continuing education on legal topics for staff, in partnership with RCH/MCRI Research Ethics Governance (REG) and the Melbourne Children’s Trials Centre (MCTC).
**What we need from you**:
A qualified lawyer with experience in contract law, commercial risk and regulatory compliance.
Strong communication and negotiation skills with the ability to manage complex legal matters independently.
A collaborative mindset and the ability to work effectively with a range of stakeholders across an organisation.
Experience in the healthcare or research sectors an advantage.
Ability to manage a number of competing priorities, stakeholders’ expectations and provide timely responses.
Highly developed planning and organisational skills with experience in managing and prioritising a significant file load.
Ability to work independently and collaboratively within a small team.
What’s in it for you?
**Maximise Your Pay**: Benefit from salary packaging, including entertainment and novated leases
**Flexible Working Options**: Enjoy a variety of flexible work arrangements.
**Career Growth**: Opportunity to engage in diverse legal matters with significant exposure to cutting-edge research and clinical trials. Access to professional development and continuing legal education to advance your expertise.
**Collaborative Environment**: Work alongside highly motivated professionals within a supportive and interdisciplinary team that values your contribution.
**Impactful Work**: Your work will directly contribute to improving child health and wellbeing. Help shape the governance of research that has real-world impact on the lives of children and families.
**Work-Life Balance**: Enjoy a flexible work environment and a healthy work-life balance, with support for personal and professional needs.
**Dynamic Culture**: Join an organisation that values approachability and transparency, where you’ll be encouraged to ask questions, seek advice, and make a real difference in the lives of researchers, clinicians, and patients.
**Employee Wellbeing**: Benefit from our health and wellbeing program, including free access to the Employee Assistance Program
**Generous Parental Leave**: Access a comprehensive paid parental leave program for both birth and non-birthing parents, with support throughout the parenting lifecycle
Who we are
Murdoch Children’s Research Institute envisions a transformative future for child health. Our institute is a hub of impactful scientific breakthroughs, particularly in early interventions, enhanced diagnosis, prevention, and potential cures. We thrive on collaborative, multidisciplinary problem-solving to address challenging queries in child health. Committed to inclusivity and respect, we foster a positive working environment that values diverse backgrounds and experiences. As a proud member of the Australian Network on Disability and a dedicated supporter of