Legal Officer

Legal Officer (APS3 - APS6) - $71,444 - $103,145 per annum plus superannuation
- Legal Division
- Canberra, ACT
- _Interesting and varied legal work_
- _An opportunity to work in a fast-paced, exciting legal environment_
- _Opportunity to work on high profile complex legal projects_

**Who we are**
The Legal Division is responsible for the provision of all legal services and advice required by the department to deliver its functions and develop portfolio legislation. This includes the provision of strategic legal advice to the Secretary, the Executive and the business areas of the department. The Legal Division is a large and diverse practice comprising three legal branches and is managed by the Chief Counsel. The division’s responsibilities include coordination of all external legal services and the provision of internal legal advice including;
- employment law;
- information law including privacy advice and managing freedom of information requests;
- litigation and claims resolution;
- contracts and grants management;
- commercial and corporate law;
- statutory interpretation and administrative law;
- regulatory law;
- compliance and criminal law;
- civil penalty litigation;
- development of legislation;
- debt recovery; and
- investigations and enforcement.

The legal branches operate in a fast paced, exciting environment dealing with numerous complex pieces of legislation. We focus on ensuring our staff are supported and developed so that they are in the best position to take on the challenges of the work.

**The Job**
We have a number of ongoing and non-ongoing opportunities for Legal Officers. You will play a critical role within a qualified team of legal professionals working collaboratively with your peers on interesting and high-profile projects and will report to a Senior Legal Officer. You will need to prepare written advice and documents that will be used for legal purposes, including on complex matters, so your ability to communicate effectively both verbally and in writing is essential. You should be able to be flexible in how you deliver advice and engage with clients. You are in a position of trust within the department and will work under guidance from your supervisor and manager to achieve your objectives. We are committed to developing and building quality lawyers with recognised and respected experience and qualifications. You should be willing to grow within the role and where you have the drive and ability to succeed, and we will help pave your way. Please note that this recruitment process will be used to fill both ongoing and non-ongoing positions across the legal branches. The merit pool may also be used to fill future ongoing and non-ongoing vacancies in the Division where the duties are of a similar nature.

**Skills and capabilities**
The ability to distil and research key legal issues and provide strategic legal advice is essential. Excellent communication skills are critical, including the ability to persuade and influence. The ability to develop and maintain effective working relationships with team members and internal clients is also critical. You should be able to demonstrate sound judgement and an ability to deal with sensitive matters that will often impact the agricultural industry and/or the broader Public Service as a whole. Effective time management is also required as timeframes are tight, especially when dealing with issues direct from the Minister’s Office or before scrutiny bodies, so matters must be actioned in a timely and effective manner.

**Knowledge and experience**
Ideally you will have at least 1 to 3 years of relevant post-admission experience. While this is desirable, if you have not had this level of experience but believe you would be competitive, we invite you to apply.

**Eligibility and other requirements**

**Citizenship** - To be eligible for employment with the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry you must be an Australian citizen.

**Security Clearance** - This position requires a Baseline Vetting security clearance. You will be required to obtain and maintain a clearance at this level.

**Pre-employment Check** - Your suitability for employment will be assessed through a pre-employment screening process. This process includes a requirement to undergo and satisfy a National Police Check, referee checks, character clearance and where required a pre-employment medical assessment, specified mandatory qualification(s) validation and a probation period of 6 months.

**Mandatory Qualifications**
To be eligible for these positions you are required to hold a degree in law and be eligible to hold an ACT legal practising certificate.