Legal Practice Director

Legal Practice Director

Refugee and Immigration Legal Service

Job description
About RAILS

The Refugee and Immigration Legal Service (RAILS) is a community legal centre based in South Brisbane. For 45 years, RAILS has provided free legal assistance and education in immigration and refugee law to people in Queensland. RAILS assists some of the most vulnerable people in our community, predominantly refugees, asylum seekers and people who have experienced family violence. RAILS strives to empower them and help them find and remain in safety. RAILS is a member of Community Legal Centres Australia and is registered as a Charity with the Australian Charities and Not-for-Profit Commission.

RAILS genuinely values our staff and our workplace is ethical, supportive, positive and inclusive.

About the role

Reporting to the Executive Director and Principal Solicitor, the Legal Practice Director is a member of the RAILS' Leadership Team, which provides principled leadership across the organisation's legal practice areas, ensuring that services are delivered ethically, strategically and in alignment with RAILS' mission and values.

The Legal Practice Director oversees a team of up to 16 employees and directly supervises some of them. They are responsible for legal risk management, contributing to strategic and operational planning and ensuring that legal services are responsive to community needs and funding requirements.

The role requires a thoughtful, ethical and adaptable leader who can support and supervise staff through complex and emotionally challenging work, while fostering a culture of accountability, care and collaboration.

This is a pivotal leadership position that directly contributes to improving the lives of some of the most vulnerable members of our community.

• Salary: Level 8 Social, Community, Home Care and Disability Services Award. Salary sacrifice is available as RAILS has PBI status
• Contract Term: ongoing
• Days and hours: full time (4 or 5 days/week)
• Generous leave entitlements (paid parental leave, cultural and special leave provisions; portable long service leave)
• Location: South Brisbane. While RAILS supports flexible working arrangements, this role requires regular in-person presence at our South Brisbane office

About you

You are a dedicated, flexible and positive professional and enjoy working in the community legal sector and with migrants, refugees and asylum seekers.

Essential requirements for the role:

• Current Queensland unrestricted practising certificate
• 8+ years post qualification experience in immigration and refugee law
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Highly developed knowledge and understanding of the community legal assistance sector and of the wider community and the socio-political environment in which RAILS operates.

Further details about the role - including the full selection criteria - are in the position description.

For more information

We welcome queries about the role. Please email any queries to RAILS' Executive Director and Principal Solicitor, Angus Francis ) using the subject line: Legal Practice Director enquiry via EthicalJobs.

Further details about the role are in the position description linked below.

Diversity and Inclusion

RAILS is committed to being a culturally safe and inclusive organisation and has policies in place to create and maintain appropriate work practices and a respectful work environment. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and otherwise culturally and linguistically diverse people are encouraged to apply for this role.

Please let us know if you would like us to share our Cultural Safety for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People Policy with you before applying for this role by emailing  .

If you are Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander or otherwise culturally and linguistically diverse and would like to speak to us about the role requirements and your application before applying, please email 

This recruitment process is strictly confidential and information about your application will not be shared with anyone outside of the organisation.

Please submit:

• a one page cover letter,
• CV (4 pages max) and,
• a document addressing the Selection Criteria set out in the Position Description (5 pages max)