Commercial Lawyer

Acknowledgement of Country

CSIRO acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the land, sea and waters, of the area that we live and work on across Australia. We acknowledge their continuing connection to their culture and pay our respects to their Elders past and present. View our vision towards reconciliation.

Role highlights

• Provide expert legal advice on commercial transactions across CSIRO's research portfolio
• Flexible work arrangements available + 15.4% superannuation
• Join a collaborative team of commercial lawyers at a purpose-led organisation

About CSIRO

As Australia's national science agency, CSIRO is solving the greatest challenges through innovative science and technology. Many of our iconic innovations were once considered impossible until someone, just like you, joined us and took on the challenge.

Visit for more information.

The opportunity

We are seeking a Commercial Lawyer – IP, R&D, Technology Commercialisation to join the Commercial Legal function within CSIRO. Commercial Legal is divided into three teams, each led by a Team Leader and each supporting several different CSIRO Research or Enterprise Units.

In this role, you'll be part of a team of commercial lawyers providing high-quality legal support to CSIRO delegates across a range of commercial transactions and disputes. You will be responsible for delivering strategic legal, compliance and risk advice for the Research Units you support.

If you are an experienced legal professional with strong expertise in technology & intellectual property, contract & commercial law or governance & risk, we would love to hear from you.

Your high-level duties will include:

• Providing legal advice and negotiation support across a wide variety of commercial transactions, including IP licensing, assignment, or other IP-related transactions; spin-out, start up and equity transactions; research collaborations and joint venture transactions; and commercial dispute resolution.
• Collaborating with Research Units to resolve commercial disputes and ensure compliance with regulatory requirements.
• Supporting the development and implementation of policies, systems, and procedures to streamline business operations and help achieve CSIRO's strategic goals.
• Working closely with CSIRO's Enterprise Legal team, contributing to an integrated approach to legal matters across the organisation.

Role particulars

Location: Any AU CSIRO location

Salary: AU$131k – AU$153k per annum (pro-rata for part-time) plus 15.4% superannuation

Tenure & work schedule: Indefinite, Full-time or Part-time

Options for part-time and flexible work arrangements can be discussed based on needs of role and individual circumstances.

Reference: 101112

As the successful candidate, you will bring:

Essential criteria

• Relevant tertiary qualifications in law; admission as a legal practitioner of the High Court or a Supreme Court of a State or Territory; and a current Australian jurisdiction practising certificate (or evidence of entitlement to hold one).
• Demonstrated experience working with minimal supervision in a government or commercial legal practice or as part of an in-house legal team.
• Demonstrated expertise in one or more of the following core areas of practice: technology & IP; contract & commercial law; governance & risk.
• Demonstrated commitment to ethical behaviour and integrity for self, colleagues, stakeholders and customers.
• Demonstrated experience providing strategic advice and support to senior executives, distilling complex legal issues to provide practical options and help resolve issues.
• Demonstrated experience working autonomously and taking initiative to resolve complex problems in an ambiguous environment.
• Demonstrated experience habitually building and maintaining strong, collaborative professional relationships, influencing multiple stakeholders and managing conflict to achieve successful outcomes.

For full details about this role, and other criteria, please review the Position Description.

Not sure if you meet all the criteria?

While it is CSIRO policy that the successful candidate must meet all the essential criteria, there are many ways to demonstrate this. Don't let the list discourage you. If you are unsure about applying, please reach out to the contact person in the Position Description.

Setting you up for success

We are committed to providing a recruitment process that is fair, equitable and accessible to everyone. We recognise that it may be helpful for us to adjust our process to make it equitable for your individual situation. Please contact Sheridan Gerrard via email at to let us know how we can support you.

Life at CSIRO and flexible work arrangements

We work flexibly at CSIRO, offering a range of options for how, when and where you work. We can discuss flexible work arrangements with you during the recruitment process. CSIRO also offers a range of leave entitlements, benefits and career development opportunities. To find out more, visit Careers at CSIRO.

Inclusion and belonging

Solving Australia's greatest challenges takes a diversity of minds and lived experiences. We know diverse teams are more effective and deliver more innovative outcomes. As an equal employment opportunity organisation, we are committed to creating diverse and inclusive teams where people feel they belong. We recognise true diversity encompasses all ages, abilities, cultures, faiths, levels of education, genders, sexualities, diversity of thought and much more. We focus on hiring people who share our values of People First, Further Together, Making it Real and Trusted.

CSIRO holds Gold Status for the Australian Workplace Equality Index for LGBTQIA+ inclusion, and a Science in Australia Gender Equity Bronze Award.

Eligibility

Applications for this position are open to Australian Citizens, New Zealand Citizens and Australian Permanent Residents. Appointment to this role is subject to provision of a national police check and may be subject to other security/medical/character requirements.

Child safety

CSIRO is committed to the safety and wellbeing of all children and young people involved in our activities and programs. View our Child Safe Policy.

How to apply

Please apply online and submit a cover letter (maximum 2 pages) and CV that demonstrate your motivation and ability to meet the essential requirements of this role.

Applications close

26th October 2025, 11:00pm AEDT