Principal Legal Officer

Together we shape thriving communities, public spaces, places and economies.

• Collaborative team driving positive outcomes across the state
• 2x Ongoing full-time opportunity
• Office location – Parramatta, Newcastle or other NSW office by negotiation
• Salary relative to experience and ranges from $146,822 to $170,981 super

What's in it for me?

Join our team for a fantastic culture with dynamic collaboration and genuine long-term career support. We offer flexibility in work arrangements, diverse and fulfilling assignments, and prioritize work/life balance and wellbeing with initiatives like flex leave and access to support programs. Additionally, we are committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace where everyone feels welcome, respected, and empowered to succeed.

As the Principal Legal Officer, you will be responsible for providing high quality, strategic legal advice, and assistance to various agencies in the department in relation to native title. Utilising your strong stakeholder engagement skills, you will lead negotiations with native title groups (as appropriate) as well as have responsibility of the day-to-day management of a number of native title claims. You will support the Director, Native Title Claims and Advice, in the management of native title advice work, native title proceedings and negotiation of Indigenous Land Use Agreements.

As the lead agency for native title in NSW, the Native Title Claims and Advice team is responsible for briefing the NSW Attorney General, as the State Minister under the Native Title Act, providing instructions on behalf of the Attorney General to the Crown Solicitor's Office and driving the strategic direction for native title claims in NSW as well as representing the NSW Government in negotiations with native title claimants. You will prepare legal advice to the Department on a wide range of native title legal issues.

This is a small, passionate, and high performing team that works together to drive positive outcomes across the State and seeks to embed Aboriginal cultural awareness and knowledge throughout the department.

For more information read the full Role Description: Principal Legal Officer

What you will bring to the role

• To be successful in this role, you will be confident in building trusted partnerships with a range of stakeholders with your highly developed interpersonal, communication, negotiation, and influencing capabilities. Your strong intellectual and analytical skills, as well as proactive approach to develop innovative and strategic solutions, ensure you will effectively support the objectives of the unit.
• Prior experience in providing high level legal advice in a statutory context, including in native title law.
• You will be a practised mentor of junior and senior legal officers, and be a capable leader in a legal context.
• Your experience in advising and/or representing clients in the native title context and a passion to drive positive outcomes will ensure your success in this role. We're here to support you every step of the way.

What is an essential requirement:

• Admitted or qualified for admission as a Solicitor or Barrister in the Supreme Court of NSW and hold, or be eligible to hold, a NSW Practicing Certificate.

Experience in one or more of the following areas:

• Native title;
• Aboriginal land rights;
• Administrative law or experience in the policy making and legislative process and good knowledge of statutory interpretation.

About us

The Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure (DPHI) improves the liveability and prosperity of NSW. To achieve this, we: create vibrant, productive spaces and precincts; manage lands, assets and property effectively and deliver affordable and diverse housing. We strive to be a high-performing, world-class public service organisation that celebrates and reflects the full diversity of the community we serve and builds the cultural capability of our department to improve outcomes with and for Aboriginal people, communities and entities.

We are an inclusive and accessible workplace, where your individual contributions are valued, and where everyone is encouraged to feel a sense of connection and belonging. DPHI supports various employee affinity groups, practices flexible working, offers job share and workplace adjustments.

Join us

If excited by the information above, we look forward to receiving your application, including a copy of your resume and cover letter expressing your interest and suitability for the role.

Applications close Sunday, 15 June 2025 at 11:59PM

Should you require further information about the role please contact Renee Wallace via [email protected].

A recruitment pool may be created for ongoing and temporary opportunities of the same role or role type that may become available over the next 18 months.

Please note to be eligible to apply for this position you must be an Australian or New Zealand citizen or permanent resident, or hold a valid Australian working Visa for the duration of the appointment.

If we can make adjustments to our recruitment/interview process to better enable you to shine, contact the Diversity and Inclusion Team on [email protected] If you are an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander check out our Aboriginal guide to applying for a role.