Senior Legal Officer

The Senior Legal Officer is instrumental in delivering a legislative and governance framework that reflects government and community expectations.

The Senior Legal Officer is responsible for drafting of legal documents and provision of legal advice relating to Crown land transactions and preparing and advising on legislative and regulatory frameworks which are contemporary and fit for purpose. This role achieves these deliverables through the provision of highly responsive, customer focused Lands Legal team to the Department and, in particular, the Land Use Management Division.

This is a fixed term 12 month, full-time or part time position with possibility of extension and/or permanency. This process may be used to fill future similar permanent or fixed-term positions that may arise within the Department and across the WA public sector in the next 12 months from the initial date of appointment.

The Perth office is located in Perth CBD in a convenient location, above the Perth Underground rail; close to the Wellington Street Bus Station and City CAT services.

To be successful for this position, you need to demonstrate:

• Degree in Law and Admitted to practice for at least five (5) years in the Supreme Court of Western Australia, or Legal Practitioner from outside the State whose qualifications for admission in Western Australia have been approved by the Legal Practice Board.
• Substantial knowledge and experience in some or all of the following areas of law: commercial law, property law, native title law and practice, administrative law. Knowledge of Crown land law and practice would be desirable but not essential.
• Ability to undertake comprehensive research and prepare accurate and practical legal advice in short timeframes.
• Demonstrate the behaviours within the leadership context of Leading Others as outlined below

Core leadership behaviours outlined in Leadership Expectations are applicable to this role and should be demonstrated in the context of Leading Others. Leading Others context is about motivating and enabling others to deliver high quality work that contributes to the agency. The expected behaviours may be assessed during the recruitment and selection process.

About us

For more information on what we do, our recruitment process, and why working at the Department of Planning, Lands and Heritage is an attractive proposition, please visit the Department page on the DPLH website.

We have a comprehensive Applicant Information Pack to provide information about us, the values of the department and practical guidance on the process for you.

Benefits of Working at DPLH

DPLH offers a broad range of benefits including but not limited to:

• Access to flexible working arrangements including working from home or alternate work locations for enhanced work life balance.
• 12% superannuation, full employer contribution and salary packaging options
• Comprehensive learning and professional development opportunities.
• 4 weeks annual leave with 17.5% loading paid as additional pay every December
• 3 days additional public sector holidays each year
• Cultural leave for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander staff
• Leave for study, bereavement, foster caring and parenting
• Free access to a confidential employee assistance program (EAP) for you and your family, which includes psychology and counselling services.

How to apply:
All applications are submitted online. Select 'Apply for Job', located at either top or bottom of the screen, and follow the instructions; you will need to provide a:

• Applicants must submit copies of their relevant degree in order to be considered for this role.
• Comprehensive CV that clearly shows your skills, experience, and key achievements, including the details of two referees.
• A one page letter advising why you think you are the right person for the role.

Please beware if you hold an overseas qualification you will need to provide supporting documentation of proof of assessment for equivalency. Please feel free to have your degree assessed by
DTWD's Overseas Qualification Unit
(OQU) or alternatively contact our HR Services team on or email

Further Information:

If you would like to know more, please give a call on
or email
to discuss the role in further detail. Please do not send your application to Alison Gibson, Director of Lands Legal or seek assistance with lodging your application.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander applicants – For a confidential discussion about the recruitment process, please reach out to Barb Culbong from our Aboriginal Employment and Engagement team. You can contact Barb at , or email us at

The Department is an equal opportunity employer and as a measure to achieve equality under sections 51, 66R and 66ZP of the Equal Opportunity Act 1984, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, young people (24 years of age and under) and people with disability who meet the requirements of the position, may be prioritised for appointment.

Accessibility:
If you have any communication or access needs that require adjustment to allow you to participate in this recruitment process, please contact our HR Services team on or email

We can also be contacted via the National Relay Service on the below numbers:

TTY/voice calls –

Speak and Listen – or SMS relay –

Special Requirements for this position:

The Department will conduct a Nationally Coordinated Criminal History Check for applicants successful to this recruitment process.

To be eligible for a permanent appointment to the Western Australian public sector it is essential that you are an Australian citizen or have permanent residency status in Australia. To be eligible for a fixed term appointment you must have documentary evidence of your entitlement to live and work in Australia for the period of the contract.

Please ensure you have saved your documents in MS Word (.docx files only) or PDF format and have allowed plenty of time to submit your application, as
late, emailed and proforma applications will not be accepted.

If you experience technical issues when submitting your application, contact , or please call for any other queries.

Closing Date – Thursday 9 October 2025@ 4:00pm

If you are interested in this opportunity, please click the link to Jobs WA to apply.