Senior Government Lawyer

• Senior Government Lawyer - EL1
• Canberra, ACT; Sydney, NSW; Melbourne, VIC; Brisbane, QLD; Adelaide, SA; Perth, WA; Darwin, NT; Hobart, TAS.
• $125,220 - $153,394

About The Department Of Employment And Workplace Relations
We are committed to empowering futures, ensuring rights and enriching lives. We support people to have safe, secure and well-paid work with the skills for a sustainable future as we ourselves strive to be a model employer.

We provide the framework for fair and productive relationships between employers and employees. We also oversee skills development and training initiatives to support those entering the workforce or re-training to take advantage of emerging employment opportunities.

With us, your work directly contributes to shaping the employment landscape. Whether you are engaging in policy development, program implementation, or direct support services, your efforts will have a tangible impact on job seekers, employees and the economy by giving them a framework to build a future anchored and realised through employment.

It is our ambition to do things differently, to create the 'department of great jobs'– where our people reflect our purpose.

The Role
The department is seeking a Senior Government Lawyer with experience in general advising, strong technical legal skills, and excellent interpersonal abilities. In this role, you will provide high-quality legal advice and support to clients across the department, particularly in the development, implementation, and administration of government policies and programs relating to Skills.

Duties And Responsibilities
As a Senior Government Lawyer, you will:

• Provide statutory interpretation advice on legislation (including the National Vocational Education and Training Regulator Act 2011, VET Student Loans Act 2016, Student Identifiers Act 2014, Australian Apprenticeship Support Loans Act 2014 and Jobs and Skills Australia Act 2022).
• Advise on legal risks associated with program design.
• Provide advice on administrative decision-making.
• Draft legislative and non-legislative instruments.
• Advise on and manage debt recovery and litigation matters.
• Assist with legislative development, including instructing the Office of Parliamentary Counsel.
• Support clients in preparing briefs to the Executive and Ministers.
• Comply with obligations under relevant Commonwealth legislation and policies (e.g. the Public Service Act 1999 and the Legal Services Directions 2017).

Qualifications and Education

• A degree in laws from an Australian tertiary institution, or a comparable overseas qualification, which is appropriate to the duties of the position; and
• Admission as a legal practitioner, however described, of the High Court or the Supreme Court of an Australian State or Territory.

How to Apply
Applicants are required to provide a summary (no more than
500
words) that outlines skills, knowledge, and experience and why you should be considered for this vacancy. You should take into consideration the position overview (including any detailed position specific requirements) when drafting your response. Where possible include specific relevant examples of your work.

The

In the eRecruit (the department's online recruitment system) you will also need to:

• upload a Curriculum Vitae
• provide contact details for 2 Referees.

Eligibility
Don't meet all the role requirements?
At DEWR we are dedicated to building a diverse and inclusive workforce and seek to recruit staff with a wide range of backgrounds, skill levels, disciplines and working styles. If this role resonates with you and you are excited about making an impact, but your past experience doesn't align perfectly, we encourage you to apply anyway.

Citizenship
- to be eligible for employment with the Department, you must be an Australian Citizen or, in limited circumstances, in the process of obtaining it.

Security Clearance
- our successful candidate is required to hold, or have the ability to obtain, and maintain a
Baseline
security clearance.

Please refer to the Job Information Pack for more information about the role.