Principal Government Lawyer

• Principal Government Lawyer (Executive Level 2)
• Canberra, ACT; Brisbane, QLD; Sydney, NSW; Melbourne, VIC; Adelaide, SA; Perth, WA
• $167,502 - $181,300

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
Reporting to the Assistant Secretary, Recovery and Litigation Branch, the Principal Government Lawyer leads a multidisciplinary team responsible for managing recovery actions under the Fair Entitlements Guarantee (FEG) Recovery Program, ensuring compliance with legal, financial, and governance frameworks.

Duties And Responsibilities
Working with three other Principal Government Lawyers across the Recovery and Litigation Branch, the Principal Government Lawyer contributes to policy development, stakeholder engagement, and program oversight by:

• Supervising recovery actions to increase returns of FEG payments and superannuation guarantee charges to the Commonwealth.
• Assessing and approving funding applications from liquidators and trustees in bankruptcy.
• Preparing and settling legal documents including funding minutes, settlement memos, advice, correspondence, and briefing materials.
• Signing off on communications and briefs for departmental executives.
• Contributing to policy development and legal reform relevant to the work of the branch.
• Representing the department in diverse settings, including industry presentations and promotional activities.
• Ensuring the team operates within the framework of Commonwealth legal policies and procurement and governance requirements.

Qualifications and Education
Essential

• Legal practicing certificate and admission to practice as a lawyer

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 Baselinesecurity clearance.

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