Legal Contractor

Freelance Commercial & Employment Lawyer (0-8 hrs/week, Remote AU)
The Opportunity

Technocrat ) is a remote-first, full-service open-source digital agency (30 people) delivering large-scale government and enterprise websites (primarily Drupal). Our motto is "Like your work, LOVE your life." We value flexibility, clear communication and practical outcomes.

We're seeking a part-time freelance lawyer (ABN contractor) who specialises in commercial and employment matters to support us on an as-needed basis. Work volume will vary week to week (often on the lighter side) and may occasionally be zero.

Reports to: Managing Director.

Direct reports: None.

Start: Immediate.

Target Hours: 0–8 hours/week. May start on the low end as we have no current matters.

Term: Ongoing, terminable by either party.

What you'll do

• Government/enterprise tender & contract reviews (ICT/web projects): Review MSAs, SOWs and procurement templates; identify risks; recommend pragmatic fall-backs on indemnities, liability caps, IP, data/privacy; prepare plain-English issue lists with risk ratings. Work with our dedicated security manager on security clauses.
• Employment & HR advisory: Assist our HR and WHS Manager on contracts, policies, and day to day matters as needed.
• General commercial: Support our MD on confidentiality, IP and privacy (APPs) matters; review liability/indemnity/insurance clauses; sense-check procurement compliance.

About You

• 5–8 years PAE with solid experience supporting government or enterprise ICT/web projects.
• Calm, clear and plain-English communicator who can redline smartly in Word/Google Docs and explain trade-offs for non-lawyers.
• Comfortable working ad-hoc with fluctuating hours; proactive with conflict checks and matter updates.

Minimum Requirements

• Current unrestricted Australian Practising Certificate authorising external client work.
• You operate via a law practice (sole practitioner or firm) and hold your own professional indemnity insurance for external engagements.
• Based in Australia with full AU work rights.
• Willing to sign a confidentiality deed and undergo a police check on request.
• Non mandatory bonus: familiarity with information-security clauses (ISO27001/SOC2-style obligations) and the Australian Privacy Principles.

Must-have Experience

• Government procurement & ICT contracting for web/IT projects.
• Negotiating liability/indemnity/insurance clauses for ICT/web MSAs and SOWs.
• Practical employment law support for SMEs, including remote staff in WA and VIC

Optional, nice to have

• Law Society membership and current CPD.
• Demonstrated privacy track record (APPs) and/or prior government supplier exposure.

Engagement & Rate

• ABN contractor; ad-hoc only; typical 0–8 hours/week; no SLA commitments.
• $100–$120 + GST per hour (ABN). Applications requiring a rate higher than $120 per hour will not be successful.
• Invoiced monthly; no retainer initially.

Location & Flexibility

• Remote anywhere in Australia.
• Flexible hours aligned to business needs and optimising your own work week. We're very flexible, supportive of your lifestyle balance and low-bureaucracy.

How to Apply

Please attach a short cover letter (5–7 bullets) covering:

1. Your typical turnaround on short vs longer pieces of work.
2. Your proposed hourly rate (≤ $120 + GST) and weekly availability.
3. Confirmation of your APC type/state and PI insurance (insurer & limit).
4. Why you're a strong fit for our gov/enterprise ICT context.

If shortlisted for an interview, please come prepared to discuss two recent tender/ICT contract reviews and one recent employment matter (context, your role, outcome). Feel free to include this in your cover letter if you prefer.

If you feel you are a good fit for this role, then look forward to hearing from you.

Best Regards,

The Technocrat Team

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Note to Recruiters: Technocrat will not accept applications or unsolicited contacts from recruitment agents for this role.

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