Director Legal

Trinzic; Canberra; On-site; AUD 260,000 - 360,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Great Place To Work

Flexible working

Competitive salary

Paid parental leave

Income protection

Corporate rewards

Stock purchase plans

Flu shots

Career development

Job summary

KBR in Australia is seeking a Director – Legal (Australia) to lead a high‑performing legal team supporting Defence projects and strategic bids.

Based in Canberra or major Australian cities, this permanent full‑time role combines strategic legal leadership with hands‑on advisory, contract negotiations and governance across government contracts. The successful candidate will mentor Counsel and shape contracting strategy.

Qualifications

• Admitted Australian legal practitioner with current practising certificate.
• Significant post‑qualification experience, including in-house roles.
• Deep expertise in Australian Government contracting and regulatory compliance.
• Experience leading and developing high‑performing legal teams.

Responsibilities

• Lead the delivery of legal services across Australian operations, including Defence projects.
• Provide strategic legal advice balancing risk with commercial outcomes.
• Lead drafting, negotiation and review of complex government contracts.
• Partner with business leaders on bids, tenders and contracting strategy.
• Advise on Australian Government procurement frameworks, including fixed-price and cost-reimbursable contracts.
• Support strategic transactions including joint ventures and alliances.
• Oversee disputes, claims and investigations with external counsel as needed.
• Mentor Senior Counsel and develop the legal team’s capability.
• Drive policy development, governance frameworks and templates.
• Build strong executive relationships across operations, commercial and corporate functions.
• Manage allocated legal budgets and external spend.

Skills

Australian law

Stakeholder management

Legal leadership

Contract negotiations

Regulatory compliance

Strategic advising

Budget management

Communication

Mentoring

Education

Admission as Australian legal practitioner

Post-qualification experience

In-house legal experience

Job description

Director Legal

At KBR – We do things that matter.

We deliver science, technology and engineering solutions to governments and companies around the world. KBR employs approximately 38,000 people worldwide with customers in more than 80 countries and operations in over 29 countries.

KBR is proud to work with its customers across the globe to provide technology, value-added services, and long-term operations and maintenance services to ensure consistent delivery with predictable results. At KBR, We Deliver.

Think.KBR.com

KBR in Australia

With over 65 years working on some of Australia’s largest and most complex projects, KBR has unmatched experience supporting the nation’s critical infrastructure, energy transition and national security priorities. KBR has around 2,000 employees throughout Australia, who are focused on delivering innovative technology and engineering solutions for a safer, more secure and sustainable future.

Learn more about KBR in Australia

Belong, Connect and Grow at KBR

At KBR, we are passionate about our people and our Zero Harm culture. These inform all that we do and are at the heart of our commitment to, and ongoing journey toward being a People First company. That commitment is central to our team of team’s philosophy and fosters an environment where everyone can Belong, Connect and Grow. We Deliver – Together.

The Opportunity:

This is an opportunity to play a pivotal leadership role within KBR's Australian Legal team, partnering with senior business leaders to shape outcomes across some of Australia's most significant Defence projects.

As Director – Legal (Australia), you will combine strategic legal leadership with hands‑on involvement in complex, high-value and high-risk matters. You'll lead and mentor a team of legal professionals, providing trusted commercial advice, managing critical legal issues, and helping the business navigate an evolving regulatory and contractual landscape with confidence.

Working closely with the Vice President, Legal, you will help drive legal strategy, strengthen governance and legal capability, and embed practical, commercially focused legal solutions that enable business success. This is a highly visible role offering the opportunity to influence key decisions, build strong stakeholder relationships, and make a meaningful contribution to KBR's continued growth and delivery of nationally important projects.

This is a permanent full-time opportunity and can be based in Canberra, Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney or Brisbane.

The successful candidate must be able to hold an Australian Government Baseline security clearance or higher.

Responsibilities:

• Lead the delivery of legal services across KBR's Australian operations, supporting Defence projects.
• Provide strategic legal advice on complex, high-risk and business-critical matters, balancing legal risk with commercial outcomes.
• Lead the drafting, negotiation, review and approval of complex commercial, government and quasi-government contracts.
• Partner with business leaders on major bids and tenders, providing advice on contracting strategy, negotiations and risk allocation.
• Advise on Australian Government contracting and procurement frameworks, including fixed-price and cost-reimbursable contracts.
• Support strategic transactions, including joint ventures, alliances and other commercial partnerships.
• Oversee disputes, claims and investigations, coordinating with external legal counsel where required.
• Lead, mentor and develop Senior Legal Counsel and other members of the legal team, ensuring high‑quality legal advice and professional growth.
• Drive continuous improvement through the development of legal policies, processes, templates and governance frameworks.
• Build trusted relationships with senior leaders across operational, commercial and corporate functions.
• Manage allocated legal budgets, including external legal spend, in line with KBR governance and delegation requirements.

As the ideal candidate you will bring:

• Admission as an Australian legal practitioner with a current practising certificate.
• Extensive post‑qualification experience, including significant in‑house legal experience.
• Demonstrated success leading and developing high‑performing legal teams within Australia or a comparable common law jurisdiction.
• Deep expertise in Australian Government contracting, commercial agreements and regulatory compliance.
• Experience advising on complex commercial negotiations, joint ventures, disputes and strategic projects.
• Strong commercial acumen, with the ability to provide pragmatic, business‑focused legal advice.
• Excellent stakeholder management skills, with the ability to influence and partner with senior executives and business leaders.
• Outstanding written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to translate complex legal issues into practical business advice.
• Sound judgement, high professional integrity and the ability to navigate competing legal, commercial and stakeholder priorities.
• A collaborative leadership style with a passion for mentoring others, building capability and continuously improving legal service delivery.

The successful candidate will be required to hold and maintain an active Australian Baseline Security Clearance.

What we will offer you:

• A workplace culture certified as a Great Place To Work
• Flexible working
• Competitive salary (including annual reviews)
• Paid parental leave
• Income protection
• Corporate rewards
• Salary packaging/Novated leasing
• Employee stock purchase plans
• Flu shots, skin checks and discounted private health insurance
• Career development: Online learning, mentorship and career pathways

If you’re ready to shape tomorrow, let’s get started.

Please note. Shortlisting will take place as applications are received, therefore the advertisement may close early if a suitable candidate is identified.

As a Major Service Provider to the Australian Defence Forces, an AGSVA security clearance will be required as well as compliance with International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR). As such, our hiring decisions are based on the key requirements of each role and candidates are selected based on their unique strengths and experiences.