Director, Legal

Department Of Education; Sydney; Hybrid; AUD 238,000 - 264,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible work options

Job summary

NSW Department of Education is seeking a Director, Legal to provide strategic legal advice to the School Infrastructure team and senior executives. The role focuses on construction disputes, litigation, and related matters, with supervision of other lawyers and external firms.

You will bring 10+ years in construction law, a law degree, and an unrestricted practising certificate. WWCC clearance is required and the role offers flexible working options in Parramatta and Eveleigh.

Qualifications

• Law degree and admission as a legal practitioner with an unrestricted practicing certificate.
• At least 10 years of experience in construction law, preferably backend management of disputes and litigation.
• Must hold a valid Working with Children Check (WWCC).
• Demonstrated understanding of and commitment to public education.

Responsibilities

• Provide accurate, timely and strategic legal advice to senior departmental staff, including Ministers.
• Manage disputes in an infrastructure/construction environment; front-end construction work and related matters.
• Supervise and mentor other lawyers and manage external lawyers.

Skills

Leadership

Strategic advisory

Dispute management

Collaboration

Communication skills

Education

Law degree

Unrestricted practicing certificate

Job description

The NSW Department of Education is the largest provider of public education in Australia with responsibility for delivering high-quality public education to two-thirds of the NSW student population. For more information about the NSW Department of Education, please visit https://education.nsw.gov.au/

• Full time ongoing role
• Join a group transforming education in NSW, and make a difference to students in NSW
• Ongoing Public Service Senior Executive Band 1 role with a remuneration range of $238,174 - $263,868 per annum
• Based in Parramatta and Eveleigh with flexible work options

About us

At the NSW Department of Education , we educate and inspire lifelong learners - from early childhood, through schooling to vocational education and training.

We ensure young children get the best start in life by supporting the early childhood education and care sector. We unlock excellence and unleash the potential of two-thirds of school children in NSW. We're proudly public and the largest education system in Australia. We nurture opportunities for every learner to develop the skills needed for their chosen career path, helping shape the industries of tomorrow.

We respect and value Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as First Peoples of Australia.

The Legal Services directorate provides strategic legal advice across a range of different matters. This is an opportunity to bring your expertise to the Department of Education and join a team of dedicated professionals who are passionate about public education and committed to delivering the Plan for NSW Public Education.

About the role

Reporting to the Deputy General Counsel, the Director, Legal is a trusted legal advisor to the School Infrastructure team and is required to provide accurate, timely and strategic legal advice and support on complex legal matters and sensitive issues to senior departmental staff, senior executives including Ministers so that the best interests of the department are served and protected.

This is a highly autonomous role with a key focus on construction, disputes management and litigation including areas of intellectual property and insolvency. Front end construction work and matters ancillary to project infrastructure work will also be part of this portfolio.

Supervision and mentoring of other lawyers and management of external lawyers is a key part of this role.

The role will suit an experienced legal practitioner with expertise and recent experience managing disputes in an infrastructure/construction environment.

About you

You are a seasoned professional with demonstrated legal experience relevant to the position and a strong track record in managing disputes in a similar context. You will have solid experience in a senior role and in fostering a culture of collaboration and participation.

As a senior lawyer you will join a team focused on driving improved ways of working to deliver meaningful and long-lasting impact. You will be collaborative, courageous, agile, have strong communication skills and disciplined about delivering outcomes for the students of NSW.

To be successful in this role, you will have:

• Appropriate tertiary qualifications in law and admission as a legal practitioner with an unrestricted practicing certificate.
• Have at least 10 years' experience in construction law, preferably back end managing construction disputes and litigation.
• Hold a valid clearance to work with children (Working with Children Check).
• Demonstrated understanding of and commitment to the value of public education.

As a condition of employment, successful candidates who have not previously worked for the department will be required to provide a current Working with Children Check (WWCC) Clearance number. This option would allow the WWCC to naturally expire without further communication needed with the employee. The employer obligations under the WWCC would apply for duration of the WWCC's validity (up to 5 years).

Applications Close:

11:59pm on Sunday, 22 November 2026

Contact:

For enquiries about the recruitment of this role, please contact Simone Nokes, Deputy General Counsel - @det.nsw.edu.au

Please note:

We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds, including but not limited to Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people, people of any age or gender, people from culturally and linguistically diverse groups and/or from the LGBTQIA+ community, veterans, refugees, people with disability, people with sensory differences, and neurodiverse people. If we can make some adjustments to our recruitment/interview process to better help you shine, please reach out to the contact person for this recruitment, details listed above. For more information, visit the NSW Department of Education's Diversity, equity and inclusion webpage .