Employment Senior Associate

Colin Biggers & Paisley; Melbourne; On-site; AUD 150,000 - 210,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Gym membership discounts

Complimentary massages

Professional memberships

Rewards and recognition

Health and wellbeing programs

Job summary

Colin Biggers & Paisley in Melbourne seeks an Employment Senior Associate to join our employment practice. You will represent clients in conciliations, mediations, arbitrations and court proceedings, collaborating with external counsel to develop case strategies and to defend employment matters.

You will manage defences, provide strategic guidance on compliance and risk, and supervise investigations, research, and client relationships while mentoring junior staff.

Qualifications

• 5+ years' PQE with previous experience in employment matters.
• Strong attention to detail.
• Ability to follow instructions well.
• Ability to relate to people at all levels and effectively work in a team.
• A strong focus on turnaround time and ability to work under pressure.
• Practical and client focused problem solving and research skills.
• A strong, plain language communication style.
• Excellent investigative, analytical and problem solving skills.
• Effective communication and negotiation skills.
• Proven ability to manage multiple complex claims simultaneously with attention to detail.

Responsibilities

• Represent clients in conciliations, mediations, arbitrations and, when necessary, court proceedings.
• Collaborate with external counsel to develop case strategies and achieve favourable outcomes.
• Manage and lead the defence and resolution of employment practices claims including drafting defences, responses and settlement agreements.
• Provide strategic legal advice to clients on employment law compliance and risk mitigation in relation to workplace policies and practices.
• Providing clients with commercial legal advice.
• Conduct thorough investigations and fact-finding related to employment disputes.
• Regularly reviewing applicable case law and legislative changes.
• Conducting effective legal research and analysis to produce timely, commercial and legally accurate advice.
• Managing a robust workload, including prioritising work and delivering services effectively.
• Developing an understanding of client operations and strategy.
• Build and maintain strong client relationships by understanding their business needs and delivering high quality legal solutions.
• Continual professional development and managing CLE requirements.
• Mentor and guide junior solicitors and support staff, fostering professional growth and knowledge sharing.

Skills

Employment law

Client service

Investigation

Legal research

Negotiation

Communication

Teamwork

Attention to detail

Analytical thinking

Policy and risk

Job description

About us:

At Colin Biggers & Paisley, we’re here to make a difference. We are a unique legal practice and we believe in what we do. This applies to the solutions we create for our clients, the contribution we make to our communities and the careers we build for our people.

About us:

At Colin Biggers & Paisley, we’re here to make a difference. We are a unique legal practice and we believe in what we do. This applies to the solutions we create for our clients, the contribution we make to our communities and the careers we build for our people. We are lawyers of choice in the construction, property and insurance industries and maintain a strong presence in the areas of employment and safety, banking and finance, corporate and commercial and litigation and dispute resolution. Our values of balance, respect, loyalty and integrity underpin everything we do. Our culture focuses on excellence without losing sight of work-life balance. We are committed to supporting the health, safety and wellbeing of our people. We continually invest in our people, including learning and development opportunities and offer a formal mentoring program. We also offer other benefits such as health and fitness perks, rewards and recognition, complimentary massages and professional memberships. We don’t just recognise our role as a corporate citizen, we put words into actions. The Colin Biggers & Paisley Foundation brings together our entire community offering and is comprised of three streams - pro bono legal services, volunteering and charitable contributions. To ensure maximum impact, the core strategy of our Foundation is to promote and protect the rights of women and children and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

About the role:

We are seeking an Employment Senior Associate to join our employment practice in Melbourne.

• Represent clients in conciliations, mediations, arbitrations and, when necessary, court proceedings
• Collaborate with external counsel to develop case strategies and achieve favourable outcomes
• Manage and lead the defence and resolution of employment practices claims including drafting defences, responses and settlement agreements
• Provide strategic legal advice to clients on employment law compliance and risk mitigation in relation to workplace policies and practices
• Providing clients with commercial legal advice
• Conduct thorough investigations and fact-finding related to employment disputes
• Regularly reviewing applicable case law and legislative changes
• Conducting effective legal research and analysis to produce timely, commercial and legally accurate advice
• Managing a robust workload, including prioritising work and delivering services effectively
• Developing an understanding of client operations and strategy
• Build and maintain strong client relationships by understanding their business needs and delivering high quality legal solutions
• Continual professional development and managing CLE requirements
• Mentor and guide junior solicitors and support staff, fostering professional growth and knowledge sharing

The successful candidate:

You will need to be self-motivated, energetic and adaptable in this dynamic environment. You will work closely with clients, insurers, legal counsel and other stakeholders to investigate, assess and defend claims arising from workplace issues such as discrimination, harassment, wrongful termination, wage and hour disputes, and other employment practices liability matters. Ideal background and skills include:

• 5+ years' PQE with previous experience in employment matters
• Strong attention to detail
• Ability to follow instructions well
• Ability to relate to people at all levels and effectively work in a team
• A strong focus on turnaround time and ability to work under pressure
• Practical and client focused problem solving and research skills
• A strong, plain language communication style
• Excellent investigative, analytical and problem solving skills
• Effective communication and negotiation skills
• Proven ability to manage multiple complex claims simultaneously with attention to detail

Join the team:

Our culture focuses on excellence without losing sight of work-life balance. We work hard for our clients but we also make sure we put our people first. Whether it’s taking advantage of our discounted gym memberships across Australia, joining one of our all-star sports teams or enjoying a complimentary massage, Colin Biggers & Paisley offers a suite of unique employee benefits.

We also offer other benefits such as:

• health and fitness perks
• rewards and recognition
• complimentary massages
• professional memberships

Whether it’s taking advantage of our discounted gym memberships across Australia, joining one of our all-star sports teams or enjoying a complimentary massage.

• discounted gym memberships across Australia
• joining one of our all-star sports teams
• enjoying a complimentary massage

Our people are given every opportunity for both career progression and personal growth. We continually invest in our people and support and encourage them as they grow within the practice. Inclusion and Diversity is a priority for us. “Diversity” to us means diversity in gender, age, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation and ability, and “inclusion” for us means inclusion for all. We are committed to fostering a truly diverse workforce that is inclusive of everyone. Our aim is to be recognised as a leading provider of inclusion and diversity in the legal profession. We welcome applications from all backgrounds regardless of gender identity, age, sexual orientation, disability or ethnicity.