Executive Assistant to Chief Justice Alstergren

Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia; Melbourne; On-site; AUD 122,000 - 133,000; Full time

Job summary

The Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia in Melbourne is seeking an Executive Assistant to support the Chief Justice with high-level administrative duties, confidential liaison with senior internal and external stakeholders, and coordination of complex documents and events.

Based in Melbourne CBD, the role requires discretion, initiative and the ability to manage competing priorities across two court divisions, with occasional travel and flexible hours.

Qualifications

• High level executive and administrative support experience.
• Strong written and oral communication skills.
• Ability to handle confidential information.

Responsibilities

• Provide high level executive and administrative support to the Chief Justice.
• Draft and coordinate complex correspondence, presentations and reports.
• Coordinate events and manage diaries and scheduling.

Job description

Executive Assistant to Chief Justice Alstergren

Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia – Melbourne VIC

Total package $133,221 - $145,210 per annum

(Base Salary: $121,755 to 132,715 per annum plus 15.4% superannuation)

Position Overview

The Executive Assistant provides a high level of executive and administrative support to the Chief Justice of the FCFCOA (Division 1) and the Chief Judge of the FCFCOA (Division 2) ("the Chief Justice") to support the exercise of his statutory duties and day-to-day responsibilities across two extremely busy Courts.

Together the Courts comprise 126 judges; hundreds of legal, social science and related support staff; registries and circuits across 43 locations; and are responsible for around 110,000 filings per year.

The Chief Justice is responsible for the management of the administrative affairs of the Courts and the effective, orderly and expeditious discharge of the business of the Courts under the FCFCOA Act.

The Executive Assistant acts as a first point of contact for the Chief Justice and liaises with senior internal and external parties to support the Chief Justice. The role demands exceptional ability to build rapport and to promote positive relationships with internal and external stakeholders. The Executive Assistant must possess exceptional initiative and professional written and oral communication skills and ensure the utmost discretion and confidentiality in their interactions and handling of matters.

This is a key role that ensures the smooth and efficient operation of the Chief Justice’s Chambers. The Executive Assistant must be able to develop an excellent level of knowledge of the Courts’ strategic priorities, functions, practices and procedures, and oversee the administrative support in the Sydney Chambers to provide support to the Chief Justice.

The Executive Assistant is an integral part of the chambers of the Chief Justice and the national operations team more broadly, providing a wide range of high-level executive and administrative support. The Executive Assistant will also assist the Chief Justice and senior staff in the Chief Justice’s Chambers with important policy and projects, including the preparation of high-level correspondence, presentations, conference papers, reports and submissions. The role may also extend to dealing with other sensitive and confidential processes as requested by the Chief Justice.

The role is busy and multi-dimensional, requiring someone with agility and highly developed organisational skills, together with strong communication and interpersonal skills. The person appointed to this position will be someone who anticipates what needs to be done, shows great initiative, is highly motivated and organised, efficient, able to work under pressure. It requires frequent contact with internal and external stakeholders. The occupant of this position must enjoy working with a diverse range of people and have strong interpersonal skills.

Key Duties of the Position

• provide high level executive and administrative support to the Chief Justice;


• draft and coordinate complex correspondence, presentations and reports;


• provide appropriate support to the Chief Justice to diarise, prioritise and schedule forthcoming events and meetings, and prioritise matters for attention to resolve key issues;


• oversee administrative support in the Sydney Chambers of the Chief Justice;


• liaise with judges and senior court staff in relation to key events and meetings;


• communicate effectively with a wide range of internal and external stakeholders;


• act as a first point of contact for the Chief Justice as required with a range of external stakeholders and organisations;


• work closely with the national operations team assisting the Chief Justice and the Chief Executive Officer and Principal Registrar;


• implement changes to work practices and processes in consultation with the Chief Justice;


• assist with the management and coordination of the Courts’ key internal and external conferences, events and meetings;


• support the Chief Justice with key projects and policy, including research and analysis to assist with policy and protocol development, including in areas such as judicial entitlements and travel;


• The person performing this role will need flexibility to work irregular hours, if necessary, which is reflective of the executive level of this position, and the ability to undertake some travel. The position is located in the Melbourne CBD and based in-office 5 days per week.

Eligibility

• Australian citizenship – the successful applicant must hold Australian citizenship;


• Security and character clearance – the successful applicant must satisfy a Police Records Check, and may also be required to complete security clearances during the course of their employment;


• Health clearance – the successful applicant may be required to complete a health declaration or attend a medical assessment to confirm their fitness for duty.

Employment with the Court is subject to the conditions prescribed in the Public Service Act 1999, and the following:

Concurrent Competencies and Experience

• Well-developed senior administration/management experience working with high level stakeholders, senior legal professionals, ideally understanding of the work of Courts or other legal or Government environments.


• A high standard of professional written, oral, and interpersonal communication.


• The ability to systematise processes for the efficient working of the Chief Justice’s Chambers, develop administrative protocols, coordinate meetings, working groups, take minutes and settle papers and briefings for meetings.


• Excellent judgement including exercising highest levels of discretion, planning, diplomacy, and confidentiality.


• Excellent initiative and proactive attitude, and proven ability to organise, multitask and deliver results to tight deadlines.


• Familiarity with the principles of public sector governance and accountability.


• In addition, experience in a legal or justice system environment, the completion of a legal degree or in the final year of legal studies will be highly regarded but is not essential.

Selection Criteria

• Demonstrated experience in providing high level executive and administrative support to heads of jurisdiction, senior officials and/or senior executives.


• Highly developed oral and written communication skills, including the ability to communicate effectively with judges and staff of the Courts, external organisations and members of the public, including drafting complex correspondence.


• Highly developed organisational skills, including the ability to triage high volumes of correspondence, emails, meeting requests and invitations in a systematic way.


• Demonstrated capacity to develop and maintain productive working relationships with a wide range of internal and external stakeholders.


• Experience and in-depth knowledge of the operations of judicial and/or complex legal administrative environments and demonstrated working knowledge or clearly demonstrated capability to quickly acquire a sound working knowledge of the procedures, guidelines, policies and practices of the Courts.


• Ability to set priorities and organise workload under pressure, oversee staff remotely in Sydney, to provide seamless high-level support, managing competing priorities to meet strict deadlines.


• Highly developed interpersonal skills and demonstrated ability to work in an environment requiring utmost tact, diplomacy and discretion.


• Demonstrated high level of professionalism and initiative, privacy and security awareness, and ability to adapt to changing demands.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) in recruitment

Candidates may use AI tools to assist with their participation in this recruitment process unless otherwise advised. Where AI tools are used, candidates are responsible for ensuring that all information submitted is transparent, accurate, and genuinely reflects their own skills, capabilities, and experience. For more information, see: Principles for candidate use of AI in Recruitment.

Diversity and Inclusion

Federal Court Australia is committed to supporting an inclusive and diverse workforce and welcomes and encourages applications from People with Disability. First Nations peoples, LGBTIQA+ people, people from Culturally and Linguistically Diverse backgrounds, mature age workers, as well as young workers and supporting an inter-generational workforce and supporting gender equity and families.

Federal Court Australia will provide reasonable adjustments for candidates to participate equitably in the recruitment process and discuss workplace adjustments to fulfil the inherent requirements of the role.

Background and Purpose of the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia

The Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia Act 2021 (FCFCOA Act), which came into effect on 1 September 2021, merged the Family Court of Australia and the Federal Circuit Court of Australia into a unified court system known as the FCFCOA. The FCFCOA (Division 1) is a superior court that handles the most complex family law cases and serves as the appellate court for family law matters. It operates nationwide, except in Western Australia.

The FCFCOA (Division 2), a federal court, shares jurisdiction over family law and child support with Division 1, but also handles general federal law matters, such as administrative law, bankruptcy, intellectual property, and migration law. The Federal Court of Australia entity engages employees under the Public Service Act 1999 to support the Federal Court, the FCFCOA (Divisions 1 and 2), and the National Native Title Tribunal. Established by the 2016 Courts Administration Legislation Amendment Act, each court retains its own identity and judicial independence. FCFCOA employees are covered by the Federal Court Enterprise Agreement 2024–2027.