General Manager, Legal - Construction

High Speed Rail Authority; Sydney; On-site; AUD 260,000 - 360,000; Full time

Job summary

High Speed Rail Authority seeks a senior construction and major projects lawyer to lead the legal, commercial and contractual strategy for the national rail program. This executive role requires governance, risk management and strategic oversight across multi-billion dollar projects.

You will provide authoritative advice to the CEO and board committees, shape procurement strategies and manage complex disputes, with a focus on safety, compliance and value-for-money delivery.

Qualifications

• A law degree and current Australian practising certificate, with a minimum of 10 years post-admission experience in construction, major projects or infrastructure.
• Extensive experience in major infrastructure and construction law, including EPC and D&C, PPP and alliance contracting.
• Strong capability negotiating high value, multi-party contracts, managing complex disputes and advising on delivery phase issues.
• Applied knowledge of rail construction interfaces across civil, systems, signalling and ETCS, stations, commissioning and safety accreditation.
• Expertise in project procurement, commercial risk allocation and contract management within large public sector programs.
• A strong understanding of governance, accountability frameworks and public value stewardship, with experience working with or within Commonwealth agencies.
• Proven leadership capability, with a minimum of three years managing teams, and the ability to communicate complex legal issues clearly to non-legal audiences.

Responsibilities

• Lead the legal strategy for all rail construction programs, establishing governance, assurance and decision making frameworks, and maintaining the legal policies, delegations and templates that ensure consistency and probity.
• Provide authoritative advice to the CEO, Executive Leadership Team and Audit & Risk Committee on construction risk, contract positions, dispute exposure and contractual compliance.
• Lead legal input into procurement strategies and project structuring, including PPP, D&C, alliance and systems integration contracting models, alternative financing, market engagement, risk transfer strategies and concession arrangements.
• Oversee the drafting, negotiation and approval of major construction, systems, station and enabling works contracts, ensuring robust risk allocation and scope clarity.
• Lead legal strategy for complex interface arrangements between civil, systems, rolling stock, operators, utility providers and government stakeholders, and advise project leads across ECI development phase activities.
• Provide timely, pragmatic advice to Project Directors on major contractual issues, and oversee claims management across extensions of time, delays, latent conditions, variations and defects.
• Lead dispute resolution strategy, including negotiation, adjudication, expert determination, mediation and litigation, and manage the external legal services panel for quality, cost control and value for money.
• Ensure program compliance with rail specific legislation covering rail safety, WHS, environment and planning, and oversee statutory land matters, probity, FOI and information governance frameworks.
• Lead and develop a high performing legal team and strengthen legal literacy and commercial capability across the Authority.

Skills

Negotiation

Leadership

Strategic thinking

Legal expertise

Stakeholder management

Communication

Education

Law degree

Australian practising certificate

Job description

High Speed Rail Authority|SES Band 1|Canberra, Sydney or Newcastle

Lead the legal and commercial strategy behind Australia's first high speed rail construction program.

• Senior executive legal role covering all legal, commercial and contractual matters across the Authority's major rail construction programs.
• Shape the contracting strategy across D&C, alliance, PPP and systems integration models on a multi-billion dollar program.
• Reporting to the General Counsel & Board Secretary, advising the CEO, Executive and the Audit & Risk Committee.

About the High Speed Rail Authority

The Australian Government is planning a future high speed rail network to connect Brisbane, Sydney, Canberra, Melbourne and regional communities across the east coast of Australia.

The High Speed Rail Authority (the Authority) is an independent corporate Commonwealth entity governed by an independent board, established to lead the development and delivery of high speed rail.

The Newcastle to Sydney High Speed Rail project will connect the two cities in around one hour on a dedicated high speed railway. From the Central Coast it will take around 30 minutes to get to Newcastle or to Sydney. With the project now in the Development Phase, the Authority is building the leadership team to develop and deliver this generational program.

High speed rail will contribute to key Australian Government priorities, including increased economic productivity, new housing options, and regional economic and tourism development zero.

The key duties of the position include:

About the role

The General Manager, Legal (Construction) provides senior executive leadership of all legal, commercial and contractual matters across the Authority's major rail construction programs.

Operating at SES Band 1, the role ensures robust governance, strategic risk management and effective legal oversight to support safe, timely and value for money delivery of complex multi-billion dollar rail infrastructure.

What you’ll lead

• Lead the legal strategy for all rail construction programs, establishing governance, assurance and decision making frameworks, and maintaining the legal policies, delegations and templates that ensure consistency and probity.
• Provide authoritative advice to the CEO, Executive Leadership Team and Audit & Risk Committee on construction risk, contract positions, dispute exposure and contractual compliance.
• Lead legal input into procurement strategies and project structuring, including PPP, D&C, alliance and systems integration contracting models, alternative financing, market engagement, risk transfer strategies and concession arrangements.
• Oversee the drafting, negotiation and approval of major construction, systems, station and enabling works contracts, ensuring robust risk allocation and scope clarity.
• Lead legal strategy for complex interface arrangements between civil, systems, rolling stock, operators, utility providers and government stakeholders, and advise project leads across ECI development phase activities.
• Provide timely, pragmatic advice to Project Directors on major contractual issues, and oversee claims management across extensions of time, delays, latent conditions, variations and defects.
• Lead dispute resolution strategy, including negotiation, adjudication, expert determination, mediation and litigation, and manage the external legal services panel for quality, cost control and value for money.
• Ensure program compliance with rail specific legislation covering rail safety, WHS, environment and planning, and oversee statutory land matters, probity, FOI and information governance frameworks.
• Lead and develop a high performing legal team and strengthen legal literacy and commercial capability across the Authority.

About you

We are seeking a senior construction and major projects lawyer with the commercial judgement to operate at executive level on a program of national significance. Specifically, you bring:

• A law degree and current Australian practising certificate, with a minimum of 10 years post admission experience in construction, major projects or infrastructure, gained in a major law firm and/or a blue chip in house legal team.
• Extensive experience in major infrastructure and construction law, including EPC and D&C, systems integration, PPP and alliance contracting.
• Strong capability negotiating high value, multi-party contracts, managing complex disputes and advising on delivery phase issues.
• Applied knowledge of rail construction interfaces across civil, systems, signalling and ETCS, stations, commissioning and safety accreditation.
• Expertise in project procurement, commercial risk allocation and contract management within large public sector programs.
• A strong understanding of governance, accountability frameworks and public value stewardship, with experience working with or within Commonwealth agencies.
• Proven leadership capability, with a minimum of three years managing teams, and the ability to communicate complex legal issues clearly to non-legal audiences.

Eligibility

Employment with the Authority is subject to the conditions prescribed within the Public Service Act 1999. To be eligible, you must:

• Be an Australian citizen & hold a degree or equivalent working experience.
• Hold or be able to obtain a Baseline security clearance & satisfy a National Police check (mandatory pre-employment screening).

Notes

The High Speed Rail Authority (HSRA) is committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive workforce and supporting the employment of people with disability.

As a participating agency in the APS RecruitAbility Scheme, HSRA will progress applicants with disability to a further stage of the recruitment process where they choose to opt into RecruitAbility and demonstrate that they meet the minimum requirements of the role.

If you would like to participate in RecruitAbility, please indicate this when submitting your application.

HSRA is committed to providing reasonable adjustments throughout the recruitment process to ensure all candidates have an equitable opportunity to participate. Adjustments may include modifications to the recruitment process, accessible formats, specialist equipment, or other practical supports. If you require any adjustments, please include this information in your application or contact the nominated contact officer to discuss your needs.

For further information about the RecruitAbility Scheme, please visit the APS RecruitAbility Scheme Guide for Applicants.

Use of Artificial Intelligence

Before preparing your application for the High Speed Rail Authority (HSRA), please read APSC’s Principles for candidate use of AI in recruitment.

These principles are designed to support the responsible use of AI throughout the recruitment process, while ensuring fairness, transparency and the integrity of merit-based selection. They provide clear guidance on how AI may be used to assist with your application, as well as outlining the types of AI use that are not appropriate in APS recruitment processes.

Candidates are expected to comply with these principles and maintain the authenticity and integrity of their application at all stages of the recruitment process.

Next Steps

Applications close on Tuesday 6th Oct 11.59pm AEDT.

Getting to know the High Speed Rail Authority

About High Speed Rail AuthorityThe Australian Government is planning a future high speed rail network to connect Brisbane, Sydney, Canberra, Melbourne and regional communities across the east coast of Australia.The High Speed Rail Authority (the Authority), an independent corporate Commonwealth entity governed by an independent board, is leading the development and delivery of High Speed Rail.Line 1, connecting Newcastle to Sydney on a dedicated new railway using trains travelling up to 320km/h, is now in the Development Phase.High Speed Rail will contribute to a number of key Australian Government priorities, including increased economic productivity, new housing options, regional economic and tourism development and contributing to net zero.More information about the Authority and our work is available at: www.hsra.gov.au .