Legal Group Manager

Employers Mutual Management Pty Ltd; Sydney; Hybrid; AUD 180,000 - 230,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible work from home

Wellbeing program

RewardsHub discounts

Salary reviews

Paid parental leave up to 16 weeks

Corporate learning and development

Employee assistance program

Job summary

EML in Sydney is seeking a Legal Group Manager to oversee the performance, capability and governance of the legal function. You will provide senior leadership across complex and litigated claims, shaping operating models and driving risk management.

Based in our Sydney office with up to 2 days work-from-home per week from month three, you will lead and develop Legal Managers, Lawyers and Specialists, while collaborating with regulators and external partners to deliver compliant outcomes.

Qualifications

• Extensive senior leadership experience in workers compensation, personal injury or insurance law.
• Strong technical legal expertise with NSW workers compensation legislation and disputes.
• Proven ability to lead large legal or claims functions and build succession capability.

Responsibilities

• Set and lead the legal strategy, ensuring alignment with regulatory priorities.
• Oversee management of complex and litigated claims, including WID, WPI, and disputes.
• Provide senior oversight on high risk and complex legal matters with statutory interpretation.
• Lead and develop Legal Managers, Lawyers and Legal Specialists across the function.
• Manage external legal panels, including performance and cost governance.
• Drive governance, risk management and continuous improvement across the function.
• Cultivate executive relationships with major employers, brokers and stakeholders.

Skills

Senior leadership

Strategy development

Regulatory engagement

Stakeholder management

Job description

EML is a leading Workers Compensation and Personal Injury Claims Management business. Our goal is to help people get their lives back through ongoing support during their return-to-work journey. We continue to experience ongoing growth and now have over 4,000 dedicated employees. We foster a learning culture that allows for us to continually invest in our employees ensuring a long-term career here at EML.

THE OPPORTUNITY

As part of our diverse team based in Sydney, you will help make a positive impact on someone’s life every day. You will feel great satisfaction knowing your talent and hard work has a purpose. As a Legal Group Manager, you will oversee the performance, capability and governance of the legal function. You will provide senior technical leadership across complex and litigated claims including WID, WPI, statutory disputes, industrial deafness, recovery and fatality matters, ensuring consistent, high quality and compliant outcomes. Working closely with claims leadership, regulators and external legal partners, you will shape legal operating models, manage risk and drive continuous improvement across the function. The role also has accountability for leading and developing legal teams, managing external legal panels, and representing the organisation in industry and regulatory forums to influence scheme and policy outcomes. This will be a full time, permanent position based in our Sydney office, with work-from-home flexibility (up to 2 days per week) considered from month three, subject to performance and approval.

YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES

• Set and lead the legal strategy, ensuring alignment with scheme, regulatory and business priorities.
• Oversee the management of complex and litigated claims including WID, WPI, statutory disputes, industrial deafness, recovery and fatality matters.
• Provide senior technical oversight and decision making on high risk and complex legal matters, ensuring consistent interpretation and application of legislation.
• Lead and develop Legal Managers, Lawyers and Legal Specialists, building capability, performance and succession pipelines across the function.
• Manage external legal panels, including performance, cost, quality and service standards, ensuring value and consistency of outcomes.
• Drive governance, risk management and continuous improvement across the legal function, including external representation with regulators and industry stakeholders.
• Cultivate and own executive-level relationships with major employers, brokers and scheme stakeholders, shaping joint legal and claim strategies that deliver improved outcomes at portfolio level.

ABOUT YOU

• Extensive senior leadership experience in workers compensation, personal injury or insurance law, with a strong background in complex and litigated claims management.
• Strong technical legal expertise with deep understanding of NSW workers compensation legislation, statutory disputes and end-to-end claims frameworks.
• Proven ability to lead large legal or claims functions, including developing teams, managing performance and building succession capability.
• Strong commercial and strategic judgement with experience managing external legal panels, governance frameworks and risk outcomes at scale.
• Highly developed stakeholder engagement and influencing skills, with experience working with regulators, scheme partners and senior executive stakeholders.

WHAT WE OFFER

We stand together as equals.

EML is an equal opportunity employer so by coming to work for us, you will be part of a culture that celebrates diversity and inclusion.

We are committed to maintaining a workplace where everyone feels valued and where we show respect, integrity and honesty.

• A diverse and collaborative team culture like no other
• Flexibility to work from home to support work/life balance
• A corporate wellbeing program with discounted health insurance and gym membership
• Generous discounts from over 350 retailers through our RewardsHub program
• Comprehensive learning and development opportunities to help you reach your full potential
• Access to support and counselling services with work or personal matters, through our Employee Assistance Program
• Companywide events to stay connected and celebrate success
• Entitlement to annual company incentive scheme + salary reviews
• Up to 16 weeks paid parental leave, plus super

About Us

There’s huge satisfaction from knowing that your talent and hard work has a purpose. You will be making a difference that counts. Our people care about making a difference. We are looking for people who share our commitment to positive change. Once we have found you, we pull out all the stops to keep you. The focus and support we provide for career development are one of the reasons we have such a vibrant, engaged, and talented team. You will not be forgotten here. Your career at EML will be full of opportunities to gain new skills, work, grow and succeed with us.