Principal Regulatory Lawyer – Regulatory Advice

Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission; Darwin; On-site; AUD 140,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

The Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission in Australia seeks a senior legal professional to lead the Legal Services Branch and provide strategic legal advice to the Commission. You will support the Chief Counsel and oversee complex legal matters, ensuring high-quality, compliant guidance across the organisation.

The role requires admission as a legal practitioner, at least five years of post‑admission experience, and the ability to manage stakeholders and deliver training on legal risks and

Qualifications

• Be admitted as a legal practitioner of the Supreme Court of an Australian State or Territory.
• Five years post-admission legal experience.
• Eligibility to hold and maintain a baseline security clearance.
• Strong leadership and management skills, with an ability to lead teams in dynamic environments.
• Demonstrated high standard of verbal and written communication, with strong client liaison skills.

Responsibilities

• Work with Principal Lawyer colleagues to support the Chief Counsel in providing strategic leadership, training, management, mentoring and support to staff in the Legal Services Branch, and contribute to and oversee strategic initiatives to support the effective operation of the Legal Services Branch and the Commission more broadly.
• Provide legal advice on complex or sensitive legal matters relating to the performance of the Commissioner’s and Complaints Commissioner’s functions, and undertake legal review of complex legal instruments.
• Complete second counselling of legal advices prepared by junior and senior lawyers, with the view to building the capacity of legal staff and ensuring the provision of high-quality and accurate advice.
• Manage the procurement of legal services from external legal providers, conduct case management and client area consultation in relation to merits and judicial review matters, in accordance with the Legal Services Directions 2017 and other requirements.
• Deliver training to other staff of the Commission, as required, to promote an awareness of legal risks and improve the quality of administrative law decision making.

Skills

Legal practitioner admission

Five years experience

Security clearance

Leadership and management

Verbal and written communication

Job description

The Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission (the Commission) is the national regulator of Australian Government aged care services. The Commission is responsible for safeguarding older people, engaging and educating the aged care sector, registering aged care providers and dealing with complaints and feedback about aged care. The Commission offers a variety of interesting and challenging jobs across most capital cities.

It is an exciting time to join the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission, with major reforms having recently taken effect to improve aged care in Australia. You will be contributing to our role as a rights-based, risk led regulator that supports the government’s objectives of ensuring the safety, dignity and wellbeing of every older person accessing funded aged care services.

Key Accountabilities

• Work with Principal Lawyer colleagues to support the Chief Counsel in providing strategic leadership, training, management, mentoring and support to staff in the Legal Services Branch, and contribute to and oversee strategic initiatives to support the effective operation of the Legal Services Branch and the Commission more broadly.
• Provide legal advice on complex or sensitive legal matters relating to the performance of the Commissioner’s and Complaints Commissioner’s functions, and undertake legal review of complex legal instruments.
• Complete second counselling of legal advices prepared by junior and senior lawyers, with the view to building the capacity of legal staff and ensuring the provision of high-quality and accurate advice.
• Manage the procurement of legal services from external legal providers, conduct case management and client area consultation in relation to merits and judicial review matters, in accordance with the Legal Services Directions 2017 and other requirements.
• Deliver training to other staff of the Commission, as required, to promote an awareness of legal risks and improve the quality of administrative law decision making.

Key Capabilities and Position Eligibility Requirements

• Be admitted as a legal practitioner (however described) of the Supreme Court of an Australian State or Territory. Be eligible to hold and maintain a restricted practising certificate in the jurisdiction in which they practise.
• Five years post-admission legal experience.
• Eligibility to hold and maintain a baseline security clearance.
• Strong leadership and management skills, with an ability to lead teams in dynamic environments and foster a positive, supportive team culture.
• Established knowledge of areas of law relevant to the Commissioner’s and Complaints Commissioner’s functions and operations; including, for example, administrative law, statutory interpretation and laws governing the management of financial and human resources in a Commonwealth government context.
• Demonstrated high standard of verbal and written communication, with strong client liaison skills and a proven ability to manage stakeholder relationships and communicate with influence.
• Demonstrated ability to set priorities, meet deadlines, work effectively under pressure and work effectively in a team environment as well as to work collaboratively with other staff in the Commission.

Key Relationships:

Internal: Assistant Commissioners (Band 1) and Directors (EL2), other Commission staff; the Legal Services Branch.

External: Department of Health, Disability and Ageing and associated portfolio agencies; Attorney General’s Department; Office of Legal Services Coordination and other associated agencies depending on advice required; Commonwealth Legal Panel firms.

ILS Capabilities: The APS ILS Framework applies to this position (refer to EL2 Capability Summary link).