Senior Associate - Workplace Relations & Safety - Sydney

Sydney, NSW, Australia; Sydney; On-site; AUD 150,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

HWLE invites a Senior Associate or Special Counsel to join the Workplace Relations and Safety team in Sydney. The role supports both government and commercial clients across Australia, handling a mix of advisory, risk and dispute work in a top-tier environment.

The firm highlights merit-based progression, a modern Sydney CBD office, and a culture focused on collaboration, client service, and practical outcomes for employees and clients alike.

Qualifications

• Demonstrated experience across contentious and non-contentious employment matters.
• Broad experience advising on employment and safety issues for clients.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Proven ability to build client relationships and lead on matters.
• Ambition to contribute to growing the practice.

Skills

Experience in employment matters

Advice on employment & safety matters

Communication skills

Interpersonal skills

Client relationship building

Job description

Senior Associate - Workplace Relations & Safety - Sydney

• Highly regarded, reputable Employment Safety & Investigation Practice
• A true meritocracy, enabling individuals to progress based on performance, impact and contribution

About us

HWLE is not your typical law firm. Our rapid rise to become the largest legal partnership in Australia shows that in our case, the differences are real. We deliver first class legal advice to our government and commercial clients in every state and territory across Australia. Firm wide, we have over 270 Partners and 1900 people.

The opportunity

We have an exciting opportunity for a Senior Associate or Special Counsel to join our Workplace Relations and Safety team. The team advises a broad range of clients, including small and large corporates, as well as government and statutory authorities.

This is a well‑established employer practice acting for public and private sector organisations across diverse industries. The team works closely with clients, partnering with them to deliver practical and commercially sound outcomes that genuinely enhance the working lives of their employees.

To succeed in this role, ideally you'll have

• demonstrated experience working across both contentious and non-contentious employment matters
• broad experience providing advice on employment and safety matters
• excellent communication, analytical and interpersonal skills
• a proven record of building relationships with clients, taking the lead on matters and working cooperatively with team members including juniors
• a genuine appetite to assist in growing the practice

What we offer

• Unrivalled career pathways: Our unique meritocracy model proudly offers our staff career development, promoting talent based solely on merit. Our size, range of experience and competitive pricing model will provide you with everything you need to succeed. Unlike our competitors, our Solicitor to Partner ratio enables greater mentoring and client engagement compared to our competitors. Our 180 day career forecasting sessions provide the platform to fast-track your progression.
• Location: Our cutting-edge office is conveniently located in the heart of the Sydney CBD amidst a fast-pace, high-networking legal community. Enjoy working in a state-of-the-art office environment with access to modern end of trip facilities.
• Great culture and a huge networking platform: Be part of a firm renowned for its friendly and down-to-earth culture. We also have sports clubs, social club and monthly firmwide drinks.
• Impact: Join a firm consistently ranked at the forefront of the Australian legal market, where your work is recognised nationally.

HWLE also strongly encourages applications from the aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander community.

HWLE strives to create an inclusive environment where our people want and feel comfortable to bring their entire selves to work. Varied perspectives contribute to our collective success so whatever your background, we'd love to hear from you and encourage you to apply. If you have reasonable accessibility requirements that will enable you to participate equitably in our recruitment process, please reach out to Laura Harrison for a confidential discussion.