Senior Executive Lawyer - Tax

Australian Attorney-General's Department; Canberra; On-site; AUD 250,000 - 350,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

15.4% superannuation

Job summary

Australian Government Solicitor (AGS) Dispute Resolution in Canberra is seeking an experienced Senior Executive Lawyer (SES Band 1) to lead high-end tax litigation matters for the Commissioner of Taxation and other Commonwealth clients. You will guide complex cases, mentor junior lawyers, and strengthen client relationships within a nationally distributed practice.

The role requires extensive post-admission experience in tax litigation, deep understanding of Commonwealth tax law, and leadership

Qualifications

• 10+ years' post admission experience in relevant areas.
• Significant Commonwealth tax litigation expertise with primary carriage of complex matters.
• Experience in tax debt recovery and insolvency matters.

Responsibilities

• Lead, conduct, and manage complex, sensitive tax litigation matters for the Commissioner of Taxation and other AGS DR clients.
• Deliver high-quality tax litigation services and supervise matters under your supervision.
• Supervise and develop junior AGS DR lawyers across the national practice.
• Maintain and deepen DR's relationships with clients, especially the Australian Taxation Office.
• Contribute to pro bono work and serve on other legal matters within DR.

Skills

Tax litigation

Leadership

Client relations

Negotiation

Job description

Australian Attorney-General's Department - Canberra ACT

AGS Dispute Resolution is seeking expressions of interest to fill an ongoing role at the Senior Executive Lawyer level (SES Band 1) in its Tax team.

About us

Australian Government Solicitor (AGS) is the Australian Government's central legal practice and part of the Attorney-General's Department. AGS helps Commonwealth clients to manage legal issues, navigate new challenges and find solutions which deliver the best outcomes for Australia. We are a self-funded legal practice and compete for our work.

AGS is unique.

AGS is dedicated to the national interest and is a trusted advisor to Government.

AGS is innovative.

Drawing on an exceptional depth of experience and expertise, we assist the Australian Government in the development and implementation of solutions to legal issues that have national importance.

AGS is diverse.

With over 550 lawyers and a team of approximately 800 professionals nationwide, we work in more than 40 different areas of law related to government.

About the role

The AGS Dispute Resolution practice (DR) is Australia's pre-eminent public law litigation practice. It has unrivaled experience and expertise in providing dispute related legal advice and representation in every jurisdiction in Australia. DR acts across a diverse range of legal matters for Commonwealth agencies, including a very significant practice representing Commonwealth agencies in disputes relating to national security law, administrative law, regulatory law, tax litigation, employment law, torts law and information access law. DR also represents the Commonwealth before inquests, inquiries and royal commissions, and as the solicitor assisting royal commissions. In addition, DR has a specialist in-house counsel practice, led by Tim Begbie KC.

In this role you will:

• lead, have the conduct of, and contribute to the planning and management of more complex, difficult and sensitive matters for the Commissioner of Taxation, including tax litigation, pre-litigation tax matters, and other matters under the broad range of Acts of which the Commissioner has the general administration, as well as matters for other clients of AGS Dispute Resolution (including leading/coordinating teams working on complex and significant Commonwealth matters and projects)
• deliver high-quality tax litigation-related legal services, taking primary responsibility for the matters conducted personally and for matters under your supervision that meet the expectations of our clients
• supervise and develop the next generation of AGS Dispute Resolution lawyers as part of our national practice
• have an active leadership role in deepening and maintaining DR's relationships with AGS clients, particularly the Australian Taxation Office
• have the opportunity to support community interests through pro bono work. For more information about our pro bono work, refer to our website
• undertake work in other areas of law relevant to the work of AGS Dispute Resolution.

For further information about the requirements of the role, please refer to the role description available on our recruitment portal.

About you

In this role you will ideally have:

• generally, at least 10 years' post admission experience in relevant areas
• significant relevant Commonwealth tax litigation expertise as the solicitor with primary carriage of complex matters in the Federal Court and the Administrative Appeals Tribunal, as well as experience in related administrative law proceedings and appellate court proceedings
• experience in more complex tax debt recovery and insolvency advice and litigation matters
• a strong understanding of Commonwealth tax law and the ability to clearly articulate technical arguments, as well as of the Commonwealth legal environment
• the ability to lead teams, and to supervise, develop and guide more junior lawyers
• excellent interpersonal skills, negotiation skills and the ability to persuade.

You will work with a community of professionals dedicated to the national interest. You will work collaboratively in an inclusive environment where everyone's contribution is valued, and success is rewarded. We offer our employees commercially competitive remuneration packages, including 15.4% superannuation.

With open door access to some of Australia's most respected lawyers, we are a developer of talent and critical thinking and you will partner with our clients to deliver creative solutions to current and emerging legal issues of national importance.

AGS is a supportive organisation which embraces diversity. We understand that work is only part of your life and while our work can be demanding at times, we also provide access to a range of flexible working options, generous leave entitlements and wellbeing benefits to support your needs throughout your career.

Applicants must be an Australian Citizen and be willing to obtain and maintain a security clearance at the Negative Vetting 2 (NV2) level or Top Secret - Privileged Access (TS - PA) level as required.

Applications close at 5:00pm (AEDT) on Thursday, 8 October 2026.

Use of artificial intelligence (AI) in AGS recruitment

We may use AI tools to support administrative tasks during recruitment processes. For further information about the use of AI in AGS recruitment, please visit our employment page Employment | AGS

Further enquiries

Further information can be obtained by contacting Jill Mackay, HR Business Partner on 02 9581 7***.

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