Senior Federal Prosecutor

The Mandarin; Australia; Remote; AUD 160,000 - 210,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Professional development opportunities

Generous leave entitlements

15.4% superannuation

Salary progression and increases

Flexible working arrangements

Wellbeing allowance of $295 per year

EAP counselling for staff and families

Job summary

CDPP in Australia is seeking a Senior Federal Prosecutor to lead and support complex Commonwealth criminal prosecutions, shaping ethical and high-quality outcomes. You will instruct counsel, represent the Director in court, and provide legal advice to partner agencies.

This role offers opportunities to work on significant matters, develop your legal career, and coach junior lawyers within the CDPP. The package includes base pay, 15.4% superannuation, and an annual allowance of 26,832 as per

Qualifications

• Seasoned legal professional with criminal litigation experience
• Ability to distill complex evidentiary material into clear strategy
• Strong communication and people skills to command a courtroom
• Mentor to junior lawyers and support coaching

Responsibilities

• Instruct counsel in sentences, trials and appeals; represent the Director in court
• Provide legal judgments and recommendations under tight deadlines
• Lead prosecutions and advise partner agencies to drive outcomes
• Frame charges using applicable legislation and policy
• Use technology to assess briefs of evidence
• Develop collaborative relationships with stakeholders
• Support coaching and mentoring of junior legal staff

Job description

• Lead high-profile complex Commonwealth criminal prosecutions
• Shape effective, ethical and high quality prosecution outcomes
• Support the development of the CDPP legal capability

Job closes on Wednesday 28 October 2026 at 11.30pm (AEDT).

In addition to the base salary and 15.4% superannuation, the Senior Federal Prosecutor (SFP) position attracts a $26,832 per annum allowance in line with Determination 2026/7 Prosecutor Allowance.

About the role

We are seeking legal professionals with a focused, strategic, and collaborative mindset to lead and support complex, sensitive and at time high profile criminal litigation outcomes.

This is an opportunity to work on significant matters, not seen in any other environment, and develop your legal career in directions that most other government agencies cannot provide.

As a Senior Federal Prosecutor (SFP), you will:

• instruct Counsel in sentences, trials and appeals, also representing the Director in court, forums and conferences;
• use your extensive legal judgment expertise to make legal decisions and recommendations, within tight deadlines;
• lead and support significant prosecutions on behalf of the Director; providing legal advice to the Director and partner agencies to drive prosecution outcomes;
• apply relevant legislation, policy and procedures to frame criminal charges and determine how allegations of criminal wrongdoing are to be alleged before the court;
• use cutting edge technology to assess briefs of evidence;
• actively develop positive, productive and collaborative working relationships with internal and external stakeholders; and
• support the enhancement of the CDPP legal capability, including through the coaching and mentoring of junior legal staff.

What we are looking for

You are seasoned legal professionals, ideally with criminal litigation expertise, who thrive on complexity and can easily refine complex evidentiary material into clear, actionable strategy. Your communication and people expertise must match your legal technical skills — you will know how to command a courtroom, negotiate effectively with defence counsel, and build trusted relationships with investigative partner agencies.

Beyond your legal expertise, you are a problem solver, natural mentor and enjoy coaching junior lawyers to sharpen their litigation instincts.

You pride yourself on your integrity and identify with and will uphold the values and conduct expected in the Australian Public Services (APS).

We are looking for a lawyer who combines strong technical capability with sound judgement, initiative and a practical understanding of the complex regulated environment in which government legal work is delivered.

Why Join Us

This role offers the opportunity to combine technical legal practice with leadership, strategic advice, stakeholder engagement and meaningful improvements to the way prosecution work is done.

If you are looking for career and employer where your legal acumen directly shapes and supports effective, ethical and high quality criminal prosecutions and is critical to public trust and safety for the Australian community, then this opportunity at the CDPP is your next step.

No matter where you work with us, you’ll have access to:

• unique and challenging work;
• professional development opportunities;
• generous leave entitlements with additional paid time off during the Christmas close-down period;
• clear and transparent salary progression, and scheduled salary increases;
• 15.4% superannuation;
• flexible working arrangements that promote work-life balance;
• a $295 annual wellbeing allowance; and
• free and confidential 24/7 counselling through our Employee Assistance Program (EAP), available for staff and their family members.

* Please refer to Candidate Information Pack for details.

This recruitment round is also advertised as Affirmative Measure – Disability and Affirmative Measure - Indigenous. The affirmative measures are designed to address the under-representation of people with disability and Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander staff in the APS.

Job closes on Wednesday 28 October 2026 at 11.30pm (AEDT).