Senior Federal Prosecutor

Director of Public Prosecutions; Sydney; On-site; AUD 140,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

15.4% superannuation

$295 wellbeing allowance

Flexible working arrangements

Generous leave entitlements

Salary progression

Job summary

Director of Public Prosecutions in Sydney seeks a Senior Federal Prosecutor to lead complex prosecutions, mentor junior lawyers and collaborate with partner agencies. Requires strong criminal litigation background, strategic thinking, and a commitment to APS values.

Instructs counsel, advises the Director, and upholds high standards of integrity and confidentiality. The role offers opportunity to shape high-profile cases, work with senior stakeholders, and contribute to government legal practice

Qualifications

• Criminal litigation expertise with ability to translate complex evidentiary material into actionable strategy.
• Strong communication and people skills to command a courtroom and engage defence counsel and partner agencies.
• Experience mentoring junior lawyers to sharpen litigation instincts.
• Commitment to APS values and conduct, integrity and confidentiality.

Responsibilities

• Lead and manage complex prosecutions with multi-disciplinary teams.
• Conduct high-level legal research and analysis to formulate robust briefs and advice.
• Oversee relationships with partner investigative agencies, court officials and defence counsel.
• Utilise digital tools to monitor resources, matters and file management standards.
• Provide leadership and mentorship to junior prosecutors and support staff.
• Drive continuous improvement in prosecution practices and processes.
• Uphold APS Values and Employment Principles in all duties.

Skills

Criminal litigation

Strategic thinking

Legal mentoring

Stakeholder management

APS values integrity

Job description

Director of Public Prosecutions – Sydney NSW

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.

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.

The key duties of the position include:

In addition to meeting the Integrated Leadership System profile of the Executive Level 1, primary outcomes and accountabilities will involve:

• Lead and manage complex prosecution matters, overseeing multi-disciplinary litigation teams and acting as instructing counsel or appearing in court as required to secure high-quality legal outcomes;
• Conduct high-level legal research and analysis, synthesising complex evidentiary sources and legislation to formulate robust conclusions, briefs, and strategic advice for senior executive stakeholders;
• Manage critical stakeholder relationships across partner investigative agencies, court officials, and defence counsel, leveraging these networks to drive continuous improvement in prosecution practices and procedural frameworks;
• Oversee legal and practice management systems, utilising specialised digital tools to monitor resources, manage matters, and ensure strict compliance with institutional file management standards;
• Deliver strategic legal and procedural advice on highly complex legislative, regulatory, and prosecution matters, balancing legal risk with operational priorities;
• Provide leadership and mentorship to junior prosecutors and legal support staff, coaching team members to build technical litigation capability and foster a high-performance culture aligned with agency goals;
• Drive operational excellence and continuous improvement by regularly evaluating file management processes, identifying systematic efficiencies, and implementing best-practice litigation methodologies;and
• Uphold and promote the APS Values and Employment Principles and act in accordance with expectation under the APS Code of Conduct, including behaving honestly and with integrity, exercising care and diligence and maintaining appropriate confidentiality.

Eligibility

• The ability to obtain and maintain an AGSVA Baseline security clearance.
• Australian citizenship.
• Applicants must be admitted as a Legal Practitioner, Barrister or Solicitor of the High Court or the Supreme Court of an Australian State or Territory by Wednesday 28 October 2026.

Notes

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.