Senior Legal Counsel

Civmec; Brisbane; On-site; AUD 180,000 - 260,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible working options

Salary continuance insurance

Employee benefits

Job summary

Sedgman, part of the ACS Group, seeks a Senior Legal Counsel to lead a legal team and partner with senior stakeholders on engineering, procurement and construction matters. The role offers involvement in major projects and cross-border transactions across global operations.

You will advise on front-end to delivery phases, manage risk, and support governance and dispute resolution with a focus on practical, commercial outcomes.

Qualifications

• Bachelor of Laws and a current Australian practising certificate.
• 8+ years’ post-admission experience in commercial and contract law.
• Experience negotiating and drafting engineering/construction contracts and procurement agreements.

Responsibilities

• Act as a specialist legal adviser on engineering and construction contracts across front-end, project delivery and operations.
• Provide expert, commercially focused advice on construction law matters for critical business decisions.
• Lead head contract reviews, including conditions of contract, risk allocation and subcontract flow-down.
• Develop practical responses to contractual issues arising during construction and operations with emphasis on early dispute resolution.
• Draft, review and negotiate complex engineering, construction and procurement agreements across Sedgman’s global business.
• Advise on corporate and commercial transactions, including joint ventures and M&A.
• Partner with project, commercial and executive stakeholders to identify legal risk early and support outcomes.
• Assist the General Counsel with day-to-day management of the legal function, governance and matters.

Skills

Commercial acumen

Contract drafting

Negotiation

Stakeholder management

Risk management

Dispute resolution

Project governance

Leadership

Education

Bachelor of Laws

Tools

Legal research databases

Job description

Advise with confidence. Protect value. Help shape what comes next.

At Sedgman, we deliver engineering, procurement, construction and operations solutions across the global resources sector. Our work spans multiple jurisdictions, complex commercial environments and major projects that require clear judgement, disciplined risk management and practical legal advice.

As Senior Legal Counsel, you will join our legal team at our Southbank head office, reporting to the General Counsel and providing leadership and support to a Legal Counsel who will report directly to you. This is an autonomous and varied role with the opportunity to influence the negotiation, structuring and delivery of transactions across our global business.

You will act as a trusted legal partner to senior stakeholders, providing commercially focused advice across engineering and construction contracts, project delivery, disputes and corporate governance. Working across both front-end and delivery matters within Australia and internationally, you will help the business make informed decisions, manage risk early and achieve practical outcomes.

In this role, you will:

• Act as a specialist legal adviser on engineering and construction contracts across front-end, project delivery and operational phases.
• Provide expert, commercially focused advice on construction law matters to support critical business decisions.
• Lead head contract reviews, including conditions of contract, risk allocation and subcontract flow-down requirements.
• Develop practical responses to contractual issues arising during construction and operations, with a strong focus on early dispute resolution.
• Draft, review and negotiate complex engineering, construction and procurement agreements across Sedgman’s global business.
• Advise on corporate and commercial transactions, including joint ventures and M&A.
• Partner with project, commercial and executive stakeholders to identify legal risk early and support effective project outcomes.
• Assist the General Counsel with the day-to-day management of the legal function, corporate governance and business-critical matters.
• Support continuous improvement in legal processes, contracting practices and risk management across the organisation.
• Mentor and support less experienced team members, contributing to the capability and collaborative culture of the legal team.

What we’re looking for

You’re a commercially minded and pragmatic legal professional who combines strong technical expertise with sound judgement, clear communication and the confidence to operate autonomously. You understand how to protect the business while enabling delivery, and you build trusted relationships through practical, solutions-focused advice.

• Bachelor of Laws and a current Australian practising certificate.
• A minimum of 8 years’ post-admission experience in commercial and contract law.
• Demonstrated experience negotiating and drafting engineering and construction contracts and various procurement agreements.
• Strong knowledge of construction law, contract administration, insurance, dispute resolution and corporate law.
• Demonstrated experience within both EPC and EPCM environments in the construction, mining or minerals processing sectors is essential.
• In-house legal experience is highly regarded.
• Well-developed negotiation skills and the ability to work through complex legal and commercial issues.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to provide clear advice to technical, commercial and senior stakeholders.
• A high degree of professional integrity, sound judgement and attention to detail.
• The ability to manage competing priorities, work under pressure and deliver within tight timeframes.

Why Sedgman?

This is an opportunity to take on a broad and influential legal role within a global business, working closely with experienced leaders and project teams on matters that directly affect commercial performance and project delivery.

Sedgman offers a competitive remuneration package, flexible working options and access to a range of employee benefits, as well as salary continuance insurance. You will also be part of a supportive, collegiate team with exposure to complex work across projects, regions and jurisdictions.

If you’re looking for more in your next move, you’ll find it here: more opportunity to influence, more exposure to complex legal and commercial matters, and more perspective through Sedgman’s global reach and the broader capability of the ACS Group.