Senior Legal Counsel

Australian Payments Plus; Sydney; On-site; AUD 150,000 - 210,000; Full time

Job summary

Australian Payments Plus is seeking a Senior Legal Counsel to provide clear, commercially focused legal advice on complex matters. You’ll partner with leaders across the business to manage risk and support AP+’s strategic priorities, while contributing to the strength of the Legal function.

You’ll lead significant negotiations, coordinate internal and external advisers, and coach more junior lawyers to improve how the team works through data-informed playbooks and practical tools.

Qualifications

• Law degree or equivalent legal qualification.
• Six years’ post-qualification experience at senior level.
• Strong ability to provide commercial, risk-aware legal advice.

Responsibilities

• Provide authoritative legal advice on complex, material matters and help leaders make informed decisions.
• Identify and manage significant legal risks and explain commercial implications to senior stakeholders.
• Lead complex negotiations and cross-functional legal matters, coordinating internal teams and external advisers as needed.
• Act as trusted adviser to senior leaders, offering clear guidance and constructive challenge.
• Exercise independent judgement and take ownership from assessment to resolution, escalating when needed.
• Coach and improve the Legal team through playbooks, precedents and improved processes.

Education

Law degree or equivalent legal qualification

Job description

Life @ AP+:

We are one connected team in pursuit of one inspiring purpose - to unite people and technology to power better experiences. Each of us has a part to play in making that happen. You'll be encouraged to bring your ideas forward and make a difference through your work, while still having room for fun, friendships and flexibility in your daily life.

We're driven by our core values: lead with heart, learn for tomorrow and live our legacy. A purpose like ours takes the inspired impact of an incredible team. Ready to change the game? We're ready to help you do it.

The Purpose

As Senior Legal Counsel at AP+, you will provide clear, commercially focused legal advice on complex and significant matters. You’ll help leaders make informed decisions, manage legal risk and deliver AP+’s strategic priorities. You’ll take ownership of important matters, work closely with teams across the business and contribute to the strength and effectiveness of our Legal function.

Key Responsibilities the Role Owns:

• Provide authoritative legal advice on complex, material and strategically significant matters, helping AP+ understand its options and make sound decisions.
• Identify and manage significant legal risks, explaining their commercial implications, potential trade-offs and practical mitigation options to senior stakeholders.
• Lead complex negotiations and cross-functional legal matters, setting the legal approach and coordinating internal stakeholders and external legal advisers where needed.
• Act as a trusted adviser to senior leaders and business teams, offering clear guidance and constructive challenge to support timely, well-informed decisions.
• Exercise sound independent judgement, taking ownership of matters from initial assessment through to resolution and escalating issues when broader organisational decisions are required.
• Coach and support less experienced lawyers, and improve how the Legal team works through playbooks, precedents, practical tools and better processes informed by data and insight.

The capabilities needed to be successful for this role are:

• Qualifications & Experience: A law degree or equivalent legal qualification and a current New South Wales practising certificate are required. You’ll bring at least six years’ post-qualification experience, with experience at the level expected of a Senior Legal Counsel.
• Legal Advice & Judgement: Demonstrated experience advising across multiple areas of law and independently managing complex legal matters, with the judgement to identify material risks and recommend practical approaches.
• Commercial & Risk Perspective: The ability to balance legal risk with business needs, assess options and trade-offs, and make complex legal issues clear to non-legal stakeholders.
• Matter Leadership: Experience leading significant negotiations or cross-functional matters, coordinating internal teams and external advisers, and progressing work through to resolution.
• Stakeholder Partnership: Confidence building trusted relationships with senior leaders and business teams, providing clear advice and constructive challenge, and influencing decisions through sound reasoning.
• Team Capability & Improvement: A collaborative approach to coaching colleagues and improving legal services through playbooks, precedents, effective tools and practical ways of working.

What happens next:

At AP+, you’ll work in a collaborative environment focused on clear advice, practical outcomes and the secure, resilient services that support Australia’s payments ecosystem.

If you’re an experienced lawyer who brings strong legal judgement, a commercial mindset and the confidence to guide leaders through complex decisions, we’d like to hear from you.

We also encourage you to let us know your pronouns at any point during the recruitment process.

AP+ are not partnering with Recruitment agencies for this role.