Senior Legal Counsel

The Hospitals Contribution Fund Of Australia; Sydney; On-site; AUD 150,000 - 210,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible working arrangements

50% subsidy on HCF hospital and/or..

Family-friendly certified employer

18 weeks of parental leave for all new

Mental health and wellbeing programs

Discounts on HCF products and gym eyew

Job summary

The Hospitals Contribution Fund Of Australia is seeking a skilled in-house lawyer to join its Legal team in Sydney. You will provide pragmatic, commercially focused advice across regulatory, privacy, and commercial matters within the PHI sector.

Reporting to the Senior Legal Manager, you will draft and negotiate complex agreements, support product development, and guide privacy and data governance initiatives while balancing risk with business objectives.

Qualifications

• Bachelor of Laws and eligibility to hold an unrestricted Australian practising certificate.
• Demonstrated PHI industry experience in-house or in private practice.
• Strong drafting and negotiation skills for complex commercial agreements.
• Experience advising on privacy, data protection and regulatory matters.
• Ability to balance legal risk with commercial objectives and communicate clearly.

Responsibilities

• Provide pragmatic, commercially focused legal advice across a broad range of matters including regulatory, privacy, and commercial issues.
• Draft, review and negotiate complex commercial agreements including technology, supplier, marketing, data-sharing and healthcare provider contracts.
• Advise on privacy, data governance, AI, digital health and member engagement initiatives.
• Support development of new products, services, partnerships, and transformation programs.
• Build trusted relationships with senior stakeholders and act as strategic adviser.
• Develop and deliver legal training and guidance to business teams.
• Contribute to legal operations and continuous improvement initiatives.

Skills

Stakeholder management

Contract negotiation

Regulatory/compliance knowledge

Legal counsel

Communication

Education

Bachelor of Laws

Job description

Join our growing Legal team and bring your expertise in the private health insurance (PHI) sector to a purpose-led organisation. You'll provide strategic legal guidance, commercially focused advice, and immediate value in a highly regulated environment

About the Role

Reporting to the Senior Legal Manager, you'll provide pragmatic, commercially focused legal advice across a broad range of legal, regulatory, privacy, and commercial matters.

Your responsibilities will include:

• Advising on strategic business initiatives, products, member offerings, healthcare programs, and digital services.
• Drafting, reviewing, and negotiating complex commercial agreements, including technology, supplier, marketing, research, partnership, data-sharing, and healthcare provider contracts.
• Providing advice on privacy, data governance, AI, digital health, and member engagement initiatives.
• Supporting the development and implementation of new products, services, partnerships, and transformation programs.
• Advising on member communications, marketing campaigns, complaints, customer-facing materials, and terms and conditions.
• Managing legal and regulatory risk in a practical, business-focused manner.
• Building trusted relationships with senior stakeholders and acting as a strategic adviser across the organisation.
• Developing and delivering legal training and guidance to business teams.
• Contributing to legal operations, continuous improvement initiatives, precedents, and legal frameworks.

About You

You'll be a trusted adviser who can balance legal risk with commercial objectives, communicate complex issues in a clear and practical way, and build credibility across all levels of the business. Most importantly, you'll bring a deep understanding of the private health insurance industry, enabling you to provide immediate value and strategic guidance in a highly regulated environment.

Essential Requirements

• Bachelor of Laws (or equivalent) and eligibility to hold and maintain an unrestricted Australian practising certificate.
• Demonstrated legal experience within the Private Health Insurance (PHI) industry.
• Significant experience gained within an in-house legal team and/or leading private practice environment.
• Strong understanding of the legal and regulatory framework governing private health insurers.
• Experience advising on privacy, data protection, and regulatory matters, ideally within a health-related environment.
• Strong commercial contracting, negotiation, and drafting skills.
• Proven ability to independently manage complex matters from inception through to completion.
• Excellent stakeholder management skills with the ability to influence and advise senior executives.
• Strong commercial judgement and the ability to provide practical, risk-based advice on complex issues.
• Outstanding written and verbal communication skills.
• Excellent attention to detail and organisational capability.

About HCF

At HCF, our purpose is to bring our human touch to healthcare. Since 1932 we've been putting our members and their health first. As Australia's largest not-for-profit health fund, we cover 2 million members with health, life, travel and pet insurance and our vision is to make healthcare understandable, affordable, high quality and member centric.

We want to be true health partners to our members, easily guiding the healthcare choices that are right for them. At HCF, our values are the way we do things and create the necessary culture to help us realise our purpose and deliver our Strategy. Living our values in action we step forward, walk in their shoes, stay human, make it better and get there together.

Culture & Benefits

Purpose-driven passion

We're united by a common purpose: to make healthcare affordable, understandable, high quality and member-focused.

Wellness and work-life balance

We'll empower you with the necessary skills and tools to support your personal wellbeing journey, ensuring you perform at your best. Our offerings include:

• Flexible working arrangements
• 50% subsidy on HCF hospital and/or extras cover
• Family-friendly certified employer
• 18 weeks of parental leave for all new parents
• Mental health and wellbeing programs, including workshops, fitness classes, flu vaccinations, skin checks and more
• Discounts on HCF's products, including life, pet and travel Insurance, as well as discounts at Fitness First gyms and on our eyecare products.

Collaboration and inclusivity

We embrace diversity as our strength and are committed to maintaining an inclusive and collaborative work environment. Our workplace is welcoming and safe for all our employees, irrespective of their unique characteristics including age, ethnicity, cultural or spiritual background, gender identity, disability, education and socio-economic status.

Continuous learning and growth

We believe in lifelong learning. HCF provides opportunities for personal and professional development. From workshops to mentorship programs, we encourage your growth and curiosity.