Senior Legal Counsel

CF Group Piling; Sydney; On-site; AUD 170,000 - 210,000; Full time

Job summary

CF Group Piling, a specialist geotechnical piling and civil construction business operating across NSW and Queensland, seeks a Senior Legal Counsel to own the in-house legal function. You will draft and negotiate contracts, advise on risk and claims, and manage disputes and litigation across projects.

You will work closely with project managers and commercial teams, providing practical, commercially focused advice and developing contract templates and negotiation positions to support growth and

Qualifications

• Australian legal qualification and current practising certificate required.
• 7+ years' post-admission experience with construction experience considered.
• Strong commercial and construction law experience essential.
• Demonstrated experience drafting and negotiating construction contracts.
• Experience managing construction disputes and litigation.
• Understanding of construction claims and Security of Payment legislation.
• Experience managing external legal advisers.
• Excellent communication skills for direct senior stakeholder engagement.
• Ability to work autonomously and prioritise multiple matters.
• In-house experience in construction/civil/infrastructure/piling/geotechnical is valued, especially NSW & Queensland.

Responsibilities

• Drafting, reviewing and negotiating head contracts, subcontracts, supply agreements and other commercial arrangements.
• Advising project and commercial teams on contractual obligations, risk and claims.
• Managing construction disputes, litigation, adjudications and Security of Payment matters.
• Working with external lawyers and overseeing legal spend and advisory work.
• Developing contract templates and standard clauses for the business.
• Shaping processes for contract and legal risk management across projects.
• Providing practical, commercially-focused legal advice to senior management.
• Collaborating with project managers, estimators, contracts administrators and commercial teams.

Skills

Commercial law

Construction law

Contract drafting

Negotiation

Dispute resolution

Education

Australian legal qualification

Practising certificate

Job description

This is an opportunity for an experienced commercial and construction lawyer to take genuine ownership of the legal function within a growing specialist civil construction business.

Reporting directly to senior management, you will work closely with project managers, estimators, contracts administrators and commercial teams, providing practical legal advice that supports the business and its projects.

This is a hands-on, commercially focused role. You won't simply be reviewing documents from the sidelines, you'll be involved in contracts, negotiations, claims, disputes and risk management, while helping shape the way the business manages its legal and contractual obligations.

Key responsibilities

• Drafting, reviewing and negotiating head contracts, subcontracts, supply agreements and other commercial arrangements
• Providing legal input during tendering and pre-contract negotiations
• Advising project and commercial teams on contractual obligations, risk, claims and contract administration
• Managing construction disputes, litigation, adjudications and Security of Payment matters
• Advising on variations, extensions of time, delays, defects, payment disputes and contractual claims
• Identifying and managing legal and contractual risks across projects
• Managing external lawyers, including legal spend and specialist advice
• Developing contract templates, standard clauses and negotiation positions
• Establishing practical systems and processes for contract and legal risk management
• Working directly with senior management and operational teams to provide clear, commercially focused advice

About you

• An Australian legal qualification and current practising certificate
• Approximately 7+ years' post-admission experience, although capability and relevant construction experience will be considered alongside PQE
• Strong commercial and construction law experience
• Demonstrated experience drafting and negotiating construction contracts
• Experience managing construction disputes and litigation
• A strong understanding of construction claims and Security of Payment legislation
• Experience managing external legal advisers
• Excellent communication skills and the confidence to work directly with senior stakeholders
• The ability to work autonomously, prioritise competing matters and provide practical solutions
• Experience in-house within a construction, civil, infrastructure, engineering, piling or geotechnical business will be highly regarded, as will experience across both NSW and Queensland

About us

We are an established geotechnical piling and civil construction business operating across NSW and Queensland, delivering specialist piling, foundation and geotechnical solutions across a range of civil infrastructure and construction projects. As the business continues to grow, we are looking for a Senior Legal Counsel / Legal Manager to establish and lead our in-house legal function.