Senior Legal Officer

Australian Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry; Melbourne; On-site; AUD 120,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

Australian Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry – Melbourne VIC is seeking a Senior Legal Officer to provide high‑quality in‑house legal services, research and problem solving. You will work with regulatory scientists and policy staff to safeguard Australia’s agriculture, fisheries and forestry while developing staff in a collaborative environment.

You will lead and mentor a team of legal officers, ensuring timely, clear and practical legal advice for internal clients and

Qualifications

• Eligible to hold ACT or VIC legal practising certificate.
• Minimum 3–6 years post-admission experience.
• Degree in law.

Responsibilities

• Provide high-quality in-house legal services and advice.
• Mentor and supervise junior legal officers within the team.
• Collaborate with regulatory scientists, policy staff and operations to deliver practical outcomes.

Skills

Legal advisory

Leadership

Communication

Risk management

Education

Law degree

Job description

Australian Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry – Melbourne VIC

Why YOU are important to us and what impact will you have on the Legal Division and the departments’ goal.

You will have the opportunity to provide legal advice and services while working closely with policymakers and operational staff on matters that directly affect all Australians across areas as diverse as biosecurity, agricultural production, trade, food, wine, fisheries and forestry. A job with Legal Division is a chance to meaningfully apply your legal skills to practical outcomes in an environment focused on your learning and development as a lawyer. The Legal Division’s large and diverse practice means that lawyers will be able to gain experience in their specific interests across a wide range of areas of law, including:

• directly developing and progressing legislation, working closely with policymakers to put effective laws in place.
• providing employment law advice including on investigations, work health and safety and external review proceedings
• providing advice on privacy law and digital law issues including AI use cases
• developing and delivering legal training to staff in policy and operational decision-making roles
• advising on regulatory systems and operations to assist staff on the front lines with Australia’s quarantine, trade, food safety and exports across diverse supply chains, at airports and in the community
• providing practical legal advice to assist investigation and enforcement of biosecurity and export laws to ensure Australia’s trade and health are safeguarded, including by civil penalty litigation
• managing the department’s litigation caseload and dispute resolution including working with external law firms and counsel to provide strategic advice to support the department’s policy and operational activities
• advising on the department’s range of commercial matters including advising on procurements and grants, ICT contracting, the Commonwealth resource management framework, intellectual property and property matters
• managing the department’s legal issues arising from data management and information collection and management and freedom of information requests.

The Legal Division works together to support and develop lawyers to meet their career aspirations. You will be working with committed, engaged colleagues in a supportive and flexible environment and will progress interesting and meaningful work that is unique to the department and the Commonwealth.

The key duties of the position include:

Senior Legal Officers provide high quality legal services in an in-house environment, including legal research, analysis and problem solving. Our highly engaged internal clients are comprised of regulatory scientists and administrative, policy and compliance officers who are passionate about safeguarding and growing sustainable agriculture, fisheries and forestry for Australians. As a Senior Legal Officer, you will be responsible, with your Principal Legal Officer, for motivating, mentoring and supervising legal officers in your team to deliver on initiatives and goals whilst maintaining an inclusive, responsive and effective environment.

Please note that this recruitment process will initially be used to fill one ongoing vacancy and that the role may be able to be performed from either of the locations listed on the Job Description. The merit pool established through this selection process, which is valid for a period of eighteen months from the date the vacancy was advertised in the Public Service Gazette, may be used to fill future ongoing and non-ongoing vacancies in the division where the duties are of a similar nature, noting that some vacancies are only available in Canberra.

Eligibility

Who we are looking for

The successful applicants will be able to demonstrate the following:

• The ability to identify key legal issues and give accurate, practical legal advice clearly, concisely and in a way that meets client needs.
• Excellent communication skills and the ability to foster and build effective relationships as an in-house adviser in a collaborative environment.
• The capacity to deal appropriately with sensitive matters that may affect the department, the Public Service and/or the broader community.
• The capability to help lead and develop lawyers and to manage legal services efficiently and effectively.
• Significant previous experience of legal practice, with a minimum of 3 to 6 years of relevant postadmission experience.

Mandatory Qualifications

To be eligible for these positions you are required to hold a degree in law and be eligible to hold an ACT or VIC legal practising certificate.