SES Band 1, General Counsel

Commonwealth Treasury; Canberra; On-site; AUD 180,000 - 230,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Supportive culture

Professional growth opportunities

Job summary

A government agency is seeking an experienced General Counsel to lead their legal advisory services in Canberra. The role requires expertise in legal risk management, stakeholder engagement, and strategic legal thinking. Candidates should possess a Bachelor of Laws or Juris Doctor, and have at least 10 to 15 years of experience in a senior legal capacity. This position offers a supportive culture focused on collaboration and professional growth.

Qualifications

• 10 to 15 years of experience in a senior legal role.
• Admitted as a legal practitioner in the High Court and/or Supreme Court of Australia.
• Experience in legal services in government or complex legal environments.
• Eligible for unrestricted practising certificate in ACT.

Responsibilities

• Lead a dynamic Branch delivering legal advice services across Treasury.
• Contribute to the strategic management of Treasury's legal function.
• Brief Treasury's Executive Board on legal issues.
• Shape and oversee risk management, statutory integrity, and legislative coherence.
• Drive reform-oriented legal thinking and foster cross‑agency collaboration.

Skills

Legal risk management

Stakeholder engagement

Strategic legal thinking

Leadership

Influence and communication

Education

Bachelor of Laws or Juris Doctor

Admitted to High Court / Supreme Court

Job description

General Counsel (SES Band 1)

Join to apply for the SES Band 1, General Counsel role at Commonwealth Treasury

The Treasury is seeking an experienced senior legal executive with exceptional leadership, technical expertise and stakeholder engagement skills for the position of General Counsel.

Reporting to the Chief Counsel and First Assistant Secretary, you will lead a dynamic Branch delivering legal advice services across Treasury, and contribute to the strategic management of Treasury’s legal function from a whole-of-Treasury and Commonwealth perspective.

You will shape a maturing in-house legal advisory function. You will lead the Branch’s transition from a reactive, demand-based model to a proactive, capacity-based approach — aligning legal services with departmental priorities and delivering with foresight and agility.

You will brief Treasury’s Executive Board on issues, such as legal risk management, statutory integrity and legislative coherence. You will work with other Law Division branch heads, and represent Treasury and the Commonwealth in complex and sensitive legal matters.

With broad legal experience — ideally across areas such as administrative law, constitutional law, commercial law, employment law, litigation, statutory interpretation, FOI, foreign investment, grants or regulatory compliance — you will provide expert legal advice and build strong relationships with internal stakeholders, regulators and portfolio agencies.

In return, you’ll have the opportunity to contribute meaningfully to the largest legislative program in the Commonwealth. You’ll join a team with a genuinely supportive culture, where collaboration and curiosity are valued, and where your growth is actively invested in — with a clear pathway to develop your capability and build your career.

Desirable Qualifications / Experience

Ideal candidates are experienced in providing legal services in government or similarly complex legal environments. As the General Counsel, you will have:

Strategic Legal Thinking

Ability to provide authoritative counsel that anticipates risk and shapes forward looking legal solutions that enable enduring reform. Ability to apply deep expertise and sound judgment in complex, high-pressure contexts. Proven experience as a trusted escalation point for sensitive matters, ensuring robust, defensible and strategically aligned decisions.

Leadership and Stewardship

Ability to lead with integrity and clarity, fostering collaboration, accountability, and continuous improvement. Proven experience driving sustainable service models, moving legal practice from reactive, demand-driven approaches to proactive, capacity-based stewardship. Ability to integrate legal, policy, and operational insights to solve complex issues. Ability to uphold the AGLS General Counsel Charter modelling ethical practice, collegiality and stewardship.

People and Capability Development

Proven track record in investing in people through mentoring, coaching and role-modelling, developing resilient, high-performing and future-focused teams. Ability to foster inclusion, professional excellence and shared accountability, enabling staff to thrive under pressure and deliver high-impact outcomes. Ability to build capability beyond the immediate function, strengthening connections with the broader organisation.

Influence and Communication

Ability to distil complex legal and policy concepts into persuasive, solutions-focused narratives for senior stakeholders. Ability to influence across organisations, building trust and credibility through transparency, responsiveness and strategic framing. Ability to provide thought leadership on law reform, governance and accountability frameworks, aligning legal advice and reform with long-term public value.

Relevant Education and Qualifications

A Bachelor of Laws or Juris Doctor from an Australian tertiary institution (or a comparable overseas qualification) is essential. Candidates must be admitted as a legal practitioner in the High Court and/or the Supreme Court of a State or Territory of Australia, and eligible to hold an unrestricted practising certificate in the ACT. At least 10 to 15 years of experience as a legal practitioner, in-house counsel, or in an equivalent senior legal role is required.