Special Counsel

Local Government NSW; Sydney; Hybrid; AUD 90,000 - 130,000; Part time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid work model

Wellbeing leave

Salary sacrifice options

Insurance benefits

Competitive remuneration

Job summary

Local Government NSW in Sydney is seeking an experienced Special Counsel to provide high-level corporate legal advice, governance and compliance support. This part-time role (2 days a week) reports to the Chief Executive and LGNSW Board, working with the Corporate Services team on board administration.

The successful candidate will offer expert judgement, autonomy and influence, deliver internal legal advice on corporate matters, manage external counsel, and ensure statutory obligations and

Qualifications

• Law degree or equivalent tertiary legal qualifications.
• Hold, or be able to hold, an unrestricted NSW Law Society practising certificate.
• Strong judgement, discretion and decisiveness in complex matters.
• Ability to provide practical, timely legal advice to senior stakeholders.
• Experience in governance, risk and compliance principles and regulation.

Responsibilities

• Provide internal legal advice to the LGNSW Board, Chief Executive and senior stakeholders on corporate legal, governance and compliance matters.
• Manage outsourced legal advice on corporate, governance and other significant matters.
• Support statutory and governance obligations and company secretarial duties for two trustee companies.
• Coordinate governance reporting, disclosures of interests and board induction materials.
• Review contracts and documents to protect LGNSW’s interests and manage legal risk.

Skills

Corporate governance

Compliance

Company secretarial

Legal advisory

Stakeholder management

Education

Law degree

Job description

We are seeking an experienced and commercially astute Special Counsel to provide high-level corporate legal advice to LGNSW, with a focus on corporate governance, statutory compliance and company secretarial responsibilities. Thispart-time (2 day a week)role works closely with the Chief Executive, the LGNSW Board and senior stakeholders, and operates alongside the Corporate Services team, which undertakes the day‑day Board administrative functions.

About LGNSW

Local Government NSW (LGNSW) is a not‑for‑profit organisation and is the peak body for councils and related organisations across NSW. We advocate on behalf of our members and their communities and deliver a broad range of services including training, workplace relations, management services and legal support. When you work at LGNSW, you’re contributing to stronger councils and better outcomes for communities across the state.

About the role

Reporting to the Chief Executive, the Special Counsel will provide expert legal, governance and compliance advice to support LGNSW’s operations, decision‑making and statutory obligations. The role will advise the Board, Chief Executive and Executive Leadership Team on corporate legal issues, manage external legal advice where required, and support compliance with relevant legislative and governance requirements.

This is a senior specialist role requiring a high degree of autonomy, expert judgement and influence across the organisation.

The role involves:

• Providing internal legal advice to the LGNSW Board, Chief Executive and senior stakeholders on corporate legal, governance and compliance matters.
• Managing outsourced legal advice on corporate, governance and other significant legal matters as required.
• Supporting LGNSW’s statutory and governance obligations, including under the Fair Work (Registered Organisations) Act 2009 (Cth), the Industrial Relations Act 1996 (NSW) and LGNSW’s Rules.
• Providing company secretarial support for two trustee companies (the partners in the Local Government Procurement Partnership) and ensuring ASIC compliance requirements are met.
• Managing matters relating to Vision Super, StateCover and Local Government Procurement, including preparing reports and recommendations for the LGNSW Board.
• Coordinating recruitment processes for LGNSW-nominated director representatives on relevant Boards, with administrative support as required.
• Reviewing contracts, agreements and legal documents to protect LGNSW’s interests and manage legal risk.
• Supporting Board compliance obligations, including disclosures of interests, preparation and delivery of Board induction materials. and managing delivery of mandatory training for Board members under the Fair Work (Registered Organisations) Act.
• Liaising with external agencies and maintaining effective relationships with key internal and external stakeholders.

What we offer

LGNSW offers professional development opportunities, a positive and supportive work culture, and the opportunity to contribute to local government and the communities that local government represents.

We offer:

• Competitive remuneration package commensurate with the seniority and part-time nature of the role.
• A hybrid way of working - Enabling employees to blend their work between the office and home.
• Wellbeing leave days - Supporting our employees to live happier, healthier and well-balanced lives.
• Salary-sacrificing options - Enabling our employees to reduce their taxable income.
• Additional insurance - Offering eligible employees additional insurance coverage, including Death, Total and Permanent Disability and Income Protection Insurance.

About you

You will be a senior legal professional with strong governance, risk, compliance and corporate legal experience. You will bring sound judgement, discretion and decisiveness, with the ability to provide clear, practical and timely advice on complex matters. You are confident working autonomously, managing competing priorities within a part-time role, and building trusted relationships with the Board, executives, senior leaders, external advisers and key stakeholders.

• Law degree or equivalent tertiary legal qualifications.
• Hold, or have the ability to hold, an unrestricted New South Wales Law Society practising certificate.
• Proven ability to express views constructively and diplomatically, consider others’ perspectives, and apply negotiation and persuasion skills to manage stakeholders.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the capacity to deal with complex issues requiring a high level of discretion, judgement and decisiveness.
• Proven ability to provide effective, sensible and sound legal advice to senior stakeholders.
• Demonstrated ability to critically analyse issues and develop and implement effective strategies and solutions that support LGNSW’s goals and values.
• Deep understanding and significant experience in governance, risk and compliance principles, practices, legislation and regulation, supported by highly developed interpersonal skills and a strong customer service focus.
• Demonstrated experience in, or understanding of, corporations law, partnership structures and the provisions of the Fair Work (Registered Organisations) Act 2009 (Cth) and Industrial Relations Act 1996 (NSW) that relate to registered organisations.

Join our team

For further information, please contact Vanessa Smith (Manager, Corporate Services) on 0417 690 *** or *************@lgnsw.org.au.

Applications close at 11:59pm on Sunday, 11 October 2026.

We are committed to creating a diverse, inclusive and flexible workforce that reflects the community and members we serve. We welcome and encourage applications from all people regardless of age, gender, ethnicity, cultural background, religion, sexual orientation, marital and family status or disability.