Special Counsel, Housing Growth

Iaawg; Sydney; Hybrid; AUD 180,000 - 260,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Rewarding work – every day you know你re

Not-for-profit salary packaging

Free external counselling and chaplain

Volunteering opportunities

Additional annual leave purchase

Extra leave days – special occasions

Job summary

Mission Australia is seeking a Special Counsel, Housing Growth to provide senior legal advice across housing developments, acquisitions, construction, financing and procurement. You will work with Housing Growth, Finance and Property teams and external partners to support growth of social and affordable housing.

You will lead negotiations, manage risk, advise Boards, and help shape governance and corporate structuring while upholding our values.

Qualifications

• Bachelor of Laws or equivalent legal qualification and a current unrestricted practising certificate.
• Minimum 10 years’ post-admission experience in property development, infrastructure, structured finance or complex transactional law.
• Experience across property development matters including development agreements, construction contracts, acquisitions, joint ventures and planning approvals.
• Expertise in complex financing arrangements including debt facilities, government funding and subsidies, intercompany arrangements, security and blended finance structures.
• Experience advising on tender and procurement processes within regulated or government-funded environments.
• Strong legal technical capability with commercial judgement and ability to translate complexity into practical advice.
• Negotiation, drafting and contract management skills across high-value transactions.
• Strong communication and stakeholder management with credibility to advise senior leaders and Boards.
• Experience in social/community/not-for-profit housing or SPV Boards is highly regarded.
• National police history check and child/vulnerable person clearance required prior to starting.

Responsibilities

• Provide expert legal and transactional advice across housing growth, including developments, acquisitions and portfolio growth initiatives.
• Advise on complex property development, construction and acquisition matters, including development agreements, construction contracts, joint ventures and planning approvals.
• Provide specialist advice on complex financing structures including senior and subordinated debt, government funding, blended finance and intercompany arrangements.
• Support complex tenders and procurement activities, including government and community housing bids, expressions of interest and RFPs.
• Lead and support negotiations with government agencies, developers, financiers, joint venture partners and other key counterparties.
• Identify and manage legal and commercial risks across high-value housing transactions with practical, proportionate solutions.
• Provide legal advisory support to Boards on housing growth, corporate structuring, governance and regulatory matters as required.
• Build trusted relationships across Housing Growth, Finance, Property and other functions, and manage relations with external advisers.
• Contribute to continuous improvement across legal operations, including precedents, guidance materials and legal technology.

Skills

Negotiation

Contract management

Stakeholder management

Commercial judgment

Legal advisory

Education

Bachelor of Laws or equivalent

Job description

Full-Time Permanent Role Location: Sydney, NSW with Work from Home Options! Great Salary + Super + NFP Salary Packaging Salary Dependant on Skills and Experience

Life at Mission Australia: When you join the team at Mission Australia, you become part of a community who are determined to end homelessness and ensure people in need can thrive. United by our Christian purpose and values, we advocate for a fairer Australia, to meet the growing needs of people across the country. Together we’re building hope and possibility for all. Find out more about us and our purpose.

Your opportunity

Behind every new housing development is the opportunity to create more safe, secure homes and stronger futures for people and communities. As Special Counsel, Housing Growth with Mission Australia, you will bring your senior legal expertise to some of the organisation’s most significant and complex housing transactions, providing strategic advice across property development, acquisitions, construction, procurement and financing. Working collaboratively with Housing Growth, Housing and Property teams and key external partners, you will help navigate complexity, manage legal and commercial risk and enable the responsible growth of social and affordable housing, supporting our vision of an Australia where everyone has a safe home and can thrive.

Your key responsibilities will be to

• Provide expert legal and transactional advice across the housing growth pipeline, including developments, property acquisitions and portfolio growth initiatives.
• Advise on complex property development, construction and acquisition matters, including development agreements, construction contracts, joint ventures and planning approvals.
• Provide specialist advice on complex financing structures, including senior and subordinated debt, government funding, blended finance and intercompany arrangements.
• Support complex tenders and procurement activities, including government and community housing bids, expressions of interest and requests for proposal.
• Lead and support negotiations with government agencies, developers, financiers, joint venture partners and other key counterparties.
• Identify and manage legal and commercial risks across high-value housing transactions, providing practical and proportionate solutions.
• Provide legal advisory support to Boards on housing growth, corporate structuring, governance and regulatory matters as required.
• Build trusted relationships across Housing Growth, Finance, Property and other functions, while effectively managing relationships with external legal advisers.
• Contribute to continuous improvement across legal operations, including precedents, guidance materials, legal technology and more efficient ways of supporting a growing housing portfolio.

Requirements for success

• Bachelor of Laws or equivalent legal qualification and a current unrestricted practising certificate.
• Minimum 10 years’ post-admission experience, with substantial senior-level experience in property development, infrastructure, structured finance or complex transactional law.
• Strong experience across property development matters, including development agreements, construction contracts, acquisitions, joint ventures and planning approvals.
• Demonstrated expertise in complex financing arrangements, including debt facilities, government funding and subsidies, intercompany arrangements, security and blended finance structures.
• Experience advising on complex tender and procurement processes, particularly within regulated or government-funded environments.
• Exceptional legal technical capability combined with strong commercial judgement and the ability to translate complexity into practical, risk-proportionate advice.
• Highly developed negotiation, drafting and contract management skills across complex, high-value transactions.
• Strong communication, influencing and stakeholder management skills, with the credibility to provide strategic advice to senior leaders and Boards.
• Experience within social housing, community housing or affordable housing or the not-for-profit sector, along with experience advising subsidiary or SPV Boards, will be highly regarded.
• Before starting work with us, you will need to undertake a national police history check, qualifications, and referee checks, and have a clearance to work with children/vulnerable people.

Your benefits

• Rewarding work – every day you know you’re making a real difference.
• Not-for-profit salary packaging, reducing your tax (details via AccessPay).
• Free external, confidential counselling and access to chaplaincy support.
• Volunteering opportunities.
• Opportunity to purchase additional annual leave.
• Extra leave including: Mission Australia Thank You Day & Work Anniversary Day off.

Our culture

Our innovative and inclusive culture will ensure you feel valued at Mission Australia as you help Australians in need and develop in your career.

We prioritise the safety and wellbeing of everyone, both within our team and the individuals we serve.

We are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive working environment.

We actively support and encourage people of all backgrounds; gender, age, ethnicity, race, cultural background, disability, religion, and sexual orientation to submit an application and aim to ensure that the recruitment and employee experience is as accessible and inclusive as possible.

So, whoever you are, if you’re skilled and actively support our purpose and values, you would be welcome at Mission Australia.

If you live with disability and require support to submit your application, please email [e-mail] or visit our Careers page for additional contact details.

We strongly encourage applications from people who identify as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander.

For culturally safe support or assistance with your application, please contact us at [e-mail]

Find out more about a career with Mission Australia.

Mission Australia is a national Christian charity motivated by a shared vision of an Australia where everyone has a safe home and can thrive. Since 1859, we’ve been standing alongside people in need across Australia, offering real hope that has lasting impact. Backed by our supporters, churches, partners, and funders, we work together for the long-term wellbeing of anyone who needs us, reflecting our values of respect, compassion, integrity, perseverance and celebration. We collaborate with people experiencing homelessness or disadvantage to tackle the root causes of their challenges through providing access to safe, affordable homes and innovative, evidence-based support services. Every day we deliver homelessness crisis and prevention services, provide social and affordable housing, assist struggling families and children, address mental health issues, fight substance dependencies, support people with disability and much more. Mission Australia believes a person’s circumstances shouldn’t define their future and that given the right support, everyone can reach their full potential. That’s why we stand together with Australians in need, until they can stand for themselves. Learn more about Mission Australia and our purpose.