Principal Legal Officer at New South Wales Government

Sydney, New South Wales, Australia -

Full Time

Start Date

Immediate

Expiry Date

30 Jul, 26

Salary

0.0

Posted On

01 May, 26

Experience

10 year(s) or above

Remote Job

Yes

Telecommute

Yes

Sponsor Visa

Skills

Administrative law, Public law, Statutory interpretation, Legal risk analysis, Procedural fairness, Regulatory compliance, Legal drafting, Policy development, Legislative reform, Stakeholder management, Mentoring, Supervision, Legal advice, Regulatory decision-making

Industry

Law Enforcement

Description

Guiding the future of NSW education Position details Legal Officer Grade 6 Ongoing, full-time opportunity Close to Wynyard station & hybrid work arrangements available About us At the NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA), we are dedicated to carrying out meaningful work that drives improvements and elevates student achievement across NSW, now and into the future. We accomplish this by supporting all school sectors with high-quality syllabuses, assessment (including managing the HSC and NAPLAN), teaching standards (e.g., accrediting teachers) and school environments (including setting and monitoring school standards). NESA is a unique organisation in NSW (of around 740FTE staff) with significant state-wide impact, visit our website to learn more about the important work we do. About the role This is a unique opportunity to step into a newly established senior legal role within the School and Teaching Standards (SaTS) division at NESA, where you will provide authoritative, independent and practical legal advice to support regulatory, accreditation and compliance functions. Operating with a high level of professional autonomy, you will play a key role in strengthening the division’s in-house legal capability, shaping how legal advice is embedded into decision-making, supporting consistent and defensible regulatory outcomes, and influencing policy and legislative reform. You will work closely with senior executives on complex, sensitive matters at the intersection of law, policy and operations. This role will also oversee and develop a direct report, providing guidance, mentoring and quality assurance to ensure consistent, high-quality legal services and build capability within the team. This is an opportunity to work on meaningful, high-impact regulatory matters in a dynamic public sector environment, where your expertise will directly support the integrity and effectiveness of education regulation in NSW. On a day-to-day basis you will be responsible for: Providing high-quality, timely and defensible legal advice on administrative law, public law and statutory decision-making Advising on the interpretation and application of key legislation relevant to the regulation of schools and teachers Supporting regulatory functions by advising on investigations, enforcement options and statutory processes Contributing to policy development, legislative reform and Government decision-making Drafting and reviewing legal and regulatory instruments, including decisions, notices, submissions and briefing materials Coordinating legal actions, including managing external legal service providers and supporting tribunal or court matters Identifying and managing legal and regulatory risk, including advising on procedural fairness and defensibility of decisions Building strong relationships with stakeholders to enable early, practical and solutions-focused legal advice Providing guidance, mentoring and supervision to legal staff and contributing to capability uplift across the division Our ideal candidate will have: Extensive experience providing senior-level legal advice in administrative law and public law within a regulatory or government environment Demonstrated expertise in statutory interpretation, legal risk analysis and the application of procedural fairness principles in regulatory decision-making Experience advising on regulatory compliance, enforcement frameworks and statutory decision-making processes, without direct responsibility for operational compliance activities Proven capability in legal drafting, including decisions, notices, delegations, policy instruments, briefing materials and submissions Experience managing or coordinating external legal service providers, including tribunal and court matters Strong ability to provide clear, practical and solutions-focused legal advice to senior executives and multidisciplinary stakeholders in complex and high-pressure environments Essential requirements: Legal qualifications, and a current unrestricted NSW legal practising certificate Note: A current NSW Working with Children Check (WWCC) clearance for paid employment is required prior to commencement. Employment is also subject to the successful completion of a National Police Check. The cost of both checks is the responsibility of the successful applicant. We invite you to download the role description for additional information on the position. At NESA you will benefit from: An organisation where your contribution has a big impact An enviable CBD location (all modes of transport nearby, and excellent coffee and eateries) with refurbished offices Flexible working arrangements and generous leave entitlements Access to discounted health and fitness memberships via Fitness Passport, an employee assistance program and annual flu vaccinations Salary packaging options Working in a purpose driven and ethical organisation with committed colleagues Ready to join us? Select apply and attach an up-to-date résumé (maximum 5 pages) and a cover letter (maximum 2 pages). Also address the 2 targeted questions below in your online application (maximum of 500 words per response - approximately): Describe a time you provided legal advice on a complex or sensitive administrative or statutory matter where legal, policy and operational considerations intersected. How did you approach the issue, and how did your advice support a lawful and defensible outcome? Tell us about a time you identified and managed legal or regulatory risk in a complex matter. What was your approach, and how did you influence stakeholders to achieve a practical and defensible outcome? Advice on applying for NSW Public Sector roles If you require reasonable adjustments for the recruitment process and workplace, please reach out to recruitment@nesa.nsw.edu.au. Close date: Wednesday, 13 May at 11.59pm AEST Thank you for your interest, we look forward to receiving your application. Important information NESA’s Statement of Commitment to Child Safety All children and young people have the right to be respected, feel safe, be safe, and protected from harm. NESA is committed to child safety and child safe practices underpinning our purpose of helping children and young people leave school, ready to take advantage of life’s opportunities and rise to its inevitable challenges. We particularly welcome applications from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, people with disability, people of all ages, genders, cultural and linguistic backgrounds and the LGBTQIA+ community. Visa sponsorship is not available for this position. For ongoing roles, you must be an Australian or New Zealand citizen or an Australian Permanent Resident. Australian Temporary Residents may be considered for a fixed term contract for the length of their visa, depending on the requirements of the hiring area and the position. A Talent Pool (valid for 18 months) may be created for future ongoing and temporary roles.

Responsibilities

Provide authoritative legal advice on administrative and public law to support regulatory, accreditation, and compliance functions. Oversee legal staff and contribute to policy development, legislative reform, and the management of complex legal matters.