Division: LRLS Law Reform & Legal Services
Location:Parramatta, NSW, AU, 2150

Req ID: 76392

• Ongoing Opportunity Full-time (35 hpw)
• Location: Parramatta with flexible working arrangements available
• Legal Officer VI, Base Salary ($165,865 – $169,359), plus employer’s contribution to superannuation and annual leave loading

ABOUT US

The Department of Communities and Justice shares a common purpose across many areas of their work, particularly when it comes to improving outcomes for children and young people, Aboriginal people, people with disability, people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, people experiencing domestic and family violence, victims of sexual assault, juvenile offenders, people at high risk of reoffending, and people experiencing homelessness.
Working together for stronger communities means we can continue to deliver our services with a more unified and collaborative approach. This means a greater focus on prevention and early intervention, faster responses, more seamless operations, less duplication of effort and better outcomes.

WHAT YOU’LL DO

As required of the role you will be responsible for conducting both highly complex and routine legal matters (primarily advice and litigation). The role will lead a team within the practice group and supervise Solicitors Grades I-V and Paralegal staff to ensure the provision of high quality, cost effective and client focused legal services which contribute to the goals of Legal and the Department’s stakeholders/business units.

This role will include (but not be limited to) the following accountabilities and challenges:

• Conducting and providing strategic and commercial legal advice and services in relation to civil claims against DCJ, including civil claims for child abuse (some of which are litigated and some of which involve class actions), prison assault claims, claims in negligence, forced adoption, false imprisonment claims, malicious prosecution and other personal injury claims.
• Collaborating with and delivering high level and sometimes urgent legal advice to various senior stakeholders including ministers and senior executive staff.
• Representing the Department in external meetings and forums including leadership forums, mediations and settlement conferences.
• Interpreting, preparing and analysing more complex legal documents including drafting complex legal advice, sensitive government submissions and corresponding with senior stakeholders both internally and externally and interpreting legislation and relevant policies.
• Supervising, guiding and mentoring junior members of staff in relation to the carriage of matters, the provision of advice, legal research and gathering and reporting statistics and information and in relation to career development.

Click apply, attach an up-to-date résumé (maximum 5 pages) and a cover letter (maximum 2 pages) addressing the 2 targeted questions below with a brief outline on how you meet the requirements of the role:

• Describe a situation when you or your team were given an urgent matter to work on, when you were otherwise busy with other matters and the techniques you used to manage and juggle the competing priorities, so that all your work was dealt with in a timely manner? (300 words)
• How have you developed team capability? Talk broadly about your coaching and mentoring approach in working with professional staff. (300 words