Senior Legal Counsel, Workplace and Integrity

Position Overview

This is a rare opportunity for an experienced lawyer to work directly with the most senior leaders of one of Australia's largest and most complex federal courts.

As Senior Legal Counsel, Workplace and Integrity, you will advise on high-impact legal, governance and risk matters that shape the operation of a national institution. Working closely with the Executive Director, Legal and Integrity, you will provide strategic legal advice across workplace relations, employment law, work health and safety, integrity matters, investigations, complaints handling, litigation management and broader governance issues.

The role involves managing legally complex and often highly sensitive matters requiring sound judgment, discretion and strategic thinking. You will work closely with senior executives, judicial officers and external legal advisers to deliver practical solutions that support the Court's operations and statutory responsibilities.

This is an opportunity to undertake meaningful and challenging work at the intersection of law, governance, public administration and organisational leadership.

Key Responsibilities

Working closely with the Executive Director, Legal and Integrity, you will:

Strategic Legal Advice

• Provide timely, practical and strategic legal advice to the Chief Justice, CEO/PR, Deputy Principal Registrar and Executive Management.
• Advise on complex workplace relations, employment, industrial relations and work health and safety matters.
• Support senior decision-makers on governance, integrity and public sector legal issues.
• Identify emerging legal and operational risks and develop proactive mitigation strategies.

Workplace and Integrity Matters

• Manage and advise on complex employee relations issues, workplace disputes and disciplinary matters.
• Support the management of complaints. 
• Provide advice regarding investigations, procedural fairness obligations and administrative law requirements.
• Assist with integrity frameworks, ethical decision-making and organisational governance initiatives.

Litigation and Dispute Resolution

• Support the management of litigation involving the Court or its officers.
• Coordinate external legal advisers and counsel where appropriate.
• Develop legally sound and commercially practical approaches to dispute resolution.
• Assist in responding to external complaints, legal claims and regulatory inquiries.

Work Health and Safety

• Advise on workplace health and safety obligations and psychosocial risk management.
• Support organisational responses to significant WHS matters and incidents.
• Assist in developing policies, procedures and risk management frameworks that promote a safe workplace.

Governance and Executive Support

• Provide strategic advice supporting the Chief Justice's statutory responsibilities for the administration of the Court.
• Assist the CEO/PR in managing legal issues arising from the Court's operations.
• Support organisational governance, policy development and decision-making processes.
• Prepare high-quality legal advice, executive briefs, reports and correspondence.

Organisational Capability

• Contribute to the development and delivery of training and awareness programs.
• Foster strong working relationships across the Court and the broader Federal Court entity.
• Promote a culture of integrity, professionalism and sound decision-making.

What Success Looks Like

The successful candidate will:

• Be a trusted adviser to senior executives on difficult and sensitive matters.
• Deliver practical legal solutions that balance legal risk with operational realities.
• Demonstrate sound judgment in complex and high-pressure environments.
• Handle sensitive information with absolute discretion.
• Build productive relationships with a diverse range of stakeholders.
• Contribute to effective governance, risk management and organisational integrity.

About You

You are an experienced lawyer who combines strong technical legal skills with sound judgment, strategic thinking and a practical approach to problem solving.

You enjoy working on complex and varied matters and are comfortable advising senior decision-makers in a fast-paced environment.

You will bring:

• Strong expertise in employment, workplace relations, industrial relations, WHS, investigations or public sector law.
• Highly developed legal analysis and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Strong stakeholder engagement and relationship management capability.
• The ability to manage competing priorities and deliver high-quality work under pressure.
• Exceptional judgment, integrity and professionalism.
• The ability to navigate sensitive issues with confidence, tact and discretion.

Selection Criteria

The successful applicant will demonstrate:

• Experience providing strategic legal advice on complex, sensitive or high-risk matters.
• Strong legal analysis, judgment and problem-solving capability.
• The ability to manage sensitive information with professionalism, discretion and integrity.
• Excellent written communication skills, including the ability to prepare concise and persuasive advice for senior decision-makers.
• Excellent stakeholder management, negotiation and influencing skills.
• Strong organisational skills, including the ability to manage competing priorities and work effectively under pressure.
• A commitment to public service values, professional excellence and ethical decision-making.

Mandatory or desirable qualifications  

Applicants must:

• Hold tertiary qualifications in Law.
• Be admitted, or eligible for admission, as a legal practitioner of the High Court of Australia and/or the Supreme Court of an Australian State or Territory.
• Have a minimum of three years' post-admission experience as a legal practitioner, in-house counsel or equivalent legal role.

Highly desirable:

• Experience in workplace relations, employment law or industrial relations.
• Experience advising public sector agencies, courts, tribunals or government entities.
• Experience managing investigations, complaints or integrity matters.
• Experience advising on work health and safety matters.

Why Join Us?

This role offers the opportunity to:

• Work with the Chief Justice, CEO/PR and Executive Management.
• Influence the management and governance of a national federal court.
• Advise on significant legal, workplace and integrity matters.
• Undertake diverse and intellectually challenging work.
• Collaborate with experienced legal and executive leaders.
• Contribute to an organisation that delivers an essential public service to the Australian community.

This is a unique opportunity for an experienced lawyer seeking challenging, meaningful work at the centre of one of Australia's most important institutions.

Eligibility

Employment with the Court is subject to the conditions prescribed in the Public Service Act 1999, and the following:

1. Australian citizenship – the successful applicant must hold Australian citizenship.
2. Security and character clearance – the successful applicant must satisfy a Police Records Check and may also be required to complete security clearances during the course of their employment.
3. Successful applicants engaged into the APS will be subject to a probation period.

Interested candidates who have received a redundancy benefit from an APS agency are welcome to apply but note that they cannot be engaged until their redundancy benefit period has expired.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) in recruitment

Candidates may use AI tools to assist with their participation in this recruitment process unless otherwise advised. Where AI tools are used, candidates are responsible for ensuring that all information submitted is transparent, accurate, and genuinely reflects their own skills, capabilities, and experience.

For more information, see:

Principles for candidate use of AI in Recruitment 

Diversity and Inclusion

Federal Court Australia is committed to supporting an inclusive and diverse workforce and welcomes and encourages applications from People with Disability.

First Nations peoples, LGBTIQA+ people, people from Culturally and Linguistically Diverse backgrounds, Mature age workers, as well as young workers and supporting an inter-generational workforce and supporting gender equity and families.

Federal Court Australia will provide reasonable adjustments for candidates to participate equitably in the recruitment process and discuss workplace adjustments to fulfil the inherent requirements of the role.

How to apply

To apply, please complete the application form on the Court’s careers portal. 

As part of your application, you will be required to submit a written response to the selection criteria listed in the position description (maximum two pages). Please ensure this document is attached before submitting your application.

If you have any issues with applying, please email ***********@fedcourt.gov.au

Applications close: 11.30pm (AEST) Monday, 17 August 2026 

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are strongly encouraged to apply.

The Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia Act 2021 (FCFCOA Act), which came into effect on 1 September 2021, merged the Family Court of Australia and the Federal Circuit Court of Australia into a unified court system known as the FCFCOA. The FCFCOA (Division 1) is a superior court that handles the most complex family law cases and serves as the appellate court for family law matters. It operates nationwide, except in Western Australia. The FCFCOA (Division 2), a federal court, shares jurisdiction over family law and child support with Division 1, but also handles general federal law matters, such as administrative law, bankruptcy, intellectual property, and migration law. The Federal Court of Australia entity engages employees under the Public Service Act 1999 to support the Federal Court, the FCFCOA (Divisions 1 and 2), and the National Native Title Tribunal. Established by the 2016 Courts Administration Legislation Amendment Act, each court retains its own identity and judicial independence. FCFCOA employees are covered by the Federal Court Enterprise Agreement 2024–2027.