• Exciting leadership opportunity to oversee Summary Crime and Therapeutic Justice programs
• Influence and improve client-centred approaches
• Drive strategic direction as a member of Senior Leadership Team

About us:
At Victoria Legal Aid (VLA), we're committed to making a real difference in the lives of Victorians. As a statutory authority, we provide vital legal services to those who need it most, every day and night in courts and tribunals in Victoria across both federal and state jurisdictions. 
Our values of fairness, care, courage, and inclusion guide everything we do. We recognise the intersections between legal and social issues and work for change to increase access to justice.

VLA's Criminal Law Directorate is responsible for the delivery of services across five sub programs: summary crime, therapeutic justice, indictable crime, youth crime, and appeals and strategic litigation.

About the Role:
We are seeking an experienced and dynamic leader to oversee the Summary Crime program, our largest service delivery area covering criminal law services in Magistrates Courts statewide, and the Therapeutic Justice program, which covers our services in specialist and therapeutic courts across the state as well as broader work to embed therapeutic jurisprudence into our service delivery across criminal law.

Reporting to the Executive Director, Criminal Law, this role provides high quality leadership in the planning, design, delivery and transformation of our Summary Crime and Therapeutic Justice services, while developing and maintaining strong working relationships with key stakeholders in the legal assistance and criminal justice sectors.

The Director's current key priorities are to:

• Lead service transformation work including embedding lived experience expertise into our work, growing our Help Before Court service and improving our remand services.
• Lead the expansion of our Therapeutic Justice program, including embedding therapeutic, restorative and problem-solving approaches into VLA's service delivery.
• Use VLA's practice experience to influence change to promote access to justice.

About You:
You are an inspiring leader with a proven track record in driving strategic priorities and influencing cultural change and law reform. You bring strong communication, stakeholder engagement, and strategic leadership skills to the table, and are passionate about creating positive change for vulnerable communities.

Tertiary qualified in law, public policy, or a related field, you possess a detailed understanding of criminal law, focusing on summary crime and therapeutic or problem-solving practice. You also have experience working in or with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and your vision aligns with VLA's mission to deliver a fair and just society.

If you're ready to make a lasting impact in a role that combines leadership with meaningful change, we want to hear from you!

This appointment is being managed by SHK on VLA's behalf. Please do not click the "Apply Now" button below as applications must be directed to SHK. For further information about this role, please contact Karen Starr at SHK on 0402 164 225 or apply directly via their website.

Applications close by 11.59pm on Friday 31 January 2025.