About the role:

The Civil Litigation Unit within the Legal Services Department currently has one (1) full-time fixed term Senior Police Lawyer position available.

The Civil Litigation Unit is responsible for the management and coordination of civil proceedings including litigation and coronial inquests directed at Victoria Police and individual members as a consequence of the performance of policing duties, as well as judicial review matters. Furthermore, the Civil Litigation Unit is also responsible for reviewing proposals for legislative reforms when it directly relates to our main functions.

As a Senior Police Lawyer, you will be required to work autonomously, and work collaboratively with internal and external stakeholders. Further, you will need to have management skills to provide supervision to one or two more junior team members. You will be required to have civil litigation experience to advise internally and be able to represent Victoria Police's interests to a variety of external stakeholders.

Victoria Police is a contemporary and agile workplace and supports flexible working arrangements.

Your duties will include:

• Supervising and mentoring other Police Lawyer/s ensuring the effective management of their files.
• Case managing complex files on behalf of Victoria Police, including civil litigation, coronial and judicial review matters.
• Liaising with and instructing law firms engaged on behalf of Victoria Police in litigation, inquests and other matters.
• Liaising with the law firms engaged on behalf of Victoria Police and members involved in litigation, inquests, and other matters, including providing advice and instructions in relation to these proceedings.
• Preparing and/or reviewing briefings and advice to senior management to inform their decision making regarding litigation, inquests and other legal matters in which Victoria Police has an interest.
• Assisting with project management work, including the development, improvement and ongoing management of policies and procedures for the Unit and the Unit's engagement with external stakeholders.
• Reviewing draft legislation and providing legal advice.

As the successful applicant, you will have:

• Admission to practice as an Australian Lawyer and possess a current Australian practising certificate which authorises the holder to supervise legal practice by others (unrestricted), or is eligible to apply, and make application for, an unrestricted Australian practising certificate within 3 months of commencement
• Highly developed conceptual, analytical, interpersonal, and written and oral communication skills.
• Proven ability to provide authoritative legal advice on complex and challenging legal and policy issues.
• Experience in civil litigation.
• Demonstrated ability to lead, coordinate and motivate as a senior member of the team.
• Knowledge of the Victoria Police operating environment and organisational structure would be advantageous.

Requirements and relevant information:

• One (1) x full time, fixed term position until 30/06/2024.
• An unsupervised practising certificate is required for this position. The applicant must be eligible to obtain an unrestricted practicing certificate within three (3) months of commencing in the role.
• This position is located at Victoria Police Centre, 311 Spencer Street, Docklands.
• As a member of the Legal Services Department, you will be located on selection at a specific office within a Division for a particular advertised opportunity. However, given occasional legal service demand issues you may be required at times to undertake varied work within the Department. This supports the Departments commitment to a flexible and deployable legal workforce and professional development opportunities in a range of legal domains.
• The salary range for a VPS4 role is $91,418 plus superannuation (covering salary ranges VPSG 4.1 and VPSG 4.2).  Although it is standard practice for selected candidates to commence at the base of the salary range, genuine consideration will be given to a commencement salary within the available range that is commensurate with the successful candidate's knowledge, skills and experiences. This will be subject to negotiations with the Hiring Manager in the course of the selection process and may include the provision of evidence of a higher income and/or supporting documentation (as required).
• Applicants must be an Australian Citizen, Permanent Resident or hold a valid work permit or visa.
• The successful applicant will be required to undergo pre-employment checks which may include fingerprint checks and misconduct screening.

Your application must include:

• Resume
• Completed application form – the word document (2. Application form) for you to complete and attach to your submission, is attached to the job advertisement.

Applications close midnight, Sunday 10 December 2023.

Please Note: All applications will need to be submitted through one of the following platforms; Jobs and Skills Exchange (JSE) website or Victorian Government careers website (Careers.vic). Applications will not be accepted via other platforms or email.

Current Victorian Government employees must apply via Jobs and Skills Exchange (JSE). 

For further information, please contact: Nicholas Cox on (03) 8533 0667 or nicholas.cox@police.vic.gov.au. No recruitment agency please.

If you have a disability/medical condition and require a copy of this advertisement and attached documentation in an accessible format or would like to discuss an access requirements/reasonable adjustment for the recruitment process, please contact VPS Recruitment via email VPSRECRUITMENT@police.vic.gov.au or on (03) 8533 1440.

About Us:

Victoria Police has a dedicated workforce of more than 22,000 employees consisting of police, protective services officers, police custody officers, and public service staff. Each employee plays a vital role in providing the 24/7, 365 days a year emergency response and public safety capability the organisation delivers to its community. As a Victoria Police employee, you have a dedication and commitment to community safety. 

Having a workforce that reflects the community we serve is important to Victoria Police. We want to attract and retain people of all genders, ages, religions, disability, sexual orientation, family and caring responsibilities, and cultures including people of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander heritage. If you are interested in a position, we encourage you to apply as we celebrate the benefit that diversity brings to our employees, our services, and our community.

Find out what it is like working as a Victorian Public Servant for Victoria Police: https://www.police.vic.gov.au/vps