Managing Principal Solicitor/Principal Solicitor, Workplace Relations - VGSO

• Great colleagues, great culture, and great clients 
• Outstanding opportunity for a senior workplace relations lawyer to join our high performing workplace relations team
• Work on diverse, complex and challenging matters
• Hybrid Working arrangements
• Ongoing | Full time or Part-Time (0.8FTE)
• VPS 6 $129,379 - $173,138 p.a. + superannuation

About the VGSO

The Victorian Government Solicitor's Office (VGSO) provides responsive legal services exclusively for the Victorian Government and the broader Victorian Public Sector.  The VGSO is at the centre of legal change, reform and problem-solving, and operates as a service-driven legal professional practice and strives for excellence in this competitive environment.  In all aspects of our work, we are committed to our values: Responsiveness, Integrity, Insight, Collaboration and Excellence.

About our branch

Our Workplace Relations and Occupational Safety Team is a busy and high performing team of 17 lawyers - we provide specialist legal services to the Victorian Government and the broader Victorian Public Sector as part of our employment, industrial, discrimination and occupational health and safety practice. 

The Victorian Public Sector comprises 284,819 employees (FTE) as at June 2021 which is 10% of the Victorian labour force, with 1,840 employers.  The matters we work on are fascinating and complex and often of significant public interest.

In our Team, you will have the opportunity to work on a range of matters, including:

• Enterprise agreement interpretation and industrial disputes;
• Employment-related litigation (including unfair dismissal, EEO and general protections claims);
• Advice on employment-related issues (including workplace behaviour, workplace investigations, bullying, sexual harassment and discrimination);
• Advice on public law related matters, including advice relating to public service and public sector executives; and
• Occupational health and safety matters.

We often collaborate with our colleagues in other branches of the VGSO in complex areas of public law.

About you

We have an exciting opportunity for an experienced senior workplace relations lawyer (Senior Associate level or above) to join our Team either as a Principal Solicitor or Managing Principal Solicitor and assist in responding to the ever-growing demand for our legal services.

The role involves working closely with our senior leadership team and the Assistant Victorian Government Solicitor in efficiently managing our growing workplace relations practice and supervising and mentoring junior lawyers.

Your skills and experience

We require you to have:

• Demonstrated experience in employment, industrial, discrimination and occupational health and safety law and a desire to grow and develop as a workplace relations specialist;
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills;
• Well-developed organisation, time management and project management skills, with an ability to manage competing priorities and to escalate and/or delegate matters as required;
• Enjoy building relationships with clients; and
• Ability to work autonomously as well as collaboratively.

Managing Principal Solicitors are also required to have:

• Experience in managing junior lawyers; and
• Prior Government experience is highly desired.

Benefits

You will receive:

• Competitive remuneration;
• 17.5% annual leave loading, together with other benefits under the Victorian Public Service Enterprise Agreement 2020; and
• Access to our innovative in-house learning programs and real opportunities to step up and grow within your role and beyond.

VGSO currently works under a hybrid working model with most employees working three days in the office. The VGSO understands the importance of work-life balance and embraces workplace flexibility to help lawyers achieve this.

How to apply

If this sounds like the opportunity for you, apply now!  Applications must include a cover letter and resume. Please note it is not a requirement to respond to the Key Selection Criteria separately but applicants should outline their relevant experience in their cover letter.

To find out more about this role, please view the position description attached. Alternatively, you can contact Tim Morrison, Senior Business Partner People & Culture on 0409 370 185

Applications close at 11:59pm on 1 October 2023

Preferred candidates will be subject to pre-employment checks including but not limited to, reference checks, pre-employment misconduct screening and criminal record checks.