• Full time ongoing position (part time considered)
• Salary range: $98,902 - $123,624 (pro rata) plus super plus salary packaging 
• Up to $15,900 in salary packaging and hybrid WFH & office model

About the role:
You will have the opportunity to establish First Nations Access Service to assist First Nations help seekers and clients through outbound phonelines and webchat. Your role will involve accepting referrals and providing complex legal advice over the phone, email, webchat, or in person. You will also assist the manager in creating awareness of the helpline by reaching out to the First Nations community and helping to develop legal information resources to increase community awareness.

Your participation in continuous improvement and dedication to providing excellent service in triage and legal and non-legal referral processes will be key. By implementing best practices in service delivery, you will contribute to the overall success of the program.

Additionally, you will support the Manager in designing the service and developing service framework and protocols for tracking issues, monitoring demand and outcomes, and evaluating services. This will ensure that operations are culturally safe, trauma-informed, effective, and efficient.

This role also offers the opportunity to establish relationships with organisations such as the Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service, Djirra, Lotjpa Independent Legal Service, Aboriginal Community Engagement Officers, and other key First Nations networks.

This is a special measures role and only First Nations people are eligible to apply, as per the Equal Opportunity Act 2010.

This role is based at our Melbourne CBD office on Wurundjeri Country.

About you:
As our ideal candidate, you will bring:

• Demonstrated proficiency in establishing positive partnerships with the First Nations community, recognizing and accommodating their specific needs, and possessing expertise in child protection, family, criminal, and civil law matters.
• Experience in leadership roles, driving positive change and excelling in service provision.
• Capable of aligning services with organizational goals and implementing effective strategies to meet stakeholder needs and expectations.
• A current Australian practising certificate which entitles you to practise in Victoria as a government legal practitioner (mandatory).

Don't meet every requirement? At VLA, we understand that your work and life experiences can be just as valuable. If you're excited about this role but your CV doesn't align perfectly with our job description, we encourage you to apply anyway. You may be just the right candidate for this or one of our many other opportunities.

About Victoria Legal Aid:
We provide legal representation to those who need it most. With over 1000 staff employed in 15 offices across Victoria, we help people with their legal problems by providing information, advice and education with a focus on the prevention and early resolution of legal problems.

Our clients come from all walks of life and so do we. We hire great people from a wide variety of backgrounds and foster a work culture that's inclusive as well as diverse. Your unique ideas and perspectives are valued so that we best represent the people we serve.

Employee benefits:

• Reimbursement provided for relocation costs.
• Focus on work-life balance including flexible working arrangements.
• Hybrid work from home & office model.
• Training and professional development opportunities.
• Excellent salary packaging options including General Expenses up to $15,900, Meals & Entertainment up to $2,650 and Novated Leasing.
• Opportunity to join Myki Commuter Club(and salary package the cost).
• Supportive team environment in modern offices (including free gym and end-of-trip facilities at our CBD office).
• Access to discounted private health insurance.

How to apply:
To be considered for this role, please submit a current resume and a cover letter.

If you require workplace adjustments to the recruitment and selection process or need an alternative format to any of the application material, please don't hesitate to get in touch with our team.

For further information review the attached position description or contact Isabella Unwin, Manager First Nations, Access on (03) 9606 5224 or recruitment@vla.vic.gov.au.

No agency applications will be accepted.

Applications close by 11.59pm on Sunday 8 September 2024.

Other relevant information:
It is a requirement that staff attend for office-based days at their primary work location. In line with this requirement, interstate applications will be considered only where the candidate is able and willing to relocate to Victoria, unless part of a border community.

VLA is committed to putting the safety and wellbeing of children first.