Senior Legal Adviser

About this role

About us

The Department of Treasury and Finance provides economic, financial and resource management advice to help the Victorian Government deliver its policies. We strive for excellence in financial and economic management to improve the lives of all Victorians.

Group

DTF Legal provides internal legal and advisory services to the Treasurer, the Assistant Treasurer, the DTF Secretary and board, and other DTF business units. The team advises on the full spectrum of issues faced by our stakeholders.

About the role

In DTF Legal you will, as a generalist lawyer, build on your fundamental legal skills by working across a variety of legal areas, while still having the opportunity to develop a specialisation in one of our key areas of focus.  The breadth of work DTF Legal undertakes, with a range of stakeholders, ensures that a career in DTF Legal is interesting, challenging and fulfilling.

As the Senior Legal Advisor, you will:

• Provide technically sound, solutions-based legal services across the full spectrum of issues faced by the Department and its associated Ministerial portfolios, with limited supervision.
• Draft contracts, legal instruments, correspondence, briefs for Ministers and senior executives, Cabinet submissions and policy proposals, including those for which there is no precedent.
• Develop close, effective and open relationships and negotiate effectively with other DTF business units, other departments and agencies.
• Represent and advocate DTF Legal's views within the Department and to other departments and agencies with limited supervision.
• Contribute to DTF Legal's positive culture by working cooperatively and flexibly with a diverse team of lawyers.
• Lead, mentor and supervise junior team members (such as junior lawyers, graduates and cadets).

About you

We are seeking applications from candidates with demonstrable experience in:

• Highly developed conceptual and analytical skills and a proven ability to provide sophisticated, authoritative, concise, solutions-based legal advice on legal and policy matters arising in the operations of government, including in at least two of the following areas: public and administrative law (including constitutional law); statutory interpretation; commercial contracting; energy or construction projects and disputes; banking and finance;  procurement; litigation; competition and regulatory; property; employment law.
• Proven experience leading and managing the provision of legal advice by more junior lawyers on complex transactions and advisory matters, or disputes, with limited supervision.
• Outstanding written and oral communication skills.
• Demonstrated experience in and a strong commitment to achieving service excellence and assisting clients and stakeholders achieve their organisation's and project's objectives.
• A proven ability to be flexible, adaptable, collegiate and work collaboratively as a member of an energetic, high-performing, and busy team.
• A proven ability to work in sustained way and deliver results under pressure, where there are competing priorities, incomplete or ambiguous information, and with limited supervision.
• A proven ability to identify, manage and, where appropriate, escalate legal, policy and commercial risks.
• Outstanding relationship management and negotiation skills.

Experience and qualifications:

• be admitted (or eligible to be admitted) to practice as a legal practitioner in Victoria and hold (or be eligible to apply for) a current practising certificate (mandatory)
• be recognised within the legal profession for well-developed and considered judgement and impeccable professional ethics and integrity (mandatory)
• ideally have at least three years' post-admission experience practising as a lawyer in a common law jurisdiction (desirable but not mandatory)

Post-graduate qualifications in law, public policy, public administration or similar are desirable but not mandatory.

About our culture

We aim to be a model employer providing an inclusive workplace that is understanding and respectful of differences such as gender, identity, race, disability or age. In addition, we are committed to supporting Aboriginal pathways between education and employment.

The Department strives to create an environment that supports a flexible and adaptive workforce. All requests for flexible working arrangements will be considered in line with operational requirements.

How to apply

VPS employees and other JSE-eligible applicants are encouraged to apply on the Jobs & Skills Exchange (JSE) jobs board.

For more information about the position and key selection criteria, please refer to the position description. If you have specific questions regarding the role, please contact Chris at chris.jones@dtf.vic.gov.au and 0429 107 782.

To apply, select the ‘Apply Now' button and provide a copy of your resume and cover letter summarising your skills and relevant experience. Applications close at midnight, date month, 2024. If you require a copy of this advertisement in an accessible format, please contact the Recruitment team.

Covid-19 Vaccination

DTF is committed to providing and maintaining a working environment which is safe and without risk to the health of its employees and clients and consistent with the department's obligations under the Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004 (OH&S Act). To support this DTF has a COVID-19 Vaccination policy which strongly recommends all DTF employees be fully vaccinated.