Specialist Service Lead, Victims Legal Service

About this role

• Full time maximum term position up to 12 months
• Salary range: $110,357 - $127,333 plus super plus salary packaging
• Up to $15,900 in salary packaging and hybrid WFH & office model

About the role
The Victims Legal Service (VLS) is a collaborative initiative of the Victorian legal assistance sector. The VLS Helpline is operated by Victoria Legal Aid (VLA)'s Legal Help service, providing accessible and holistic intake, advice, and referrals aimed at ensuring victims of crime are provided with culturally safe and trauma-informed services to support their legal and non-legal needs.

In this role, you will lead a team of four lawyers in providing legal information and advice to clients via telephone, web-based systems and in person.  This includes monitoring staff performance, assessing development needs and coaching and mentoring staff. 

In addition, you will also be required to establish and maintain relationships with internal and external VLS stakeholders to ensure accessible, culturally safe and trauma-informed service delivery and referral practices. This includes VLA staff, Department of Justice and Community Safety, Aboriginal legal services, Community Legal Centres, victims support services and private practitioners

Please note that this is a hands-on role, where you will regularly be required to provide advice to clients via telephone, web-based systems and in person. You will also be required to attend to outbound call requests, as required.

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

About you
As our ideal candidate, you will possess:

• A current Australian practising certificate which entitles you to practise in Victoria as a government legal practitioner (mandatory).
• Practical knowledge of law and procedure in Victims of Crime Financial Assistance Scheme (FAS) and/or Restitution and Compensation Order (RACO) matters, and a range of ancillary legal matters in family, criminal and civil law.
• Demonstrated management and leadership experience in a high-pressure legal setting, including the ability to coach, mentor and support staff to achieve excellence in service delivery.
• High level communication and interpersonal skills, and ability to engage respectfully with clients with complex trauma and needs via phone, in person and in writing.

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 1400 staff employed in 16 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

• 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 your current resume and a cover letter addressing the key selection criteria.

If you require 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, please review the attached position description or contact Beck Johnston-Ryan, Managing Lawyer on (03) 9606 5202 or recruitment@vla.vic.gov.au.

No agency applications will be accepted.

Applications close by 11.59pm on Thursday 17 July 2025.

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.