Associate Director, Migration

About this role

• Full time or part time ongoing position
• Salary range: $175,286 - $192,014 (pro rata) plus super plus salary packaging
• Up to $15,900 in salary packaging and hybrid WFH & office model

About the role
Victoria Legal Aid (VLA) is seeking an Associate Director to lead our work supporting refugees, people seeking asylum and other marginalised non-citizens. This role has an organisation-wide focus and helps shape how VLA delivers legal services, educates the community and advocates for fairer laws and systems.

In this senior role, you will guide the design, funding and delivery of our migration law services, including across refugee law, visa cancellations, general migration advice and judicial review. You will also help shape law reform and improve systems that affect migrant communities and human rights in Victoria.

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

About you
As our ideal candidate, you will possess:

• Strong leadership experience in the public or legal sector, with the ability to understand emerging issues and set strategic priorities.
• Proven experience managing and developing a diverse team, supporting high performance and leading change.
• Deep knowledge of administrative and human rights law, especially migration law.
• Experience in law reform and strategic advocacy, including working with government, influencing decision-makers and building coalitions for change.
• Excellent communication and relationship-building skills.
• A current Australian practising certificate which entitles you to practise in Victoria as a government legal practitioner (mandatory).
• Entitled to practise in federal courts and courts exercising federal jurisdiction (entry on the High Court's Register of Practitioners) (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 offer legal representation, family dispute resolution and non-legal advocacy 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 in the position description (listed within the file attachments).

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 Lucy Adams, Director, Civil Justice on (03) 9269 0356 or recruitment@vla.vic.gov.au.

No agency applications will be accepted.

Applications close by 11.59pm on Sunday 7 December 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.