Senior Legal Officer

Job Description

Who we are

The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry’s legal work is unique. You will have the opportunity to provide legal advice and services while working closely with policymakers and operational staff on matters that directly affect all Australians across areas as diverse as biosecurity, agricultural production, trade, food, wine, fisheries and forestry. A job with Legal Division is a chance to meaningfully apply your legal skills to practical outcomes in an environment focused on your learning and development as a lawyer. We have ongoing and non-ongoing opportunities for Senior Legal Officers.

The Job

The Legal Division’s large and diverse practice means that lawyers will be able to gain experience in their specific interests across a wide range of areas of law, including:

• Advice on regulatory systems and ongoing operations to assist staff on the front lines with Australia’s quarantine, trade, food safety and exports across diverse supply chains, at airports and in the community.
• Practical legal advice to assist investigation and enforcement of biosecurity and export laws to ensure Australia’s trade and health are safeguarded, including by civil penalty litigation.
• Directly developing and progressing legislation, working closely with policymakers to put effective laws in place.
• Manage the department’s litigation caseload and dispute resolution, including working with external law firms and counsel to provide strategic advice, to support the department’s policy and operational activities.
• Employment law advice, including on investigations, work health and safety and external review proceedings.
• Advice about the department’s extensive range of commercial matters, including advising on procurements and grants, ICT contracting, the Commonwealth resource management framework, intellectual property and property matters.
• Manage the department’s legal issues arising from data management and information collection and management, including privacy advice and freedom of information requests.

What we are looking for

Knowledge and experience:

The successful applicants will ideally have a minimum of between 3 to 6 years of relevant post admission experience and experience in one or more of the legal areas listed above.

Mandatory qualifications:

To be eligible for these positions you are required to hold a degree in law and be eligible to hold an ACT legal practicing certificate.