EL2 Legal Director/Principal Lawyer

Job Description

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Please note that this site will be unavailable on Friday, 14 August, from 9:00 PM AEST until Sunday, 16 August 2026, 9:00 AM AEST due to scheduled maintenance.

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Applications Close: 20/08/2026 11:45 PM

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Occupation: Legal, Legal Services

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Location: Canberra Metropolitan, Sydney Metropolitan, Brisbane Metropolitan, Adelaide Metropolitan, Melbourne Metropolitan, Perth Metropolitan

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Work Type: Ongoing - Full Time, Non-ongoing - Full Time

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Lead complex legal matters, influence strategic decisions, and shape outcomes that make a real difference.

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We are currently seeking an experienced Legal Director/Principal Lawyer to join our legal services team.

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This is an opportunity to lead high-performing legal teams, contribute to nationally significant administrative review work, and support the Tribunal’s delivery of accessible, fair and efficient reviews.

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This hybrid full-time role is available on an ongoing basis. Non-ongoing working arrangements may also be considered. This role can be located in Adelaide, Brisbane, Canberra, Melbourne, Perth or Sydney.

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Remuneration: The annual salary range for the position is APS EL 2–$145,680 -$165,622 p.a., plus a generous employer superannuation contribution of 15.4%.

About the opportunity\n

Lawyers within Legal Services typically provide legal advice and services within one or more specialist areas (including corporate and regulatory, social security, child support, migration, protection and the national disability insurance scheme) with opportunities to work across multiple specialisations.

About you\n

Working alongside other Legal Directors/Principal Lawyers, you will lead and undertake work in one or more jurisdictional areas.

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You will lead a specialist team of lawyers, providing strategic advice on complex matters to Tribunal members, staff and senior leaders, and collaborate to promote best practice, continuous improvement and ensure the Tribunal’s compliance with the Legal Services Directions 2025.

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To be successful you will:

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• Be able to lead and develop a team of lawyers to provide specialist strategic legal services, consistent with the Tribunal’s statutory objectives.
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• Have demonstrated conceptual and analytical skills of a high order and a strong ability to interpret and apply relevant legislation and legal principles to complex cases and situations.
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• Have highly developed interpersonal, verbal and written communication skills, including the ability to negotiate and communicate within influence.
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• Provide expert strategic, practical and technically sound legal advice on complex matters relevant to the Tribunal’s functions and operations, with the ability to identify and manage legal risk, escalating issues and potential solutions as appropriate.
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• Have a demonstrated ability to think strategically, exercise judgement and provide sound advice on matters relevant to the role.
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Qualifications\n

Essential:

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• Admission as a legal practitioner, however described, of the Supreme Court of an Australian State or Territory.
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• Holder of (or eligible to hold) a current unrestricted practising certificate.
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Eligibility\n

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• Australian Citizenship
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• Australian Federal Police Check
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More information about this position, the scope of the role, duties and required capabilities and experience, is contained within the Position Description, which is linked below and available on our Career Opportunities page.

About the Tribunal\n

The Tribunal plays a crucial role in the Australian legal landscape, providing a process for individuals and organisations to seek an independent review of decisions made under a wide range of Commonwealth laws.

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We believe in providing our employees with a work environment that is supportive and rewarding. Our culture is one that welcomes all and we embrace flexibility and diversity. We believe our people are our most valuable asset and we work to support the skills, knowledge and capability of our staff.

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You can learn more about the Tribunal on our website, About us | Administrative Review Tribunal.

What we offer\n

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• flexible working options, including remote working to support commitments outside of work.
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• salary packaging options
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• access to holistic health and wellbeing programs including Fitness Passport which provides discounted access to 350+ gyms, free annual influenza vaccinations and free eye tests
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• generous leave allowances including Christmas to New Year office closure with no deduction from your leave balance
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Read our Enterprise Agreement for more information about our terms and conditions of employment.

Our commitment to inclusion and diversity\n

The Administrative Review Tribunal is an Equal Opportunities employer committed to providing an inclusive workplace that embraces diversity and inclusion for all employees. We encourage and welcome applications from people with disability, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander descent, culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, all genders, LGBTQIA+ community and mature age people. If you have any support or access requirements, we encourage you to advise us if invited to interview.

RecruitAbility Scheme\n

RecruitAbility applies to this vacancy. Under the RecruitAbility scheme you will be invited to participate in further assessment activity for the vacancy if you choose to apply under the scheme; declare you have a disability; and meet the minimum requirements for the job. For more information visit: https://www.apsc.gov.au/recruitability

We are a Circle Back Initiative Employer and commit to responding to every applicant.\n

Should you wish to discuss this position, please contact:

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Name: Joe Guthrie

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Title: Legal Director/Principal Lawyer

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Tel: (07) 3052 3048

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Email: [email protected]

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Please contact the Talent team on (02) 9276 5443 or [email protected] should you require assistance with accessing our website or with lodging your application.

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