At the Department of Justice and Community Safety, we’re looking for people who want to make a difference. People who take pride in their work. People who get things done. People who are committed to making Victoria a safer place.

We embrace diversity and strive to have a workforce that reflects the community we serve. We’re all about recruiting the best people, regardless of gender, age, disability, religion, sexual orientation or cultural background. If you think you can do the job and would be a good fit for our department, we’d love to hear from you.

The department is committed to the safety and wellbeing of children and recognises that children’s rights need to be respected, their views welcomed and valued, and their concerns taken seriously and acted upon.

If you require adjustments to the recruitment and selection process, or require an alternative format to any of the application material, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with the contact person listed on this ad.

For more information on working with us and our recruitment process, please visit justice.vic.gov.au/careers

We’re proud of the important work we do across Victoria. Want to be part of it?

• Provide timely and sophisticated legal advice and solutions.
• Fixed term (up to 5 years) opportunity to work with a high-performing and passionate team.
• SES Grade 1: $225,000 - $290,600 Total Renumeration Package.

The Department of Justice and Community Safety is seeking a Deputy General Counsel to provide a critical role at the Office of the General Counsel.

About the Business Unit

The Office of the General Counsel (OGC) is responsible for providing in-house legal services across the Department of Justice and Community Safety (DJCS) and supports the Attorney-General as First Law Officer, and each of DJCS's ministerial portfolios.

OGC leads the delivery of legal services on administrative and public law issues, regulatory matters, industrial and employment issues, commercial transactions and projects including infrastructure, IT, construction and project related transactions, and a wide range of disputes and litigation.

About the Role

Reporting to the General Counsel, there are three Deputy General Counsels who have management responsibility for teams of subject matter experts led by Managers. Deputy General Counsels each have responsibility for overseeing the delivery of the full span of legal services to a defined cohort of DJCS business units and Ministers.

The Deputy General Counsels play a key leadership role within the Office of General Counsel, working closely with the General Counsel to ensure our clients are provided with timely and sophisticated legal advice and solutions, and providing people leadership and strategic guidance to the Office of the General Counsel.

Some of your duties will include:

• Play a key leadership role in the Office of the General Counsel and ensure the efficient and effective performance of its functions in accordance with strategic and operational plans, including:

          -        creating an environment where learning flourishes and the capability of the group grows

          -        role modelling constructive leadership behaviour and contribute to building a constructive work environment within DJCS

          -        coaching and managing staff with management responsibilities to be effective leaders, people managers and role models.

• Identify and resolve all issues referred to or emerging from the Office of the General Counsel's work that could affect DJCS's or its portfolio Ministers' interests.
• Provide sophisticated, authoritative, solutions-based independent counsel across the full spectrum of issues faced by DJCS and its portfolios.

To learn more about this role before applying, please read the attached position description.

About you

To be successful in this role, you will have:

• Demonstrated ability to co-lead and manage legal teams (including staff and project management and legal services procurement).
• 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 across the full span of DJCS and in the operations of government.
• Extensive leadership and management experience, demonstrated at a senior level.
• Highly-developed communication, relationship management and negotiation skills .
• Demonstrated ability to provide judicious, strategic, pragmatic and feasible solutions to issues relating to government.
• Sound strategic thinking skills combined with an expert understanding of how to work across Government.
• Demonstrated experience in leading, motivating and supporting professional staff and in creating the conditions for highly-functioning, productive, collaborative and engaged teams.
• A proven ability to work in a sustained way and deliver results under pressure.

Qualifications

• Admitted, or eligible to be admitted, to practice as a legal practitioner in Victoria (mandatory).
• Be recognised within the legal profession for well-developed and considered judgement and impeccable professional ethics and integrity (mandatory).
• have significant experience leading legal teams (mandatory)
• Post-graduate qualifications in law, public policy, public administration or similar are desirable but not mandatory.

How to Apply

Please click the Apply button on this advertisement. Applications should include a resume and covering letter. Attachments can be uploaded in .doc, .docx, .pdf, .txt or .rtf formats.

The successful candidate will be required to undergo pre-employment checks which may include national police checks and misconduct screening.

If you require adjustments to the recruitment and selection process, or require an alternative format to any of the application material, please don't hesitate to get in touch with the contact person listed on this ad.

FOR INTERNAL VPS EMPLOYEES:

• For this particular vacancy, priority consideration applies to Victorian Public Service (VPS) and select employees of the Victorian Public Sector who apply through the Jobs Skills Exchange (JSE) jobs board platform.
• For all VPS employees, due to the new Jobs Skills Exchange (JSE) policy, please apply through the JSE to be eligible to be considered for this position in the first round.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION:

CHILD SAFE STATEMENT OF COMMITMENT:

The Department of Justice and Community Safety is committed to the safety and wellbeing of children and young people. We seek to prevent harm of any kind impacting children and young people and have zero tolerance for racism, child abuse and inequality. Children and young people's rights, relationships, identity, and culture must be recognised and respected, their voices heard, and their concerns acted upon. We aim to foster a culturally safe, child safe and child friendly environment for all children and young people we have contact with, deliver services to, or are impacted by our work.