In House Legal Counsel – Austin Health

• Full time, permanent role
• Working with Legal Office (0.6) and Office for Research (0.4)
• Heidelberg location, with hybrid working
• Circa $115,000 base + salary packaging + super

Austin Health is the major provider of tertiary health services, health professional education and research across three campuses in the North East of Melbourne and state-wide.  We have a highly engaged, diverse and collaborative workforce that is unified by our purpose, which is to help people live healthy and fulfilled lives.

About the Legal Office:

Austin Health has a well-regarded in-house legal team, headed by its General Counsel.  The legal team provides a wide range of legal services, including supporting procurement activities and contract approvals, defending medicolegal claims and managing coronial cases, managing other litigation, overseeing legislative compliance and corporate policies and providing legal advice on health law, privacy law and freedom of information.

About the Office for Research:

The Office for Research provides holistic ethics, risk management and legal advice, to support and service our researchers and our research partners. Part of this service is to provide legal review of research contracts, including head agreements and any sub-agreements and service level agreements.

About the role:

As Legal Counsel reporting to the General Counsel (0.6), you will work on a broad range of matters, with a particular focus on supporting procurement with commercial contracts.  You will be joining a friendly, collegiate, high-performing team who enjoy working collaboratively to support Austin Health’s legal needs.

As Legal Counsel reporting to the Manager, Office for Research (0.4), you will provide advice on and draft legal documentation relating to research activities of Austin Health and provide legal advice to our researchers.  You will also build capacity within the Office for Research in relation to research contracts, including through training.

A regular day will see you:

• Advise on and draft legal documentation relating to commercial and other activities of Austin Health, in particular review and drafting of commercial contracts and provision of advice and support for procurement
• Advise on and draft research contracts
• Provide advice and information to Austin Health staff on issues such as privacy and health records legislation, freedom of information, intellectual property, medicolegal issues, legislative compliance and disputes
• Contribute to the maintenance of an effective legal precedent system and the development of health service policies over a range of areas

About you:

We are looking for an energetic, proactive junior lawyer with good initiative, who is keen to grow and learn.  You’ll be well-organised and have great verbal and written communication, attention to detail and strong legal research ability.

Ideally, you’ll have:

• Admission to practice as Barrister and Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Victoria, with a current practicing certificate from the Legal Services Board of Victoria
• At least three years’ legal practice experience, either in a law firm or in-house
• An ability to draft contract documentation, review and critically analyse contracts and negotiate contract amendments
• The ability to research legal issues and provide practical legal advice across a wide range of issues including health law, privacy law, intellectual property and medicolegal issues in a complex time critical environment

A corporate/commercial or research background would be highly desirable, but other legal experience will be considered.

Our benefits:

Working at Austin Health means enjoying a strong sense of purpose, engaging in meaningful work every day.  Our people also receive a variety of rewarding benefits, including:

• Greater take-home pay through generous salary packaging
• A suite of wellness initiatives designed to support you, including discounts on fitness memberships and health insurance, and a comprehensive wellbeing program
• Mentoring and career development opportunities
• Onsite childcare, easy access via public transport, car parking and end of journey facilities for cyclists
• Five weeks annual leave, leave loading and monthly ADO's
• Flexible, hybrid working arrangements

Inclusion at Austin:

We celebrate, value and include people of all backgrounds, genders, identities, cultures, bodies and abilities.  We welcome and support applications from anyone identifying as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander, physically or culturally diverse, LGBTQI+, and people of any age.

Work with us!

If you feel this role is right for you, we encourage your early application. All appointments are made subject to compliance with mandatory vaccination requirements for healthcare workers, a satisfactory National Police Check and if required, a Working With Children Check. If you require any reasonable adjustments to the recruitment process, please feel free to reach out to the hiring manager.

Closing date: 5pm Sunday 2 April 2023