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?
- Support the Attorney-General as First Law Officer of Victoria
- Lead the Office of the General Counsel to provide authoritative independent counsel
- Executive Officer contract – SES2 Fixed term for up to 5 years
The Department of Justice and Community Safety is seeking an Executive Director and General Counsel to provide a critical role within 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 and supports the Attorney-General as First Law Officer, each of the department's Ministerial portfolios and a number of independent legal, assurance and integrity entities.
The OGC provides legal advice across a range of public law, commercial and regulatory matters. OGC also provides support in relation to litigation and disputes involving DJCS, its Ministers or portfolio entities. OGC delivers high quality and cost-effective legal services to DJCS business units; and assists with the engagement of external legal services providers such as the Victorian Government Solicitor's Office, Legal Services Panel firms, and counsel.
Reporting to the Deputy Secretary, Justice Services and Regulation the Executive Director and General Counsel plays a critical role in maintaining strong, trusted relationships with Ministers, senior executives, other departments and agency stakeholders.
About the Role
Some of your duties will include:
- Lead the strategic direction, planning and decision making for OGC to ensure resources, frameworks and strategies align to organisational requirements, team culture reflects organisational integrity and ethics, and legal advice and services support the current and future objectives of the organisation.
- Role model constructive leadership behaviour and contribute to building a constructive work environment within DJCS, coaching and manage staff with management responsibilities to be effective leaders, people managers and role models.
- Provide authoritative and expert advice on complex legal matters, scrutinise decisions and recommend appropriate courses of action to ensure decisions are legally robust, within the legal framework and align to department's objectives while maintaining DJCS's integrity.
- Support the Attorney-General as the First Law Officer of the State; and ensure the Secretary, DJCS is briefed on relevant matters and issues, and supported as necessary.
- Develop and maintain close, effective and productive relationships across DJCS, with other Departments (particularly their General Counsels via the General Counsel Forum) and agency stakeholders including the Solicitor-General, Crown Counsel, the Victorian Government Solicitor, and other stakeholders relevant to OGC.
- Represent DJCS to Ministers, senior bureaucrats and others with minimal or no guidance.
- Identify and resolve all issues referred to or emerging from OGC's work (including governance, policy and operational issues) that could affect the department's or its portfolio Ministers'
interests.
- Contribute strongly to the overall leadership of the department, including on cross-group leadership, management and policy matters.
- Ensure the department continues to adequately manage legal risk; that it uses, procures and manages legal advice appropriately; and that it works actively to achieve changes in policy and practice through technology solutions, process innovation and the like to ensure OGC is the leading in-house government practice in Victoria.
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 lead and manage all aspects of a medium sized contemporary legal practice (including staff and project management, budget oversight 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 the Department and in the operations of government.
- Extensive leadership and management experience, demonstrated at a senior level.
- Highly developed communication, relationship management negotiation skills at the most senior levels of Government.
- Demonstrated ability to provide sensible, 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.
- A proven ability to work in a sustained way and deliver results under pressure.
Qualifications/requirements
- Relevant tertiary qualifications in law and admission as a legal practitioner with a current practising certificate.
- Demonstrated executive level experience in the delivery of legal services for a large and complex organisation.
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 a Nationally Coordinated Criminal History Check (NCCHC) 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.
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, o
r are impacted by our work.