Work Type: Ongoing - Full-time
Salary: $138,631 - $185,518
Grade: VPS 6
Occupation: Legal
Location: Melbourne - CBD and Inner Metro suburbs
Reference: VG/DE/PES/1871502
About us
The Department of Education (the department) is responsible for delivering and regulating state-wide learning and development services to approximately one-third of all Victorians across the early childhood and school education sectors. The department is also one of Victoria's biggest employers, with approximately 80,000 teaching staff and around 5,000 public service employees.
The Legal Division provides highly valued legal services to support the delivery of the department's strategic objectives, key reforms and to manage legal risk. In doing so, Legal Division provides direct, practical and strategic legal advice to portfolio ministers, the secretary, other senior staff and over 1,600 government schools, supporting approximately over 650,000 Victorian Government school students.
About the role - 1 x ongoing, and 1 x fixed term until 30 June 2026
Two rare and exciting opportunities have arisen to work as a Principal Lawyer for the Workplace Discrimination and Disputes (WDD) Unit in the Workplace and Education Law Branch of the Department of Education's Legal Division.
The WDD unit advises on and manages discrimination, human rights, employment, occupational health and safety matters and other government litigation (eg FOI and privacy).
The Principal Lawyer will be responsible for specialist technical and strategic legal advice in the areas of law relevant to the WDD Unit and for settling and supervising the work of other lawyers in accordance with the department's values and objectives.
The Principal Lawyer role encompasses a wide range of matters including managing significant, sensitive and high profile litigation in Commissions, Courts and Tribunals and briefing external firms and sometimes directly briefing barristers. The role may undertake some advocacy and representation in the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal, the Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission, the Australian Human Rights Commission, the Fair Work Commission, the Federal Court, Disciplinary Appeals Board and Merit Protection Boards as well as the Supreme Court of Victoria.
Why join us?
How to Apply
For more information, please review the attached position description.
Applicants are required to submit a CV and a cover letter (no more than 2 pages).
For a confidential discussion regarding the role please contact Lucy Guthrie, Executive Director, 03 7022 0925.
Visit http://www.careers.vic.gov.au/vacancies/tips-for-applying for guidelines and tips for applying for government positions.
Applications close 11:59pm on 15-JUL-2025.