Work Type: Ongoing - Full-time
Salary: $116,413 - $140,849
Grade: VPS 5
Occupation: Legal
Location: Melbourne - CBD and Inner Metro suburbs
Reference: VG/DE/PES/1945497
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 – ongoing, fulltime
An exceptional opportunity has arisen for an experienced lawyer to further progress their legal career by working in an outstanding legal team in the Department of Eduction's Legal Division known as the Administrative Disputes and Inquiries (ADI) unit.
The ADI unit provides a broad range of advice focusing on administrative disputes, investigations and inquiries along with complex case support for schools. The unit focuses on support for the department and schools in relation to administrative review and dispute resolution processes, including in relation to freedom of information, privacy and the School Community Safety Order Scheme.
The ADI unit is also the primary team responsible for managing coronial investigations, child death inquiries, royal commissions, boards of inquiry, parliamentary inquiries and other significant investigations. In addition, the ADI unit provides legal support to the department's Complex Matters Support Team, advises on early childhood regulation and manages discrimination and occupational health and safety matters, where capacity requires.
The Senior Lawyer will be a part of a dynamic team of high performing lawyers and senior lawyers and will report to two principal lawyer & managers. They will be responsible for specialist legal advice in the areas of expertise relevant to the ADI unit and Workplace and Education Law branch, and may be asked to adopt a mentoring role to more junior lawyers.
Why join us?
How to apply
Applicants are required to submit a CV and a cover letter summarising their skills and experience (no more than two pages).
Please refer to the relevant position description attached.
Visit How to apply (careers.vic.gov.au) for guidelines and tips for applying for government positions.
Further Information
For more details regarding this position please see attached position description for the capabilities to address in application.
The department values diversity and inclusion in all forms - gender, religion, ethnicity, LGBTIQ+, disability and neurodiversity. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander candidates are strongly encouraged to apply. For more information about our work, working for the Department, diversity and inclusion, and our employment conditions visit the Department website and our Diversity and Inclusion page
Applicants requiring adjustments can contact the nominated contact person.
Information about the Department of Education's operations and employment conditions can be located at www.education.vic.gov.au.
For a confidential discussion, please phone Kate Dougherty, Principal Lawyer and Manager, (03) 7022 0918, Administrative Disputes and Inquiries unit.
Preferred applicants may be required to complete a police check and may be subject to other pre-employment checks. Information provided to the Department of Education will be treated in the strictest confidence.
Please let us know via phone or email if you require any adjustments to ensure your full participation in the recruitment process or if you need the ad or any attachments in an accessible format (e.g large print) due to any viewing difficulties or other accessibility requirements.
Applications close 11:59pm on Thursday 17 September 2026.