Overview
Work Type: Ongoing - Full-time
Salary: Salary not specified
Grade: Grade in advertisement
Occupation: Legal
Location: Melbourne - CBD and Inner Metro suburbs
Reference: VG/5562
WCIRS reviews disputed workers’ compensation decisions in a manner that ensures fair, reasonable and sustainable outcomes that assist WorkSafe to support workers through their recovery and provide effective occupational rehabilitation and early return to work through suitable employment opportunities.
The Senior Legal Counsel/Senior Independent Review Officer is expected to undertake a high level of complex investigative and analytical work that has significant implications across WorkSafe Victoria operations while working within clear and established management systems, legislative/regulatory provisions and professional standards.
$168,512.00 per annum + 12% superannuation
Full time, ongoing opportunities
Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung/Melbourne CBD based role (hybrid work from home – 3 days in office)
Key accountabilities
- Investigate and determine applications for review of disputed WorkSafe agent decisions and other WorkSafe decisions in a fair, reasonable and timely manner.
- Supports Lead Counsel of WCIRS in sustainable decision-making relating to workers' compensation claims and entitlements.
- Engages and consults with relevant internal and external stakeholders in the operation of the independent review function, including the development of processes, precedents and training of relevant non-statutory independent review staff and associated internal stakeholders.
- Gather and analyse information relating to quality decision making frameworks, procedures, processes and policies which will facilitate the design and implementation of the non-statutory review function.
- Build and maintain collaborative working relationships with internal stakeholders and provide support and learning opportunities relating to or arising out of a non-statutory review.
- Write clear and logical decisions setting out the basis for decision, relevant findings of fact and the material on which those findings were based.
About you
You have demonstrated experience as a technical expert or a complex specialist as a legal advocate or policy specialist in the Victorian workers' compensation framework. Your written and verbal communication skills will be highly developed and you will have the ability to work independently with minimal supervision in an environment of internal and stakeholder pressure, and deadlines.
More specifically you will have:
- Highly developed and demonstrated knowledge of the Workplace Injury Rehabilitation and Compensation Act (Vic) 2013 and the Victorian workers' compensation statutory framework.
- Highly developed alternative dispute resolution, conflict resolution and facilitation skills.
- Demonstrated ability to provide solutions for defined functional objectives to improve current practices.
- Demonstrated capacity to deal with a wide range of stakeholders effectively, empathetically and tactfully in the review context, including workers, employers, decision-makers, the legal profession and other external stakeholder representatives.
Highly Desirable
- Sound understanding of the principles of administrative review, and their application to the WorkSafe review context.
- Understanding of the principles of statutory interpretation and legal precedent.
- A tertiary undergraduate degree in law or equivalent.
- Post-legal admission experience of 7 years in Victorian compensation litigation and/or administrative review.
Applications close 11:00pm on Friday 3rd July 2026. Click the link to apply and join us in making a difference to Victorian lives.