APS6 - General Commercial Lawyer, Commercial

Job Description

The Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts (department ) is responsible for the design and delivery of the Australian Government's infrastructure, transport, regional development, communications and arts policies and programs. Our work touches every Australian community and underpins our economy and society. Our focus is on connecting Australians, enriching communities, and empowering our regions. We do this by providing policy advice to government, and delivering programs, services and research for the benefit of all Australians. The Legal, Legislation Liaison and Privacy Division in the department provides high quality, technically excellent, and practical legal advice, support and services to the department and Ministers’ offices, on the diverse areas covered by the portfolio. The Division’s Commercial Law and Privacy branch is seeking several dynamic and talented APS6 (2+ years PQE) commercial lawyers to join our growing fast-paced legal practice. Our ideal candidates will have excellent written and oral communication and interpersonal skills and a proactive and enquiring mindset to enable and deliver high quality commercial legal services. Reporting to a Senior Lawyer in the Commercial Law team, these newly created roles will collaborate across the department to deliver Australian Government outcomes that are crucial to the wellbeing of Australians and the prosperity of the nation. This is an opportunity to advance your career and/or gain experience working in the Australia Public Service on important and complex matters. The Commercial Law team provides a broad range of legal services to the department, including advising on a wide array of general commercial law matters as well as major government projects. Particular areas of focus for the team include: major infrastructure projects, including air, road and rail (such as the Western Sydney Airport, Moorebank Intermodal Freight Terminal and WestConnex); regional development initiatives and grants; the administration of offshore non-self-governing Australian territories; communications and technology services; broader corporate and procurement services for the department; aviation, maritime and road transport; and grants to support Australian culture and arts. What will you do? Working closely with Senior Lawyers, Principal Lawyers and the General Counsel – Commercial and Privacy, you will be responsible for: taking carriage of commercial law matters, proactively identifying legal risks and providing timely and effective legal advice to assist the department achieve its objectives; drafting, reviewing and negotiating key transaction and supporting contracts; supporting the development and maintenance of the department’s commercial law precedents; partnering with internal stakeholders to inform, design and deliver effective and efficient legal options and solutions that meet the department’s requirements; efficiently manage the procurement of external legal services to ensure they provide value for money to the department; and contributing to team and organisational level continuous improvement and skills/capacity building initiatives, including by supporting internal training to the department on commercial law issues from time to time. We actively support flexible work arrangements. The preference for the role is for a full-time position, however we are open to part-time applicants noting this may result in a job-share arrangement. We are flexible in terms of allowing home-based work for part of the week subject to performance, operational needs and upon discussion with your supervising Principal Lawyer. Who are we looking for? The successful candidate for this position will be able to demonstrate their capability against the APS6 Work level standards. In addition to the requirements in the ‘Eligibility requirements’ section below, our ideal candidate will: have 2+ years of relevant post qualification legal practice experience, gained in a law firm, an in-house environment or in government; have experience in advising on, drafting, reviewing and/or negotiating a range of commercial arrangements; be flexible, resilient and a strong team player with excellent verbal and written communication skills and the ability to develop strong and collaborative working relationships with colleagues and stakeholders (of all levels); possess good attention to detail and, under limited supervision, be responsible for delivering and prioritising high quality work outcomes in a fast-paced environment; be able to quickly develop an understanding of the policy and legislative/regulatory framework in which the department operates as well as its strategic and operational objectives; be proactive and possess an agile mindset and strong problem-solving skills; operate with integrity and always conduct themselves in accordance with the department’s values; strive to continuously improve and develop their technical legal and other skills (including by responding to constructive feedback); and While not essential, our ideal candidate would also have legal experience assisting with or advising on: the resolution of commercial disputes; real property, environment and/or planning matters; intellectual property and ICT matters; and/or Commonwealth policy and legislative/regulatory frameworks. Eligibility requirements Employment with the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts is subject to conditions prescribed within the Public Service Act 1999 including: Citizenship : To be eligible for employment with the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts applicants must be an Australian citizen. Health Assessment : The preferred applicant may be required to undergo a medical examination conducted by the department’s preferred medical provider. Security Clearance: The successful candidate must be able to obtain and/or maintain a security clearance at Baseline Level. You must be willing to disclose all relevant and required information. You must have lived in Australia, or have a checkable background, for at least the preceding five years for Baseline Vetting clearances. More information on the security clearance vetting process is available on the Australian Government Security Vetting Agency (AGSVA) website. Qualifications: Tertiary degree in law from an Australian tertiary institution, or a comparable overseas qualification which is appropriate to the duties of the position. Admission as a legal practitioner , however described, of the High Court or of the Supreme Court of an Australian State or Territory and hold, or be eligible to obtain, a practising certificate in the relevant jurisdiction. #J-18808-Ljbffr