Work where the law is practiced with integrity, and culture leads the way
* Competitive annual salary circa $170,000 PLUS Super and Up to $15,899 tax-free salary packaging
* Relocation assistance is negotiable for the right candidate
* Time Off In Lieu (TOIL) provided for travel outside standard hours
* Flights and Accommodation covered by NAAFLS for work-related travel
* $1,000 Annual training budget for professional development
* Monthly RDOs & Access to Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
About North Australian Aboriginal Family Legal Service (NAAFLS)
NAAFLS is an Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisation and an independent Family Violence Prevention Legal Service. We provide holistic legal and non-legal support to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander victim-survivors of domestic, family, and sexual violence (DFSV) in more than 45 remote communities across the Top End, East Arnhem, Big Rivers and Central Desert regions of the Northern Territory.
NAAFLS is guided by principles of Cultural Respect, Collaboration, Trust, and Courage. As a leading authority on DFSV in the Northern Territory, we advocate for systemic change while walking alongside the communities we serve.
For more information, visit
Are You the Leader We're Looking For?
To be eligible, you must be admitted as a legal practitioner in Australia and be eligible to hold (or hold) a Northern Territory practising certificate, with significant post-admission experience and strong expertise in Family Law, Domestic and Family Violence, and Child Protection.
The following experience and capabilities will be highly valued:
* Proven legal leadership experience managing teams across multiple locations
* Experience working with or within Aboriginal community-controlled organisations
* Ability to collaborate within multidisciplinary and bicultural teams
* Demonstrated strategic thinking and policy development capability
* Strong communication, people management, and organisational skills
* Familiarity with risk management, legal compliance, and quality systems
* Experience with legal practice in trauma-informed or culturally sensitive contexts
As our ideal candidate, you'll bring humility, adaptability, and integrity to your leadership. You listen before speaking, value lived experience, and work collaboratively with Aboriginal colleagues and communities. You're ready for the unique rewards and challenges of legal leadership in the NT and committed to building long-term, systemic impact.
Your Role in Leading with Purpose
NAAFLS is looking for a full-time Principal Legal Officer (PLO) based in Darwin, NT. This is a dual-focused leadership role that combines executive-level strategy and governance with hands-on line management of legal staff in Darwin and oversight of legal operations across Katherine and Nhulunbuy. You'll be responsible for both setting high-level legal direction and ensuring the day-to-day delivery of trauma-informed, culturally safe legal services.
More specifically, your responsibilities include but are not limited to:
* Providing strategic leadership and governance of the legal practice across Darwin, Katherine, and Nhulunbuy
* Managing legal services in line with professional standards, quality systems, and funding compliance
* Supervising and mentoring legal staff, including 5 - 6 direct reports across a team of approximately 12 legal professionals
* Ensuring culturally appropriate, trauma-informed legal practice alongside Aboriginal case workers
* Overseeing risk management, law reform, policy development, and reporting to the CEO and Board
* Participating in organisational strategic planning and contributing to integrated service delivery
* Undertaking light travel to NAAFLS offices in Katherine and Nhulunbuy, typically 1–2 trips per month, primarily to support team operations rather than manage a client caseload
Why Leadership Looks Different Here
At NAAFLS, leadership is about partnership, cultural humility, and genuine collaboration. This is not just another senior legal role. It is an opportunity to be part of a community-first organisation that redefines what legal leadership looks like in practice.
Here, we believe in walking alongside, not ahead. Rather than being the sole decision-maker, you will be part of a model that values Aboriginal knowledge and lived experience equally with legal expertise. Our lawyers work closely with Aboriginal caseworkers, delivering holistic, culturally safe services that reflect the real needs of our communities.
This approach calls for someone who is not only highly skilled in law but also grounded, adaptable, and people-focused. Someone who listens first, values relationships, and brings others along in the process. You will thrive if you enjoy building systems and structure, and also understand when to let lived experience guide the way.
With a laid-back yet purpose-driven team culture, you'll work closely with colleagues across programs and leadership to embed culturally safe, people-first legal practice.
About the Benefits
Compensation based on skills and experience, is a competitive annual salary circa $170,000 PLUS Super, and a host of excellent benefits including:
* Up to $15,899 tax-free salary packaging
* Relocation assistance is negotiable for the right candidate
* 6 week' annual leave + 17.5% leave loading
* Time Off In Lieu (TOIL) provided for travel outside standard hours
* Flights and Accommodation covered by NAAFLS for work-related travel
* Paid parental leave (6 weeks after 12 months of service)
* Access to fleet vehicles - for both work and personal use
* $1,000 annual training budget for professional development
* Monthly RDOs & Access to Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
* Off-site counselling and cultural supervision support available
* Access to uniform, laptop, iPhone, and all tools required for the role
* 4WD training, First Aid training, and cultural competency training included
Ready to lead with purpose and shape a more just future?
APPLY NOW to join NAAFLS and help deliver trusted, culturally safe legal services across the Top End