Overview
About The Department Of Employment And Workplace Relations
We are committed to empowering futures, ensuring rights and enriching lives. We support people to have safe, secure and well-paid work with the skills for a sustainable future as we ourselves strive to be a model employer. We provide the framework for fair and productive relationships between employers and employees. We also oversee skills development and training initiatives to support those entering the workforce or re-training to take advantage of emerging employment opportunities. With us, your work directly contributes to shaping the employment landscape. Whether you are engaging in policy development, program implementation, or direct support services, your efforts will have a tangible impact on job seekers, employees and the economy by giving them a framework to build a future anchored and realised through employment. It is our ambition to do things differently, to create the 'department of great jobs'– where our people reflect our purpose.
The Role
Are you a high achiever with a passion for administrative law—someone who thrives under deadlines, thinks strategically, and builds strong working relationships? If so, you may be the perfect addition to our well established and highly respected Information Law team.
This collegiate, high performing team supports staff across the department by providing expert advice on the Privacy Act 1988, the Freedom of Information Act 1982, the Data Availability and Transparency Act 2022 and the secrecy provisions across our portfolio legislation. The team also responds to the department's Freedom of Information (FOI) requests and provides advice to the FOI requests received by the relevant ministers and delivers key privacy policy functions, including work related to Artificial Intelligence, data sharing and supporting the department's privacy champion.
Given the department's broad responsibilities for employment, skills, workplace relations, and the overseas workforce, our work is diverse, fast paced, and intellectually rewarding.
If you're looking for meaningful work, a collaborative team environment, and opportunities to develop your expertise across the spectrum of information law, we would love to hear from you.
Duties and Responsibilities
Responsibilities of the Senior Government Lawyer – EL1 may include:
* Apply and grow your statutory interpretation and administrative law expertise while partnering closely with business areas to deliver practical, solution focused legal advice on complex and high profile matters.
* Strengthen your decision making skills by processing privacy and FOI requests and responding by way of drafting submissions relating to FOI decisions to external review bodies such as the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner and the Administrative Review Tribunal.
* Build your professional network by delivering training on information law to internal and external stakeholders—including ministerial staff—and contributing to privacy inter agency forums hosted by the team.
* Foster your leaderships skills by mentoring and supervising junior staff.
Qualifications And Education
* A degree in laws 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 the Supreme Court of an Australian State or Territory.
* Eligibility to obtain and hold a restricted or unrestricted Government practising certificate.
How to Apply
Applicants are required to provide a summary (no more than 500 words) that outlines skills, knowledge, and experience and why you should be considered for this vacancy. You should take into consideration the position overview (including any detailed position specific requirements) when drafting your response. Where possible include specific relevant examples of your work.
The APS work level standards accommodate the diversity of roles across the APS and are structured to clearly differentiate between the work expected (i.e. responsibilities and duties) at each classification level.
In the eRecruit (the department's online recruitment system) you will also need to:
* upload a Curriculum Vitae
* provide contact details for 2 Referees.
Eligibility
Don't meet all the role requirements?
At DEWR we are dedicated to building a diverse and inclusive workforce and seek to recruit staff with a wide range of backgrounds, skill levels, disciplines and working styles. If this role resonates with you and you are excited about making an impact, but your past experience doesn't align perfectly, we encourage you to apply anyway.
Citizenship - to be eligible for employment with the Department, you must be an Australian Citizen or, in limited circumstances, in the process of obtaining it.
Security Clearance - our successful candidate is required to hold, or have the ability to obtain, and maintain a Baseline security clearance.
Please refer to the Job Information Pack for more information about the role.
How to apply for jobs in the Australian Public Service (APSC Guide) Opens in new window
Job Information Pack Opens in new window
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