Senior Employment Lawyer - Leading University - Melbourne
Why is this a great role?
As a Senior Employment Lawyer, you will play a key role within a well-established, high-performing in-house legal team that supports a large and complex organisation with a highly unionised workforce.
This role has been newly created as part of a strategic decision to bring senior employment and workplace relations capability in-house.
You will be trusted to provide strategic, high-level advice on complex employment and industrial relations matters and to act as a key legal adviser to senior stakeholders across the organisation.
You will have genuine influence, autonomy and visibility, working on matters that are business-critical and often high risk.
This organisation also offers strong public sector conditions, including excellent superannuation and genuine work-life balance.
How will this role develop your career?
The General Counsel considers mentorship and training as paramount. You will work closely with senior legal leaders and will have the opportunity to operate as a subject-matter expert within employment and workplace relations law.
This role is well suited to a senior employment lawyer looking to step into a
trusted adviser role
, with scope to help shape the employment law function, mentor other lawyers, and influence how employment risk is managed across a large organisation.
The role offers long-term career stability, seniority and progression within a sizeable, well-resourced in-house legal function.
Why do lawyers like working here?
This organisation is a large, highly respected university. Lawyers working in the legal team highlight the quality and complexity of the work, exposure to senior decision-makers, a supportive and collegiate culture, and genuinely reasonable hours.
The organisation also offers remuneration and benefits that compare very favourably with private practice, including
17% superannuation
and public sector conditions.
What work will you do?
In addition to what's mentioned above, you will:
• Provide strategic employment law and workplace relations advice on complex matters
• Act as a senior legal contact for HR and Workplace Relations teams
• Support the management of employment-related disputes and litigation
• Draft, review and negotiate complex employment documentation
• Assist with risk mitigation and policy development
• Mentor and support other lawyers within the legal team
• Manage external legal counsel
What type of person will be successful?
• Admitted as a solicitor in Australia
• 10+ years experience in employment law and workplace relations
• In-house experience is highly regarded
• Strong stakeholder management skills at senior levels
• Pragmatic, calm and solutions-focused approach
• Comfortable operating in a large, complex and unionised environment
• A willingness to take ownership of matters and lead by example
Please apply below or send your CV to
to arrange a confidential discussion.
If this role isn't quite right for you, but you're interested in other roles, please get in contact. We have live roles across Sydney in both private practice and in-house.