Office of the Children's Guardian

Reference number

req53380

Occupation

Legal and Justice

Work type

Full-Time

Location

Sydney Region

Salary Information

$265,293 - $290,239 inclusive of super

Closing date

19 August 2026 at 10:00am

Office of the Children’s Guardian

Director, Legal Services

- Exciting opportunity to lead the Office of the Children's Guardian's Legal Services function.
- Join a purpose driven organisation committed to keeping children and young people safe.
- Lead strategic legal, policy, advocacy and prosecution functions as a key member of the Executive Leadership Team.
- One full-time, ongoing role opportunity located at Strawberry Hills with hybrid / flexible working arrangements.
- PSSE Band 1 – Total Remuneration Package (TRP) from $265,293 to $290,239 per annum.

About the Office of Children’s Guardian

The Office of the Children’s Guardian (OCG) upholds NSW children and young people’s right to be safe by overseeing, regulating and monitoring organisations and individuals that provide services to children. We are guided by our values of integrity, trust, service, accountability, respect and empathy.

To about the Office of the Children’s Guardian, visit our website.

About the role

We are seeking an accomplished legal executive to join our Executive Leadership Team as Director, Legal Services.

Reporting directly to the Children's Guardian, this role provides strategic leadership across legal services, policy, advocacy, prosecutions and legislative reform. The Director, Legal Services is responsible for delivering expert legal advice to support organisational priorities, managing legal risk, and ensuring the OCG's regulatory and compliance functions operate effectively in a complex and evolving workplace.

This is an exciting opportunity for an experienced legal leader who can combine strategic thinking, sound judgment and operational excellence while leading a high-performing team and influencing outcomes across government.

We are seeking a motivated and resilient person to:





- Extensive senior leadership experience in complex legal and regulatory environments.
- Expertise in administrative law, regulatory compliance, investigations and prosecutions.
- Demonstrated success influencing policy development, advocacy initiatives and legislative reform.
- Proven ability to provide strategic legal advice on complex, highly sensitive and high-risk matters.
- Experience identifying and managing legal and regulatory risk within dynamic environments.
- Exceptional stakeholder engagement, negotiation and influencing skills.
- A collaborative leadership style with a strong commitment to developing capability, fostering accountability and driving continuous improvement.
- Strong strategic thinking skills with the ability to anticipate and respond to emerging legal, regulatory and government priorities.

Essential Requirements

- Tertiary qualifications in Law with admission as a legal practitioner and holding, or eligible to hold, an unrestricted NSW practising certificate.
- Extensive senior leadership experience in legal services, regulatory compliance, policy and prosecution functions.
- Demonstrated experience providing strategic legal advice to senior executives on complex legal and regulatory matters.
- All roles within the Office of the Children's Guardian are required to have a current Working with Children Check.
- Employment at the Office of the Children's Guardian is subject to the satisfactory completion of security and vetting checks.

For further information about the role, please view the role description.

Our commitment to Diversity

We welcome and encourage applications from people across our diverse community,



especially from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander applicants. We believe everyone has the right to feel safe, respected, valued and heard regardless of their gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity or disability.

The OCG encourages applications from people with disability and will provide reasonable adjustments in our recruitment processes and in the workplace.

If you require an adjustment in the recruitment process, please contact the OCG People and Culture team on (0 8219 3661 or [email protected] and advise of your preferred method of communication.

How to apply

When applying you will need to attach a cover letter (maximum 3 pages) which also addresses the two targeted questions below and an up-to-date resume (maximum 5 pages) in either Word or PDF format.

We are looking for you to demonstrate your competence in the focus capabilities as outlined in the role description, so please develop your response with this in mind.

Targeted questions

- Describe a highly complex or sensitive legal matter where you were required to provide strategic legal advice to senior decision-makers. What was the issue, what approach did you take, and what was the outcome?
- Provide an example of a significant policy, legislative reform, regulatory or compliance initiative that you have led or influenced. How did you engage stakeholders, manage competing interests and achieve the desired outcome?

Note: the selection process will include a range of assessment techniques to assist in determining your suitability for the role.

We encourage you to please email our contact Rachael Ward, Children’s Guardian, via [email protected] to discuss the role.

Applications closing date: Wednesday, 19 August 2026 at 10:00am

A talent pool may be created through this recruitment process. A talent pool is a group of applicants who have been assessed and identified as suitable for this role, and who may be considered for a range of similar roles, including temporary, term or ongoing roles, over the next 18 months.

📌 Director, Legal Services (Sydney)
🏢 Office of the Children's Guardian
📍 Sydney