Assistant Director, Regulatory Investigations and Enforcement

Australian Fair Work Commission – Sydney NSW

We are seeking an experienced Assistant Director, Regulatory Investigations and Enforcement (RIE) to join our Registered Organisations Services Branch (ROSB). Working in a dynamic and cohesive environment, the Assistant Director, RIE, will contribute to the Fair Work Commission’s (the Commission’s) regulatory functions by assisting our Director, Executive Director, RIE, and the Branch, to manage the multi-disciplinary complex investigations and rules teams.

As Assistant Director, you will provide high quality, consistent and timely advice relating to the General Manager’s registered organisations regulatory functions under the Fair Work (Registered Organisations) Act 2009. You will work collaboratively across the ROSB to contribute proactively to positive compliance outcomes and behave with integrity, enabling you to build trust and communicate with influence.

You will efficiently manage a multi-disciplinary team of lawyers and investigators (and potentially other specialists) who investigate potential contraventions of financial management obligations by registered organisations, and their officers and employees.

Where non-compliance has been identified, you will manage any relevant enforcement actions taken by the General Manager with a view to promoting the efficient management of registered organisations and the delivery of high standards of accountability to their members.

Legal qualifications and litigation experience, including briefing external law firms in a regulatory environment, are preferred noting that this role is primarily focused on management.

We are seeking an experienced Assistant Director, Regulatory Investigations and Enforcement (RIE) to join our Registered Organisations Services Branch (ROSB). Working in a dynamic and cohesive workplace, the Assistant Director, RIE, will contribute to the Fair Work Commission’s (the Commission’s) regulatory functions by assisting our Director, Executive Director, RIE, and the Branch, to manage the multi-disciplinary complex investigations and rules teams.

As Assistant Director, you will provide high quality, consistent and timely advice relating to the General Manager’s registered organisations regulatory functions under the Fair Work (Registered Organisations) Act 2009. You will work collaboratively across the ROSB to contribute proactively to positive compliance outcomes and behave with integrity,



enabling you to build trust and communicate with influence.

You will efficiently manage a multi-disciplinary team of lawyers and investigators (and potentially other specialists) who investigate potential contraventions of financial management obligations by registered organisations, and their officers and employees.

Where non-compliance has been identified, you will manage any relevant enforcement actions taken by the General Manager with a view to promoting the efficient management of registered organisations and the delivery of high standards of accountability to their members.

Legal qualifications and litigation experience, including briefing external law firms in a regulatory environment, are preferred noting that this role is primarily focused on management.

The key duties of the position include:

Reporting to the Director, RIE, ROSB, the duties of the Assistant Director, RIE include, but are not limited to:

- Leading and managing the conduct of civil penalty litigation against registered organisations, their officers, and employees, that shape the law and deter non-compliance with the RO Act. This includes briefing solicitors and supporting counsel to represent the General Manager in the Federal Court.
- Managing the provision of in-house legal advice relating to the General Manager’s regulatory functions and powers under the RO Act in respect of the regulation of registered organisations.
- Managing a small multi-disciplinary team, including lawyers, advisors and investigators, to investigate complex allegations of regulatory non-compliance by registered organisations and their officers and staff.
- Advising on, preparing for, and supporting the General Manager’s investigative and enforcement powers, including compulsory information gathering powers, and the appropriate use of infringement notices, enforceable undertakings, and civil penalty litigation.
- Developing investigation and enforcement strategies and internal and external policy and resources to support the functioning of the branch.




- Driving efficiencies and operational performance including with respect to innovative or novel processes to promote the effective and timely operation of the Complex Investigations functions.
- Working with a collection of stakeholders across a range of areas within the branch, the Commission, the legal profession, the Courts, other government agencies, and the wider public sector.
- Other duties as directed by the Director, RIE, ROSB.

Eligibility

Citizenship: The Fair Work Commission requires Australian citizenship as a condition of engagement.

National Police Check: To be eligible for employment with the Commission, the successful applicant must undergo and satisfy a National Police Check.

Notes

This recruitment process is being used to fill both ongoing and non-ongoing positions.

A merit pool of suitable applicants may be created from this process and will be active for 18 months from the date of this advertisement. We may choose to use this merit pool to fill further ongoing and non-ongoing vacancies.

Non-ongoing vacancies may be filled for maximum period of 2 years.

The Fair Work Commission has a broad range of functions relating to the workplace and seeks to discharge these functions in a way that best meets the needs of our community with a focus on access to justice. As an employer, the Commission values diverse views and backgrounds, including

First Nations Australians, mature age workers, people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, carers, LGBTQIA+, people with disability and people who are neurodiverse. Our aim is to create a workforce that reflects the community in which we live. We also welcome conversations about working flexibly.

Getting to know the Fair Work Commission

The Fair Work Commission (Commission) is the national workplace relations tribunal. It is an independent body with power to carry out a range of functions relating to:

- The safety net of minimum wages and employment conditions
- Enterprise bargaining
- Industrial action
- Dispute resolution
- Anti-bullying
- Termination of employment
- Registered Organisations.

The Commission is a statutory authority with offices in each State and Territory. The majority of staff are based in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane. Commission staff are employed under the provisions of the Public Service Act 1999, which means they must uphold the APS Values and abide by the APS Code of Conduct. Employment conditions are set out in the Fair Work Commission Enterprise Agreement 2024-2027.

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📌 Assistant Director, Regulatory Investigations and Enforcement (New South Wales)
🏢 Australian Fair Work Commission
📍 New South Wales