Job Title Reach Legal Consultant | Senior Government Lawyer | Melbourne Location Melbourne Description
The Opportunity
Join a leading organisation in a role that will strengthen your legal career.
Duration:
6-8 months
Arrangement:
Full time (hybrid)
Location:
Melbourne
About You
You are an experienced commercial lawyer with a minimum of 8 years' experience, bringing a strong track record of working within government entities.
Your Experience & Expertise:
Significant experience in a senior in-house legal leadership role within a Government department, statutory authority or public sector organisation (government experience is essential)
Proven experience leading, managing and developing high-performing legal teams, including mentoring senior lawyers, allocating resources and overseeing complex legal workstreams
Demonstrated ability to act as Head of Legal or equivalent, providing strategic oversight of legal operations, triaging matters and ensuring efficient management of legal risk across the organisation
Extensive experience advising on public sector legal issues, including Freedom of Information (FOI), privacy, government reporting obligations, governance and administrative law matters
Experience influencing senior stakeholders and navigating complex government and public sector environments with competing policy, operational and legal considerations
Demonstrated ability to interpret and advise on complex legal and policy issues, distilling them into concise, authoritative and actionable recommendations
Experience leading organisational change, maintaining team performance and ensuring continuity of legal services during periods of transition




Well-developed negotiation and stakeholder management skills, with experience engaging government agencies, regulators, external advisers and senior executives
Proven ability to establish priorities, manage competing demands and oversee the delivery of high-quality legal services across a broad corporate function
Attributes:
Strategic and commercially minded leader with the ability to see both the broader organisational picture and critical legal risks
Strong people leader with a demonstrated ability to motivate, mentor and develop legal professionals while fostering a positive and high-performing team culture
Calm, decisive and confident decision-maker who can quickly triage matters and provide clear direction in a complex operating setting
Highly influential communicator with the ability to engage, advise and challenge senior executives and stakeholders effectively
Exceptional judgement and political acumen, particularly when navigating sensitive government, governance and reputational matters
Solutions-focused and pragmatic, with a strong ability to balance legal risk, policy objectives and operational realities
Collaborative and relationship-driven, with the ability to build credibility and trust across all levels of an organisation
Excellent analytical and conceptual thinking skills,



with the ability to rapidly understand complex issues and formulate strategic responses
Strong stakeholder management capability, including the ability to negotiate, influence and build consensus among diverse internal and external parties
Approachable and supportive leadership style, providing clear direction, guidance and coaching to build team capability and performance
Requirements:
Current Australian practising certificate
Right to live and work in Australia
About Reach
Reach is the flexible legal resourcing platform of Ashurst Perkins Coie, a global law firm with more than 3,500 legal professionals across 52 offices. Sitting within Advance, the firm's NewLaw division, we place lawyers and professionals where they're needed most — whether our clients need to meet a surge in demand, cover leave, bridge a recruitment gap, or bring in specialist expertise.
Why join Reach?
Reach gives you the flexibility to build a career that fits your life — not the other way around. We work with talented consultants across a broad range of specialties, matching the right people with the right opportunities.
Here's what you can expect as a Reach consultant:
Flexibility and choice
— control over how, when, and where you work, on terms that suit your life.
A genuine partnership
— a dedicated Reach team who will get to know you and actively champion your career goals.
The backing of a global firm
— the resources, reputation, and culture of Ashurst Perkins Coie, including access to clients doing market-leading work and a refreshingly open and inclusive community.
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📌 Reach Legal Consultant | Senior Government Lawyer | Melbourne
🏢 Ashurst
📍 Melbourne