LEGAL COUNSEL – INSTITUTIONAL TRANSACTIONS - 6 Month Contract

- Join an organisation that has been proudly recognised and certified as a Great Place to Work for five consecutive years
- Hybrid work workplace
- Initial Temporary 6-month contract

Export Finance Australia (EFA) is Australia's export credit agency. For almost 70 years, we have proudly helped hundreds of small, medium and large Australian businesses take on global opportunities. Our purpose is to support Australian export trade and overseas infrastructure development that delivers benefits to Australia.

We provide financial expertise and solutions to drive sustainable growth. Through our loans, bonds, guarantees and project and structured finance solutions, we enable small and medium-sized enterprises, corporates and governments to take on export-related opportunities. We also support infrastructure development in the Pacific region and beyond.

The Legal Counsel, Institutional is a legal role responsible for providing accurate, timely, cost effective and commercial expert legal advice and guidance in relation to EFA’s institutional financing transactions.

This includes responsibility for advising on EFA’s mandate to enter into transactions (such as loans, guarantees, bonds, equity investments, structured products), assisting with the negotiation and settlement of transaction documents and their ongoing management, and liaising with key internal and external stakeholders. The role may encompass assistance with new product development and risk transfer activities (including participation agreements and reinsurance).

THE ROLE

Location: Sydney

Role Type: Full-time – 6 month contract

- Legal advice: Provide expert legal advice on Transactions, including compliance with the Export Finance and Insurance Corporation Act 1991 (Cth) (EFIC Act) and other applicable Commonwealth government laws and regulations, Ministerial directions, and international instruments.

- Transactional support: Collaborate with the Institutional business units to structure, negotiate and review documentation for Transactions, ensuring alignment with EFA’s mandate and objectives.

- Legal risk management:

- Assist in identifying, assessing and mitigating legal risks associated with Transactions, providing recommendations and implementing legal risk management strategies.

- Collaborate closely with:
- relevant internal stakeholders, including the Managing Counsels, Deputy General Counsels, the Chief Investment Officer Institutional and their team, Portfolio Management, Credit and the Government & International Relations team




- external legal advisers and
- Government agencies and departments,

to address legal issues and risks relating to Transactions.
- Training: Conduct and/or arrange training sessions and develop materials to enhance the legal knowledge and awareness of issues and practices applicable to Transactions.

- Maintain awareness of current legal developments: Monitor changes in laws and regulations related to Transactions and the Reserve, ensuring EFA remains informed and, in conjunction with the Legal and Compliance functions, compliant with applicable legal requirements.

- Compliance: Comply with and implement applicable EFA governance, risk frameworks, policies and procedures.

- Supporting Managing Counsels, Deputy General Counsel and General Counsel: Assist the Managing Counsels, Deputy General Counsel, Transactions and General Counsel in:
- the provision of advice and the preparation of reports to EFA’s Executive and Board; and
- managing relationships with external legal advisers, ensuring efficiency, quality and cost-effectiveness.

QUALIFICATIONS & SKILLS

- At least 5 years post qualification in-house experience in a large financial institution/corporate or top/mid-tier law firm in banking and finance law.
- Finance experience should include exposure to corporate, project, asset or acquisition financing transactions.
- Strong communication and interpersonal skills with the ability to effectively communicate complex legal matters to both legal and non-legal stakeholders.
- Excellent technical legal skills, including drafting, negotiation and strong analytical skills with strong attention to detail.
- Experience with stakeholder management and building strong relationships with cross-functional teams.
- Ability to work independently, manage multiple priorities, and meet deadlines in a fast-paced and dynamic environment.
- Current practicing certificate as a solicitor in NSW or another Australian jurisdiction.

Even if you haven’t ticked every box but this role resonates with you, don't rule yourself out just yet, we'd love to hear from you!

OUR PERKS & CULTURE

We are small enough to have an impact,



BIG enough to make a world of difference and it starts with our people.

We support flexible working and pride ourselves in fostering a culture that is inclusive, diverse and collaborative. We are proud to be certified as a Great Place to Work, recognised on the 2023 AFR BOSS Best Places to Work list and listed as one of Australia’s Best Workplaces for Women in 2025.

In line with our commitment to our people, we have a comprehensive array of perks available to our employees:

- Generous leave provisions (e.g. Annual Wellbeing day) & leave purchase opportunities
- 18 weeks paid parental leave for primary care givers
- Thorough induction onboarding program
- Fitness Passport along with other Health & Wellbeing initiatives
- Gender affirmation leave
- Income Protection Insurance
- Community volunteering
- and many more!

Our head office is based in Sydney CBD, and we have a national presence across Melbourne, Canberra, Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide.

ELIGIBILITY

Australian Citizenship - To be eligible to apply for this position, applicants must hold Australian Citizenship at the time of application.

Security Clearance - To be eligible to apply for this position, applicants must be able to obtain and maintain a Baseline security clearance.

SOUND LIKE YOU? APPLY!

Applications close: Friday 11 September, 2026

Interviews will occur in parallel, so please apply ASAP.

Enquiries: [email protected] To apply, please click ‘apply’ or email your CV to [email protected]

By choosing to apply, you agree to the recruitment privacy policy.

We invite and welcome applications from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, people from diverse cultural backgrounds, people with disability and members of the LGBTQIA+ community.

If you are a candidate with a disability, let us know how we can provide you with additional support.

ABOUT EXPORT FINANCE AUSTRALIA The reason our people join us, stay with us and grow with us is because they wholeheartedly believe in our purpose. They can see the impact we create for our customers.

We are a highly purpose-driven organisation. We seek to create an inclusive culture that values our customers and employees. Our people are expected to champion this and play a key role in achieving those outcomes. In working towards our strategy, our people display our IMPACT leadership behaviours of Frank & Fearless, Dexterous & Agile and Careful & Diligent For more information about us, please refer to our website.

Applications from recruitment agencies will not be considered on this occasion.

📌 Legal Counsel, Institutional (Sydney)
🏢 Export Finance Australia
📍 Sydney