APS6 - General Commercial and/or Property Lawyers, Commercial Law (multiple positions)

Title:

APS6 - General Commercial and/or Property Lawyers, Commercial Law (multiple positions)

Classification(s):

APS Level 6

Employment Type:

Ongoing, Full Time

Salary:

$99,733 - $118,084 per annum plus 15.4% superannuation

Business Division:

Legal & Integrity

Branch / Section:

Commercial, Commercial Law Team

Location:

We want to recruit the best people to our department. Our roles support versatile work arrangements including the opportunity to work from one of our departmental offices and hybrid (mixture of office and home-based work).

These roles are located in Canberra; Brisbane; Melbourne; Sydney A merit pool may be formed and used to fill future similar vacancies in these locations and other locations within the same metropolitan area.

Security Clearance:

Baseline Vetting

Job Reference No:

48131

Contact Officer:

Mahoney Smith on 02 6136 8353, [email protected]

Kate McKenzie on 0400 706 457, [email protected]

Closing Date:

11.59pm AEDT, Sunday 4 October 2026

We actively seek to reflect the diversity of the Australian community in our workforce. We encourage applications from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, people with disability and/or who are neurodivergent, people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds and members of the LGBTQIA+ community, including people of all genders and gender identities. We uphold gender equality as a core organisational value.

If you’re interested in the role but feel uncertain, we still encourage you to apply if you feel your passions, transferable skills and valuable experience align with this position.

The chance we have available

The Legal and Integrity Division in the department provides high quality, technically excellent, and practical legal advice, support and services to the department and Ministers’ offices, in the diverse areas covered by the portfolio.

The Legal and Integrity Division’s Commercial Law and Real Property teams are seeking several dynamic and talented APS6 commercial lawyers with some relevant previous legal practice experience to join our growing and fast-paced legal practice. Applicants should have excellent written and oral communication and interpersonal skills and possess the proactive and enquiring mindset needed to deliver high quality commercial legal services to the department.

Successful applicants will collaborate with internal and external stakeholders to deliver key Australian Government outcomes that are crucial to the wellbeing of Australians and the prosperity of our nation. This is a unique opportunity to advance your career and gain experience advising on some of the most important and complex commercial projects within the Australian Public Service (APS).

Working within the Commercial Law team, you will deliver a broad range of legal services to the department, including advising on a wide array of commercial and real property law matters as well as major government projects. Some of the primary areas of focus for the team are:

- major infrastructure projects, including air, road and rail projects (such as the Western Sydney Airport, Moorebank Intermodal Freight Terminal and WestConnex);
- regional development initiatives and grants;
- administration of and provision of infrastructure and services to Australia’s non-self-governing territories such as Christmas Island, Norfolk Island and Jervis Bay;
- communications and technology services including, but not limited to, national broadband and mobile projects;
- significant departmental corporate activities, including ICT procurements;
- aviation, maritime and road transport projects such as a pilot Strategic Fleet of maritime vessels;
- support of Australian culture and arts; and
- facilitating national sporting initiatives, including the 2032 Brisbane Olympics.

What you will do

Working closely with Senior Lawyers, Principal Lawyers and the General Counsel - Commercial, you will be responsible for:

- taking carriage of commercial and/or real property law matters, proactively identifying legal risks and providing timely and effective legal advice to assist the department achieve its objectives;
- drafting, reviewing and negotiating key transaction and supporting contracts;
- supporting the development and maintenance of the department’s commercial law precedents;
- partnering with internal and external stakeholders to inform, design and deliver effective and efficient legal options and solutions that meet the department’s requirements;
- managing the procurement of external legal services efficiently to ensure they provide value for money to the department; and
- contributing to team and organisational continuous improvement and skills/capacity building initiatives,



including by supporting internal training to the department on commercial law issues from time to time.

Inherent requirements for the role

A successful candidate for this position will be able to demonstrate their capability against the APS 6 Work level standards.

Essential

Our ideal candidate must

- have relevant post-qualification legal practice experience in a law firm, in house or government environment) in advising on, drafting, reviewing and/or negotiating a range of commercial and/or real property arrangements;
- be versatile, resilient and a strong team player with excellent verbal and written communication skills and the ability to develop strong and collaborative working relationships with colleagues and stakeholders (of all levels);
- possess good attention to detail and under limited supervision, be responsible for delivering and prioritising high-quality work outcomes in a fast-paced environment;
- be able to quickly develop an understanding of the policy and legislative/regulatory framework in which the department operates, as well as its strategic and operational objectives.
- be proactive and possess an agile mindset and strong problem-solving skills;
- strive to continuously develop their legal and other skills, including by responding to constructive feedback; and
- have integrity and be committed to practising in accordance with the Statement of Expectations for Government Lawyers.

RecruitAbility

The Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications, Sport and the Arts is committed to supporting the employment and career development of people with disability. Our participation in APS RecruitAbility means we will progress an applicant with disability to a further stage in the recruitment process, where they opt into RecruitAbility and meet the minimum requirements for the vacancy.

The RecruitAbility minimum requirements are listed above under ‘inherent requirements for the role’.

You will be asked to indicate if you wish to opt into RecruitAbility in the application form. You must tick the 'opt in' box to participate in RecruitAbility. Simply declaring that you have a disability will not automatically include you.

We provide reasonable adjustments such as access, equipment or other practical support at relevant stages of the recruitment process. Please advise in the application form or get in touch with the contact officer if you need any adjustments made.

More information can be found at RecruitAbility scheme: A guide for applicants | Australian Public Service Commission.

Desirable requirements

While not essential, an ideal candidate would also have legal practice experience in one or more of the following:

- the resolution of commercial disputes;
- real property, environment and/or planning matters;
- intellectual property and ICT matters; and/or
- Commonwealth policy and legislative/regulatory frameworks.

Cultural capability requirement

The department believes every role contributes to cultural safety and that building staff cultural capability helps us deliver better policies, programs and services for First Nations people and the broader Australian community. Candidates will be required to demonstrate their willingness to develop their cultural capability as part of the assessment process. In making it a requirement across all roles in our department, we are taking a practical step in delivering our commitments under the Our Stories on Country Agreement and the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Strategy 2025–28.

As an APS6 you will be expected to:

- Consider the cultural context and implications of work area outcomes.
- Engage respectfully with Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander stakeholders, building trusted relationships.
- Communicate respectfully and seeks appropriate cultural input to inform decisions.

What else can we offer?

Working in the Legal and Integrity Division within our department gives you an opportunity to be a part of delivering high-priority outcomes for the Government. We offer a range of professional benefits and opportunities to help you build your skills, experience and networks in the Australian Public Service (APS):

- An excellent opportunity to grow and diversify your career in a high-profile organisation and role;
- A flexible, family friendly workplace and a diverse and supportive team environment – for example, flexible working arrangements including home-based work;
- Study assistance,



support for continuing legal education and vocational training (including formal training and capability development opportunities focused on your individual career goals);
- Attractive remuneration package plus 15.4% superannuation. Salaries in the department are provided through its Enterprise Agreement and supporting s.24(1) Determination.
- Excellent conditions of service (for example a typical 37.5 hour working week, additional paid leave over the Christmas shutdown period and (where eligible to do so) we may be able to recognise periods of prior State or Commonwealth Service for long service leave purposes in accordance with the Long Service Leave (Commonwealth Employees) Act 1976 (Cth)).

Eligibility requirements

Employment with the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications, Sport and the Arts is subject to conditions prescribed within the Public Service Act 1999 including:

- Citizenship: candidates must be an Australian citizen at the time of submitting your application.
- Health Assessment: The preferred candidate may be required to undergo a medical examination conducted by the department’s preferred medical provider.
- Security Clearance: The successful candidate must be able to obtain and/or maintain a security clearance at Baseline level. You must be willing to disclose all relevant and required information. You must have lived in Australia, or have a checkable background, for at least the preceding five years for Baseline Vetting clearances. More information on the security clearance vetting process is available on the Australian Government Security Vetting Agency (AGSVA) website.
- Police check: The successful candidate must complete an Australian Federal Police criminal history check.
- Integrity and Performance check: The successful candidate must satisfy the requirements in an Integrity and Performance check which is completed by your most recent employer.
- Admission as a legal practitioner of the High Court or of the Supreme Court of an Australian State or Territory and hold, or be eligible to obtain, a practising certificate in the relevant jurisdiction.

How to apply

Applications for this opportunity close at 11:59pm AEDT Sunday, 4 October 2026.

Prior to preparing your application for the department, please read our Artificial intelligence (AI) in recruitment at the department principles. The principles aim to help you use AI in a way that supports your application and maintains fairness and transparency while maintaining your integrity as a candidate. They outline what is and isn’t acceptable use of AI in APS recruitment.

In applying for this position, you are not required to address individual selection criteria. Rather, you should provide in a PDF document a statement of no more than two pages outlining your background, capabilities and experiences and how these align with the advertised role.

You should also provide a tailored CV in PDF, no more than three pages. The capabilities and behaviours required to be successful for this role are identified in the ‘inherent requirements for the role’ section.

Your application should be received through the department’s online recruitment system prior to the closing date and time to be considered.

If you experience any issues with the system please contact the recruitment team on 02 6136 8989 or via email at [email protected] to discuss an alternative way to submit your application.

Please advise the contact officer if you require adjustments during the recruitment process. We recognise and value diversity as our strength and promote a culture of inclusion to enhance our work performance and the wellbeing of our employees. We are committed to systems that are accessible, inclusive and safe for all. If you need any further information about accessibility and inclusion at our department, please contact [email protected].

Timeline and assessment

A selection panel will be established to assess your suitability against the advertised role.

If a merit pool is established it will be valid for 18 months from date it first appeared in the APS Gazette.

Applications open: 14 September 2026

Applications close: 4 October 2026

Application shortlisting: 8 October 2026

Further assessments: 19 October 2026

Selection report finalised: 26 October 2026

Offers and announcements: 2 November 2026

The above is indicative only, please reach out to the contact person if you have any questions on the recruitment process or timeframes.

Your application will be assessed against the inherent requirements of the role, the Work level standards and in comparison to other candidates who applied. Once the entire applicant pool has been assessed, the panel will create a shortlist of applicants. If your application is shortlisted, you may be asked to undertake further assessment, this may include work sample testing, interviews and reference checks.

Work with us. Apply now!

📌 General Commercial and/or Property Lawyers, Commercial Law (multiple positions) (Sydney)
🏢 Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts
📍 Sydney