Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission – Canberra ACT

About the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission

The Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission is the national regulator of Australian Government-funded aged care services.

We protect and enhance the safety, health, wellbeing, and quality of life of people receiving aged care. This includes managing complaints and feedback about the care older people receive.

We help build confidence and trust in aged care, by promoting best practice and a culture of safety and quality in the sector. We register providers and hold them to account if they don’t meet expected standards of care.

We work with providers, workers, older people, their families, and supporters to make sure they understand and uphold older people’s rights.

Meet some of our people and learn more about the Commission and our Regulatory Strategy on our website

The Legal Services Section’s Purpose and Responsibilities:

The Legal Services Branch, led by the Chief Counsel, provides the full scope of legal services relevant to the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commissioner’s (the Commissioner) and Complaints Commissioner’s functions, principally in relation to the interpretation and application of the legislation that currently regulates aged care providers, being the Aged Care Act 2024 and Aged Care Rules 2025 (the aged care scheme). These legal services include, but are not limited to, advising on the Commissioner’s and Complaints Commissioner’s regulatory activities, advising on matters of administrative law, commercial law, information law and employment law,



managing the Commission’s involvement in litigation in relevant courts and tribunals and facilitating the Commission’s engagement with external legal services providers.

About the Role

The successful candidate will work in the Corporate Law team within the Legal Services Section. The Corporate Law team provides strategic and practical legal advice to support the Commission's role as a Commonwealth statutory agency and employer. The team works closely with business areas across the Commission to manage legal risk, support sound decision-making, and enable the Commission to achieve its operational and strategic objectives.

The team advises on a broad range of matters including:

Commercial Law

- Contract review, negotiation, variations and termination, information communications technology (ICT) arrangements, licensing agreements, memoranda of understanding (MoU), intellectual property, leasing, and other commercial transactions.
- Commercial risk mitigation including advice on legal risks arising from procurement and probity matters, along with emerging technologies (AI and digital platforms).

Employment Law

- Legal advice on employment, industrial relations, Work Health and Safety (WHS) and discrimination law. This includes advising on APS Code of Conduct investigations and other matters involving workplace rights and obligations.

Legislative Compliance

- We provide general advice and assistance to the Commission,



to ensure compliance with the Commonwealth legislative and policy framework. This includes the review of internal policies, procedures and instruments of delegation.

Key Accountabilities:

- Lead the provision of high-quality legal advice on employment law, commercial law and/or legislative compliance matters.
- Work in the commercial law practice will include:
- Lead the provision of advice on contracts, procurement, ICT arrangements, intellectual property, leasing, governance and commercial risk.
- Draft, review and negotiate commercial agreements and legal documentation.

- Work in the employment law practice will include:

- Lead the provision of advice on workplace investigations, misconduct, integrity, industrial relations, WHS, discrimination and enterprise agreement matters.

- Engage external legal providers in accordance with the Legal Services Directions 2025 (Cth), Commonwealth Procurement Rules (CPRs).
- Lead the development of legal templates, guidance and deliver training to promote legal awareness.
- Peer review legal advice and work products to ensure quality, consistency and legal accuracy.
- Contribute to strategic initiatives within the Legal Services Section.
- Actively contribute to a collaborative, high-performing and solutions-focused Branch culture.
- Provide leadership, mentoring and career development to junior legal staff.
- Other duties as required.

Key Capabilities and Eligibility Requirements:

Mandatory Requirements

- Be admitted as a legal practitioner (however described) of the Supreme Court of an Australian State or Territory.
- Be eligible to hold and maintain a

📌 Senior Lawyer (Canberra)
🏢 Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission
📍 Canberra