- Canberra, Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne
- Applications close 27 November
- The salary range for this role is $102,072 - $111,701

About the Department

The Department of Industry, Science and Resources and our broader portfolio are integral to the Australian Government’s economic agenda. Our purpose is to help the government build a better future for all Australians through enabling a productive, resilient and sustainable economy, enriched by science and technology. We do this by:

- Growing innovative & competitive businesses, industries and regions
- Investing in science and technology
- Strengthening the resources sector.

The APS and the department offer a transparent direction and meaningful work. You will be able to create positive impact in people’s lives whilst contributing to improved outcomes for Australia and our people.

If you would like to feel a strong connection to your work and you are accountable, committed and open to change, join us in shaping Australia’s future.

Please see the APSC’s APS Employee Value Proposition for more information on the benefits and value of employment within the APS.

About the team

The Practice Management Unit section sits within the Corporate and Information Law Branch in the Chief Counsel and Integrity Division (CCID). CCID supports the Department of Industry, Science and Resources to achieve its objective of a productive economy lawfully and with integrity. Lawyers in CCID provide strategic, practical legal advice on high-profile, cutting-edge public policy issues including artificial intelligence, energy supply and security, science and manufacturing initiatives, space activities and technologies, and trade remedies.

The Practice Management Unit (PMU) delivers high quality strategic and operational support through a range of non-legal and administrative functions. As a client focused team, the PMU contributes to efficient service delivery and effective practice operations.

CCID offers a fast paced, intellectually challenging and rewarding environment. The team is made up of warm, collegiate, talented, legal professionals who are passionate about their role in government decision making and committed to providing high-quality legal advice in a highly supportive culture.

The opportunity

Within the Practice Management Unit (PMU), the APS6 Senior Legal Support Officer provides specialised legal matter, research, procurement, administrative, and operational support to lawyers across the Legal Practice. As a shared practice-wide resource, the role supports the efficient, accurate and compliant delivery of legal services through high-level legal matter and document support, sourcing and managing legal services, research and analytical assistance, guidance on practice processes, management of practice resources and systems, and finance and operational support.

The Senior Legal Support Officer works to the PMU Practice Manager and performs complex support work with limited direction and requires sound judgment, professional expertise, initiative and effective stakeholder engagement. It contributes to the quality,



consistency and continuous improvement of legal service delivery through document preparation and quality assurance, research and analysis, administration of legal matter systems and records, maintenance of practice resources, support for onboarding and operational processes, and finance and procurement support.

Our ideal candidate

Our ideal candidate will be able to demonstrate:

- Sound judgment, initiative and professional expertise to manage complex legal support work and deliver high-quality outcomes with limited direction.
- Ability to understand and support how legal work is sourced and managed, with clear scope, deliverables and engagement requirements
- High-level administrative and operational support experience in a legal practice, with sound knowledge of legal work, legal processes, and the systems, records and resources that support legal service delivery.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to provide accurate written material, sound advice, reporting and professional stakeholder engagement.
- Ability to build and sustain productive working relationships with internal and external stakeholders, and respond effectively to client, business and practice support needs.
- Ability to plan, prioritise and monitor work effectively, manage competing priorities, and contribute to continuous improvement in systems, processes and service delivery.
- Capability to manage procurement, finance, invoicing and costings processes with attention to detail and in accordance with relevant Commonwealth and departmental requirements.
- Professionalism, discretion and probity, with the ability to operate within legal and organisational frameworks.

What you will do

- Provide legal matter and administrative and support to lawyers, including coordinating document management, supporting file and record management, collating material, and preparing, formatting and quality assuring complex legal documents and related materials.
- Provide support and guidance to lawyers on administrative, procedural and operational matters, and promote consistent and efficient ways of working across the Legal Practice.
- Provide procurement, finance and compliance support for legal services, including preparing documentation, maintaining records, and assisting lawyers in their duties as contract managers in accordance with relevant Commonwealth and departmental requirements.
- Supporting the scoping and sourcing of legal work by helping lawyers clarify requirements, identify the appropriate delivery approach, and assist in the preparation of engagement documentation for external legal service providers
- Manage invoicing, finance-related processes and the NPP costing spreadsheet, and work with lawyers to develop costings and related documentation, applying judgment, attention to detail and an understanding of relevant financial and administrative frameworks.




- Maintain and update Stratus pages and other practice resources, and contribute to improvements in systems, processes and guidance material to support efficient and consistent legal service delivery.
- Provide research and analytical support by undertaking research and contributing to analysis to support legal service delivery, applying judgment to identify and present relevant information.
- Provide administrative, operational and reporting support across the Legal Practice, including support for onboarding, recruitment and other people-related processes, and contribute to broader practice support activities as required.

Eligibility

A legal qualification or legal background is not essential. Relevant legal qualifications or legal experience will be considered where they support the capabilities required for the role.

Candidates may instead demonstrate the required capability through experience in legal operations, legal practice or administrative support, procurement or contract management of professional services, or another relevant service-delivery environment.

To be eligible for employment in the APS and the department, candidates must be Australian Citizens.

Positions require a Baseline security clearance and successful candidates will be required to obtain and maintain a clearance at this level.

Notes

A merit pool may be established and used to fill future vacancies within 18 months from the date the vacancy was first advertised in the Gazette.

The department does currently offer flexible work opportunities for many roles. This vacancy is based in Brisbane, Sydney, Canberra or Melbourne, although flexible or remote work arrangements may be considered for the right candidate. Please reach out to the contact officer to discuss this further.

Application information

Your application must not contain any classified or sensitive information. This includes in your application responses, CV and any other documents. The selection panel may not consider applications containing classified information.

Please provide a pitch explaining how your skills, knowledge and experience will be relevant to this role and why you are the best candidate for the position. Your pitch can contain no more than 750 words and should align to the key duties listed above.

You may use AI tools to support your application. However, all content must be accurate, authentic, and reflect your own capability in line with APS merit principles. For further guidance, please refer to the APSC’s Principles for candidate use of AI in recruitment.

Please complete your application online and provide your current CV with your application. (CVs must be in .doc, .docx, or .pdf format).

Accessible application documentation is available in other formats on request. Please contact ***********@industry.gov.au or (02) 6276 1*** if you require assistance with your application.

Please refer to our Applying for a position information for additional information on how to apply.

Contact Information

For more information regarding this opportunity, please contact Christine Phoenix on 0477-417-281 or via email on ***************@industry.gov.au

📌 Senior Legal Support Officer, APS Level 6, Chief Counsel and Integrity (Sydney)
🏢 Australian Department Of Industry, Science, Energy And Resources
📍 Sydney