Senior Legal Counsel

Senior Legal Counsel, Insurance & Claims

• $168,512.00 per annum + 12% superannuation
• Full Time, Fixed Term position until 30/07/2027
• Wadawurrung / Geelong based role (hybrid – 3 days a week in office)

About the opportunity

The Senior Legal Counsel, Insurance & Claims is responsible for independently providing in-house legal advice in relation to workers compensation insurance and providing corporate and administrative legal advice in relation to complex and high profile matters to relevant WorkSafe divisions.

Key Accountabilities

• Provide high quality, client focused, strategic and practical legal advice and assistance to all divisions of WorkSafe, on various claims and insurance issues with a focus on workers compensation insurance and administrative law.
• Provide legal advice in relation to claims management decisions including decisions regarding weekly payments, treatment and support decisions.
• Provide legal advice in relation to provider matters, including avenues available under the Act, including ability to recover payments, refer for further enquiries including investigations.
• Provide legal advice at meetings considering fraud, weekly payments and second entitlement provisions.
• Provide advice on premium matters and assist the Senior Legal Counsel – Manager, Insurance & Claims to manage premium review litigation on behalf of WorkSafe.
• Analyse and interpret complex legislation, including the various Acts, Orders and Regulations and provide comprehensive, authoritative and practical operational and administrative law advice  
• Provide effective legal risk management services.
• Where required attend meetings in Melbourne to assist clients presenting to stakeholders.
• Assist the Senior Legal Counsel - Manager, Insurance & Claims to develop legal skills of legal officers and legal counsel in the provision of legal advice
• Brief and manage external panel lawyer firms or counsel to provide high quality legal services on behalf of WorkSafe  
• Prepare (or assist with the preparation of) briefing papers for the Board, Chief Executive Officer and Executive leaders on matters requiring their attention

Please ensure you review the Position Description here for additional information on accountabilities for this role.

About you

You are an experienced legal professional with a proven track record of providing high-quality legal advice on WorkCover claims and a broad range of insurance-related matters. You demonstrate sound judgement, strong stakeholder engagement capabilities and the ability to deliver practical, commercially focused legal solutions in complex and fast-paced environments. You effectively manage sensitive and high-risk matters, build collaborative relationships across the organisation and apply critical thinking to support strategic decision-making while appropriately managing legal risk.

Additionally, you will possess the following skills and experience:

• A minimum of 5 years post qualification experience preferred
• Demonstrated experience providing high quality legal advice regarding WorkCover claims and/or other insurance claims advice including advising on disputed decisions, insurance litigation, and administrative law
• High level judgment in identifying and managing the resolution of issues of strategic impact and importance
• Understanding of the constraints of a statutory, regulatory environment
• Proven ability to consult on sensitive issues within critical timeframes and offer constructive solutions
• Demonstrated ability to interpret and apply legislative provisions and judicial precedents in a litigation, regulatory and commercial law context
• Demonstrated experience in civil litigation in Victorian court system
• High level strategic, analytical and critical legal decision making capabilities

Qualifications

• Degree in law
• Admitted to practice as lawyer in Victoria
• Holds or eligible to hold a practicing certificate as an Australian Legal Practitioner

Working with us

At WorkSafe, our goal is for every employee to feel connected, safe, and valued within their team, for teams to feel appreciated in the workplace, and for WorkSafe to be respected in the community.

We believe that a diverse workforce is essential for delivering the best outcomes for the Victorian community. We strongly encourage applications from all individuals, including First Nations people, people with disabilities, those from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds, and individuals of all sexualities and genders.

What’s next?

Applications close 11:00pm Thursday 17 September 2026. Click the link to apply and join us in making a difference to Victorian lives.

Only applications submitted via the WorkSafe Careers website will be considered.

Preferred candidates will be required to satisfactorily complete a Nationally Coordinated Criminal History Check and/or other checks as required for the position as part of the recruitment process.

Eligibility for ongoing employment with WorkSafe Victoria requires Australian or New Zealand citizenship or permanent residency.

Due to the volume of applications received, individualised feedback will only be provided to candidates who progress to interview stage.

To ensure a fair and open recruitment process, we request that you complete your written application and any online interviews without the use of AI tools. We want to understand your professional skills, experience and capabilities. We acknowledge that candidates may choose to use AI as part of background research.

For further enquiries please contact Bianca Stojanovski via email bianca_stojanovski@worksafe.vic.gov.au