Principal Regulatory Lawyer – Regulatory Advice

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 https://www.agedcarequality.gov.au

About the Team - The Legal Services Branch

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 Legal Services Branch will work closely with policy and operational units, particularly to support defensible decision making and the implementation of the Commission’s regulatory framework. This will include supporting Commission staff with training programs, where necessary.

The FOI, Privacy and Information Section in the Legal Services Branch also is responsible for coordinating FOI requests and advising on privacy matters, as well as overseeing and promoting FOI and privacy awareness/compliance across the Commission.  

About the Role

Our role includes advising on the Commissioner’s and Complaints Commissioner’s regulatory activities, administrative law, commercial law, information law and employment law matters, managing the Commission’s involvement in litigation in relevant courts and tribunals as well as engagement with external legal service providers.

Position Duties

As part of the Branch’s senior leadership team, your work will include:

• Providing strategic legal leadership on complex, novel and high-profile regulatory matters, guiding the Commission's approach to legal risk and supporting sound regulatory decision-making.
• Shaping the interpretation and application of aged care legislation, influencing regulatory practice and ensuring legal advice aligns with the Commission's strategic objectives and regulatory priorities.
• Leading the development and execution of legal strategy, setting the direction of the legal function and ensuring longer-term planning supports the Commission's mission, emerging priorities and future regulatory challenges.
• Acting as a trusted adviser to senior executives and decision-makers, influencing organisational outcomes through the provision of pragmatic, solutions-focused legal advice on matters of significant strategic importance.
• Building and maintaining strong relationships across government legal practices, fostering collaboration, driving shared outcomes and enhancing the legal team’s effectiveness.
• Leading, mentoring and developing a high-performing team of lawyers, fostering a culture of excellence, accountability, innovation and continuous improvement while investing in the growth of future legal leaders.
• Driving capability uplift across the organisation by promoting legal excellence, strengthening regulatory decision-making and embedding sound governance and risk management practices.
• Championing a modern, high-performing legal function that delivers strategic value to the Commission and contributes to the protection of the rights, safety and wellbeing of older Australians.

For senior legal professionals seeking challenge, influence and purpose, this role offers a unique combination of complex legal work, executive level leadership and work that improves the lives of older Australians.

The role requires attendance in the office at least 2 days per week and occasional interstate travel.

Position Eligibility Requirements (Selection Criteria):

To be successful in this role, you will demonstrate the following minimum requirements:

• Exceptional legal expertise and judgement, with a proven ability to advise on complex, novel and sensitive statutory interpretation, administrative law and regulatory matters, balancing legal risk with strategic organisational objectives.
• Outstanding leadership capability, including a demonstrated track record of building, leading and sustaining high-performing legal teams, fostering a culture of excellence, accountability and continuous improvement, and confidently addressing underperformance when required.
• Deep understanding of the Commonwealth legal framework, including the Legal Services Directions 2025, government legal practice requirements, model litigant obligations and public sector governance expectations.
• Exceptional stakeholder engagement and influence skills, with experience building trusted relationships and transforming challenging stakeholder dynamics into productive partnerships that deliver organisational outcomes.
• A strong commitment to client service and organisational impact, with the ability to cultivate a responsive, solutions-focused legal team that is highly valued by internal clients and strategic partners.
• Superior communication and advocacy skills, including the ability to distil complex legal issues into clear, practical and persuasive advice tailored to diverse audiences, including Commissioners, Senior Executives, Boards, external counsel and government stakeholders.
• Strategic thinking and organisational awareness, with the ability to anticipate emerging legal and regulatory issues, identify risks and opportunities, and align legal strategy with broader organisational priorities.
• Resilience, sound judgement and adaptability, with the capacity to lead confidently through ambiguity, manage competing priorities, and perform effectively under sustained pressure in a fast-paced and high-profile regulatory environment.
• A passion for developing people and legal capability, demonstrated through coaching, mentoring and empowering others to reach their full potential while creating a positive, inclusive and high-performing workplace culture.
• A commitment to public service and regulatory excellence, with a genuine desire to contribute to outcomes that protect the rights, safety and wellbeing of older Australians and strengthen public confidence in the aged care system.

You will also have:

• at least 10 years post-admission experience working in an in-house legal team or a legal services provider/law firm;
• experience advising regulator(s) on complex regulatory issues; and
• senior leadership experience, including at least 5 years leading legal teams and/or leading complex programs of work, with a demonstrated ability to inspire excellence, manage competing priorities, and achieve exceptional organisational outcomes.

In addition to the above key capabilities, to be eligible for this position you must:

• 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 practising certificate in the jurisdiction in which they practise; and
• be capable of holding security clearance up to Negative Vetting 1 level.

Position Notes:

• Salary offered will be between $165,948 to $179,273 per annum depending on skills and experience. In addition, 15.4% superannuation will be paid.
• Only candidates who hold Australian citizenship can apply. Appointment is conditional on successfully completing a national police check. For more information, please visit https://www.apsc.gov.au/citizenship-aps
• Non-ongoing opportunity will be offered for a specified term. Opportunities will be offered for varying periods up to 12 months with the option to extend to a total of 24 months.
• Merit Pool established through this selection process may be used to fill this or future ongoing or non-ongoing vacancies.

In your application, please provide a statement of claims against the position eligibility requirements (selection criteria) in no more than 1000-words, including what strengths you would bring to the role, and a copy of your CV.

• Please complete the application and submit by 11.30pm Sunday 20 September 2026 AEST.
• Follow our guidelines for candidate use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) throughout the recruitment process.

Please contact our recruitment team on (02) 9633 3262 or recruitment@agedcarequality.gov.au for assistance with accessing our website or with lodging your application.

Specific questions about the roles can be directed to Ashley Preston by emailing ChiefCounsel@agedcarequality.gov.au with Position title in the subject line.

Diversity and Inclusion

The Commission is committed to fostering a workplace with flexible work arrangements to support a diverse, respectful and inclusive culture for all staff.

The Commission recognises the richness of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and is committed to the implementation of our Reconciliation Action Plan. The Commission values the unique knowledge and experience of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander employees which strengthens and supports our focus on protecting and enhancing the safety, health, wellbeing and quality of life of aged care consumers.

RecruitAbility applies to this vacancy. Under RecruitAbility you will be invited to participate in further assessment activity for the vacancy if you choose to apply under RecruitAbility; declare you have a disability; and meet the minimum requirements for the position. For more information, visit https://www.apsc.gov.au/recruitability.

We provide reasonable adjustments such as access, equipment or other practical support at relevant stages of the recruitment process. Please email recruitment@agedcarequality.gov.au if you need any adjustments made.

Further information:

For further information about the Quality Commission, office locations and other related resources, please visit https://www.agedcarequality.gov.au

For more information on the Australian Public Service, please visit https://www.apsc.gov.au/publications-and-media/current-publications/cracking-the-code.