EL1 - Assistant Director, Senior Lawyer, Commercial Law, Affirmative Measures, Disability

 

Title:	EL1 - Assistant Director, Senior Lawyer, Commercial Law,  Affirmative Measures, Disability
Classification(s):	Executive Level 1
Employment Type:	Ongoing, Full Time
Salary:	$126,838 - $144,278 per annum plus 15.4% superannuation
Business Division:	Legal & Integrity
Branch / Section:	Commercial, Major Projects.
Location:	We want to recruit the best people to our department. Our roles  support flexible 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, Sydney, Brisbane or   Melbourne.     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:	48134
Contact Officer:	Maria GUARNIERI maria.guarnieri@infrastructure.gov.au   on 0409 298 356
Closing Date:	11.59pm AEDT, Sunday 27 September 2026

 

The filling of this vacancy is intended to constitute an affirmative measure under Section 33 of the Australian Public Service Commissioner's Direction 2022. This vacancy is open only to people with disability.

 

 

The opportunity we have available

 

The Commercial Law team, which is part of the Legal and Integrity Division of the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications, Sport and the Arts (department), is seeking an experienced EL1 lawyer with 4+ years post qualification experience to join our dynamic growing legal team and talented commercial lawyers. With strong technical legal abilities and commercial acumen, our ideal candidate will have excellent written and oral communication skills, interpersonal skills and an enquiring mindset to enable and deliver the commercial aspects of the division’s legal services. 

 

The successful candidate will report to a Principal Lawyer (EL2) and collaborate with other lawyers within the team to deliver key outcomes and be part of a high performing legal team managing a diverse portfolio of matters that are crucial to the wellbeing of every Australian and the prosperity of the nation. This is an opportunity to advance your career and/or gain experience working in the Australian Public Service, working with high profile stakeholders.

 

The Commercial Law team provides a broad range of legal services to the department (including to support the delivery, operation and administration of major projects such as Western Sydney International Airport, National Intermodal Freight Terminals, 2032 Brisbane Olympic and Paralympic Games, Strategic Fleet Pilot Program, Regional Express Airlines and WestConnex).

 

Particular areas of focus for the team, include:

 

• Major infrastructure projects, including airports, roads and freight terminals;
• Regional development initiatives and grants;
• Support for the administration of offshore non-self-governing Australian territories;
• Communications services;
• Broader corporate and procurement services for the department; and
• Transport matters, including aviation, maritime, shipping, rail and road transport.

 

We are also flexible in terms of allowing home-based work for part of the week subject to operational needs and upon discussion with the Principal Lawyer.

 

 

What you will do

 

Under the general direction of a Principal Lawyer or General Counsel, you will be responsible for:

 

• carriage of, and providing strategic and high-quality legal advice on, major infrastructure projects and other commercial law matters to enable the department to assess legal risks and make sound decisions;
• drafting, reviewing and negotiating key transaction documents and contracts;
• developing and maintaining the department’s commercial law templates and precedents;
• partnering with internal and external stakeholders to inform, design and deliver effective and efficient legal solutions that meet the department’s requirements;
• peer reviewing and second counselling colleagues legal work and mentoring and guiding more junior members of the Commercial Law team;
• overseeing the efficient and value for money delivery of external legal service providers in accordance with the Legal Services Directions and other Commonwealth requirements;
• contributing to organisational level continuous improvement and skills/capacity building initiatives, including by delivering internal training to the department on commercial law related issues from time to time; and
• actively contributing to the division’s positive work environment and culture.

 

 

Inherent requirements for the role

 

The inherent requirements for this role include:

 

• The successful candidate for this position will be able to demonstrate their capability against the Executive Level 1 Work level standards: APS Level and Executive Level classifications | Australian Public Service Commission
• 4+ years post qualification legal experience advising on commercial legal matters gained in a law firm, in an in-house environment or in another Government agency;
• effective people management and leadership skills;
• ability to effectively prioritise, manage and progress legal matters in a complex environment;
• excellent communication skills, both written and oral; and
• meeting the Eligibility Requirements specified below.

 

Our ideal candidate must:

 

• have the interpersonal skills and the ability to develop strong working relationships with clients, colleagues and stakeholders (of all levels) (be flexible, resilient and a strong team player with a positive and collaborative working style);
• be able to work independently and with a geographically dispersed team, and be able to triage, manage and prioritise workflow;
• have excellent technical legal skills, including:

• 4+ years post qualification legal practice experience gained in a law firm, in-house environment or in government advising on, drafting, reviewing and/or negotiating a range of complex commercial arrangements;
• appreciate (or have the ability to quickly acquire an appreciation of) the policy and legislative frameworks governing the Commonwealth’s commercial arrangements; and
• the ability to provide timely, strategic and high-quality legal advice that enables the department to assess risk and make sound decisions;

• demonstrate initiative and be able to drive and own client-focused outcomes, proactively manage legal matters and possess strong problem solving and influencing skills – be able to clearly and persuasively communicate complex legal concepts in plain English both verbally and in writing; and
• strive to continuously improve and develop (including by responding to constructive feedback);
• have integrity and be committed to practising in accordance with the Statement of Expectations for Government Lawyers.

 

Desirable requirements

 

While not essential, our ideal candidate may also have some experience in one or more of the following:

 

• resolving disputes, including using alternate dispute resolution, and in the development and implementation of strategies to resolve disputes; and/or
• real property and land transactions; and/or
• intellectual property and ICT expertise/experience.

 

 

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 EL1 you will be expected to:

 

• Lead the integration of cultural considerations into work area outcomes.
• Build trusted relationships with Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander stakeholders.
• Champion cultural capability within teams and challenges culturally unsafe practices.

 

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

 

This is an Affirmative measure vacancy – This vacancy is open only to people with disability.

 

For more information on Affirmative Measures - Disability, please visit - Affirmative measure for recruiting people with disability: guide for applicants. 

 

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.
  • 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.
  • 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.

 

 

How to apply

 

Applications for this opportunity close at 11:59pm AEST Sunday, 27 September 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 2 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 3 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 recruitment@infrastructure.gov.au to discuss an alternative way to submit your application.

 

Please advise the contact officer if you require adjustments during the recruitment process. We recognize 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 DiversityandInclusion@infrastructure.gov.au.

 

 

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: 9 September 2026

Applications close: 27 September 2026

Application shortlisting: 1 October 2026

Further assessments: 12 October 2026

Selection report finalised: 19 October 2026

Offers and announcements: 26 October 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!