Senior Legal Counsel

Employment type: Full time, Permanent

Hours per week: 38 hours per week

Remuneration: Band 8 salary from $ 132,607.76 per annum plus superannuation and a fortnightly RDO

Location: Werribee based with potential for a hybrid work arrangement

About the role

Wyndham City Council is seeking an experienced Senior Legal Counsel to provide practical, timely and risk-based legal advice across the organisation.

Working closely with the General Counsel within a small in-house legal team, you will advise on a broad range of legal matters, with a focus on the statutory, administrative and regulatory requirements of Victorian local government.

You will manage complex legal issues, support disputes and litigation, and engage external legal providers where required. You will also help Council staff identify legal risks, apply sound judgement and make informed decisions.

The role includes mentoring and supporting a junior lawyer, contributing to consistent legal practices and strengthening the capability of Council’s in-house legal function.

What your day will look like

• Provide clear, practical legal advice across Council on a range of operational, statutory, regulatory and commercial matters.
• Advise on contract, commercial and administrative law issues, including the legal requirements relevant to Victorian local government.
• Support disputes, tribunal, court and regulatory matters, including briefing and managing external legal providers and counsel.
• Work with the General Counsel on complex, sensitive and high-risk legal matters and organisation-wide issues.
• Identify legal risks and help Council staff develop legally sound, risk-based solutions.
• Mentor and support the junior lawyer in legal research, drafting, matter strategy and professional development.

What you will bring

• A Bachelor of Laws (LLB) and relevant experience, or an equivalent combination of qualifications and substantial specialist experience.
• Sound knowledge of Australian contract, commercial and/or administrative law.
• Demonstrated experience providing practical, timely and solution-focused legal advice, ideally within local government or a comparable organisation.
• Experience managing disputes, tribunal, court or regulatory matters, including working with external legal providers and counsel.
• The ability to assess complex legal issues, identify risks and provide clear, commercially aware advice.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to build relationships, negotiate and influence stakeholders across the organisation.
• Experience mentoring or providing professional guidance to junior legal practitioners.
• A current Australian practising certificate and driver's licence are desirable.

If you progress past the interview stage, you may be required to complete pre-employment screening, which may include police checks, a medical, qualification verification, and an Australian work rights check.

Why join Wyndham

We are one of Australia’s fastest growing and most diverse cities.

By 2040, we will have more than 500,000 residents and our people are hard at work designing the precincts, building the infrastructure, developing the policies and delivering the programs that will ensure the City is prepared.

Look at our job opportunities and you may be surprised at what you discover: a future-focused culture, a sense of purpose and possibility, and real opportunities to strengthen our diverse community. It all adds up to make Wyndham City a great place to belong.

Our people are our most valued asset. We are focused on building a culture that empowers every person to do their best work. Flexibility is built right into our DNA and we are committed to cultivating an inclusive workplace that celebrates a diverse workforce.

How to apply

Please apply online by submitting your resume and cover letter outlining your suitability for the role via the provided link.

Applications close at 11:59PM on Sunday, 1 November 2026.

If you have further role-specific questions, please contact Shirley Rooney, General Counsel

on 03 8734 4557.

Wyndham City Council is committed to providing a recruitment experience that is fair, inclusive, and accessible. If you have specific accessibility needs or general recruitment enquiries, please contact our Careers team via [email protected] or 03 9394 6860.

Current Wyndham employees who accept a permanent or temporary role of 12 months or more must relinquish any existing casual position with Council, regardless of whether the new role is full-time or part-time. Additionally, employees cannot be absent from their substantive position for more than 24 months. If this occurs, they may be required to relinquish or return to their substantive role.

Child Safe Organisation

Wyndham City Council has zero tolerance to any form of child abuse and is committed to the safety, wellbeing and empowerment of children. We create and maintain a child safe organisation which is embedded in the everyday thinking and practice of all employees, volunteers and contractors. Additionally, we are committed to fostering a culture of safety within the Council, which includes the inclusion and empowerment of Aboriginal children, their families, and communities. Our recruitment practices reflect this.

Diversity and Inclusion

At Wyndham City Council we value workforce diversity and inclusion and embrace individual uniqueness. We value diverse life experiences and the perspectives of our people, while providing high-quality services to all members of our community, regardless of age, gender, ethnicity, religion, cultural background, disability, or sexuality.

Wyndham has one of the largest Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities in the Western Region, with a rich and diverse history. We are committed to providing positive employment opportunities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and welcome applications from candidates of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander background. To read more about Wyndham City’s Innovate Reconciliation Action Plan, please visit our website.