Chief Counsel Customer and Chief Counsel Corporate

Services Australia is seeking candidates to fill two Chief Counsel roles, which provide strategic legal advice and assistance to the Chief Executive Officer, the Executive and the Minister for Government Services. The successful candidates will need to work in an effective partnership, noting together, they are responsible for overseeing a large and dynamic legal practice including one of the Commonwealth’s leading litigation practices.

The Chief Counsel Customer, manages a division and provides advice on:

• administrative law and statutory interpretation issues relating to social security, health, aged care, emergency management, and child support programs.
• litigation, including social security, child support and health program reviews before the AAT, and related appeals from the AAT
• Artificial Intelligence, automation initiatives, privacy and data governance issues, including undertaking privacy impact assessments and secrecy reviews
• myGov and Digital Identity Act.

The Chief Counsel Corporate, manages a division and provides advice on:

• strategic and operational privacy matters, including privacy governance and uplifting capability in relation to release of personal information, and broader engagement with the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) regarding privacy complaints, reviews and determinations, and opportunities for privacy policy and law reform
• managing the Freedom of Information function of the agency including external review by the FOI Commissioner and the Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT).
• managing the agency’s relationship with the Commonwealth Ombudsman
• employment law matters, including advice and advocacy on employment law, industrial relations and work health and safety.
• customer compensation under the Scheme for Compensation for Detriment caused by Defective Administration (CDDA), legal liability and other discretionary mechanisms
• General procurement, contracting, technology related commercial issues and property matters.

About you

Services Australia is looking for outstanding leaders, who:

• Are passionate about guiding, mentoring and building the capability of a large multidisciplinary team of talented legal professionals to maintain a culture of excellence and ethical practice
• Are authentic collaborators, with a team focus to seamlessly lead a division in close partnership with the other Chief Counsel
• Think at a strategic level to develop and implement legal strategies that align with our values, purpose, goals and objectives
• Will exercise sound judgement in advising the CEO, executives and Minister on legal issues and risk assessment/mitigation in agency decision-making, while ensuring compliance with all applicable laws, regulations, and standards (including when to seek external legal expertise and managing these relationships)
• Possess excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to engender respect and trust of internal and external stakeholders
• Bring a strong customer and business focus, recognising the essential role that the agency plays in the community

This process may be used to fill similar vacancies at this classification both within the agency and the wider APS, as they become available within an 18-month period.

Tertiary qualifications in the relevant field are required:

• Bachelor of Laws degree or equivalent;
• admission as a legal practitioner of an Australian court; and
• eligibility to hold an unrestricted practising certificate.

This role may be filled on an ongoing or non-ongoing (fixed term) appointment. The location for the position is Canberra (other locations considered by exception).

Candidate Information Pack - Chief Counsel, Corporate and Customer