APS6 - General Commercial and/or Property Lawyers, Commercial Law (multiple positions), Affirmative Measures, First Nations

The opportunity we have available

The Legal and Integrity Division in the department provides high quality, technically excellent, and practical legal advice, support and services to the department and Ministers’ offices, in the diverse areas covered by the portfolio.

The Legal and Integrity Division’s Commercial Law and Real Property teams are seeking several dynamic and talented APS6 commercial lawyers with some relevant previous legal practice experience to join our growing and fast-paced legal practice. Applicants should have excellent written and oral communication and interpersonal skills and possess the proactive and enquiring mindset needed to deliver high quality commercial legal services to the department.

Successful applicants will collaborate with internal and external stakeholders to deliver key Australian Government outcomes that are crucial to the wellbeing of Australians and the prosperity of our nation. This is a unique opportunity to advance your career and gain experience advising on some of the most important and complex commercial projects within the Australian Public Service (APS).

Working within the Commercial Law team, you will deliver a broad range of legal services to the department, including advising on a wide array of commercial and real property law matters as well as major government projects. Some of the primary areas of focus for the team are:

• major infrastructure projects, including air, road and rail projects (such as the Western Sydney Airport, Moorebank Intermodal Freight Terminal and WestConnex);
• regional development initiatives and grants;
• administration of and provision of infrastructure and services to Australia’s non-self-governing territories such as Christmas Island, Norfolk Island and Jervis Bay;
• communications and technology services including, but not limited to, national broadband and mobile projects;
• significant departmental corporate activities, including ICT procurements;
• aviation, maritime and road transport projects such as a pilot Strategic Fleet of maritime vessels;
• support of Australian culture and arts; and
• facilitating national sporting initiatives, including the 2032 Brisbane Olympics.

What you will do

Working closely with Senior Lawyers, Principal Lawyers and the General Counsel - Commercial, you will be responsible for:

• taking carriage of commercial and/or real property law matters, proactively identifying legal risks and providing timely and effective legal advice to assist the department achieve its objectives;
• drafting, reviewing and negotiating key transaction and supporting contracts;
• supporting the development and maintenance of the department’s commercial law precedents;
• partnering with internal and external stakeholders to inform, design and deliver effective and efficient legal options and solutions that meet the department’s requirements;
• managing the procurement of external legal services efficiently to ensure they provide value for money to the department; and
• contributing to team and organisational continuous improvement and skills/capacity building initiatives, including by supporting internal training to the department on commercial law issues from time to time.

Inherent requirements for the role

A successful candidate for this position will be able to demonstrate their capability against the APS 6 Work level standards.

Essential

Our ideal candidate must:

• have relevant post-qualification legal practice experience in a law firm, in house or government environment) in advising on, drafting, reviewing and/or negotiating a range of commercial and/or real property arrangements;
• be flexible, resilient and a strong team player with excellent verbal and written communication skills and the ability to develop strong and collaborative working relationships with colleagues and stakeholders (of all levels); 
• possess good attention to detail and under limited supervision, be responsible for delivering and prioritising high-quality work outcomes in a fast-paced environment;
• be able to quickly develop an understanding of the policy and legislative/regulatory framework in which the department operates, as well as its strategic and operational objectives.
• be proactive and possess an agile mindset and strong problem-solving skills;
• strive to continuously develop their legal and other skills, including by responding to constructive feedback; and
• have integrity and be committed to practising in accordance with the Statement of Expectations for Government Lawyers.

Desirable requirements

While not essential, an ideal candidate would also have legal practice experience in one or more of the following:

• the resolution of commercial disputes;
• real property, environment and/or planning matters;
• intellectual property and ICT matters; and/or
• Commonwealth policy and legislative/regulatory frameworks.

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 APS6 you will be expected to:

• Consider the cultural context and implications of work area outcomes.
• Engage respectfully with Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander stakeholders, building trusted relationships.
• Communicate respectfully and seeks appropriate cultural input to inform decisions.

Eligibility requirements

This is an Affirmative measure vacancy – This vacancy is open only to Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people.

This is an Affirmative Measures – First Nations applicants only position. The filling of this vacancy is intended to constitute an Affirmative Measure under section 8(1) of the Racial Discrimination Act 1975. To be eligible to apply under the Affirmative Measures initiative, applicants must:

• be an Aboriginal person and/or a Torres Strait Islander person
• identify as an Aboriginal person and/or a Torres Strait Islander person, and
• be accepted by their community as being an Aboriginal person and/or a Torres Strait Islander person

For more information please visit - Affirmative measure for recruiting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians: A 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.
• 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.
• 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.

For more information about this role, including the type of person we are looking for and how to apply, please refer to the position description available by clicking the 'Apply Now' button.