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Form of work
SalaryEMPLOYMENT TYPE - Ongoing; Non-Ongoing for a period up to 24 months
LOCATION - ACT
AFP BAND & SALARY - Executive Level, $161,105.00 - $212,583.00
JOB REFERENCE NUMBER - 12466
This advertisement is to fill current vacancies and create a merit pool for future ongoing or non-ongoing vacancies arising over the next 12 months.
Did you know?
The mission of the Australian Federal Police is to provide dynamic and effective law enforcement to the people of Australia. It provides policing throughout Australia in relation to the prevention and detection of crimes against the Commonwealth, its laws and integrity, and community police services to the Community of the ACT.
Working for the AFP provides you with a diverse and rewarding career. Whether you immerse yourself in a position on the frontline, or provide critical operational or professional support, the work you do makes a big impact on the people of Australia.
We recognise your contribution to our workforce and offer generous remuneration and conditions including:
- Five weeks of paid annual leave per year + additional paid Christmas stand down
- 18 days of paid personal leave per year
- Generous superannuation of 15.4%
- 16 weeks of paid maternity leave (after 12 months of service) + an additional 36 weeks of maternity leave without pay
- Generous salaries and incremental salary progression governed by the
- Flexible and hybrid working arrangement that provides work/life balance
- Access to ongoing training and professional development opportunities
The Australian Federal Police (AFP) is seeking a dynamic, motivated, highly experienced and suitably qualified senior employment and Dispute Resolution lawyer to join the AFP Legal Team as Deputy General Counsel (Coordinator) of our Employment and Dispute Resolution Teams.
You will work under the strategic direction of the senior executive and are responsible for the leadership and management of a number of teams to deliver outcomes. They require in depth knowledge and understanding of the AFP business and the impact of roles and functions undertaken in relation to the organisation's reputation to effectively manage operations.
You will also be responsible for leading and managing a team/s dedicated to delivering a business function to the AFP. The role has both a practical and strategic focus requiring the application of sound business principles in the management of resources to meet AFP outputs in the most effective and efficient manner.
Executive Level employees must also ensure the achievement of outcomes are in accordance with the regulatory framework, the AFP Code of Conduct and the AFP Governance Instruments.
What will you do?
AFP Legal is the AFP's in-house legal practice delivering high quality legal services across the broad spectrum of AFP activities both domestically and overseas. AFP lawyers work in an exciting and intellectually challenging environment, providing legal advice in the areas of commercial law, criminal law, information law, national security law, Dispute Resolution, administrative law and employment law.
Reporting directly to the General Counsel Corporate, the Coordinator Employment and Dispute Resolution will provide high level leadership to the AFP Employment Law team and the Dispute Resolution team, working in partnership with the Legal Management Team, AFP Senior Executives and external stakeholders, to provide high level legal advice to achieve AFP outcomes.
The Successful Executive Level employee will be responsible for:
- Providing high level technical and strategic legal advice required by the AFP in relation to complex employment related matters, including recruitment and cessation of employment, discrimination, performance management, workers compensation, work health and safety and AFP Code of Conduct/Professional standards.
- Conducting and managing all civil litigation claims across State and Federal courts where AFP interests are represented.
- Appearing in proceedings before the Fair Work Commission, the Administrative Appeals Tribunal, Coronial Inquiries and the Australian Human Rights Commission.
- Representing the AFP in complex negotiations and meetings with other parties or their legal representatives in relation to matters involving the AFP.
- Building and maintaining stakeholder relationships within the AFP and externally, including with external legal service providers, Comcover and Counsel.
- Providing briefings to the AFP senior executive on relevant employment and litigation matters, and coordinating the provision of training on employment law, administrative decision making and Dispute Resolution to the broader AFP as required.
- Providing high quality leadership and supervision to a team of employment and Dispute Resolution lawyers within AFP Legal including: leading and managing the two teams, providing guidance and supervision on all matters and coordinating and supervising the delivery of high quality legal advice and services by these teams and external legal service providers.
- Contributing to the AFP strategies and initiatives for continuous improvement and the long term success of the AFP;
- Building and sustaining internal and externa professional networks and collaborative working relationships;
- Identifying, evaluating and supporting technological changes, policy and legislation within the relevant field that can be utilised to enhance the AFP's response capability;
- Maintaining currency in policy, legislation and subject matter expertise through ongoing professional development and learning opportunities outside the formal education process.
The successful candidate must have:
- A security clearance at the Negative Vetting 1 (Secret) level (or the ability to obtain and maintain such a clearance).
- Tertiary qualifications in Law and contemporary, relevant, employment and litigation related legal knowledge and expertise.
- A practising certificate as an Australian Legal Practitioner.
- Significant (7+ years) experience as an employment lawyer (including litigation and Dispute Resolution experience) in government and/or the private sector, with at least 2 years' experience at the principal government lawyer (EL2) / senior associate level.
- A strong understanding of Commonwealth legal obligations.
- Significant experience in leading and managing a diverse team of legal practitioners.
- High quality practice management skills.
The ideal candidate will have:
- Experience in delivering high level and complex legal advice to senior executives in government and/or the private sector on a wide variety of employment, administrative law and Dispute Resolution matters issues.
- A comprehensive understanding of the Commonwealth legal framework relating to employment, Dispute Resolution, administrative decision making and model litigant obligations.
- A sound understanding of the Commonwealth and AFP legal policy framework that applies to recruitment and cessation of employment, discrimination, performance management, workers compensation and work health and safety.
- Highly developed written and oral communication and negotiation skills, including the ability to communicate with influence with a variety of internal and external stakeholders.
- The ability to analyse complex information quickly and engage appropriately with legal risk.
- Highly developed leadership, management and practice management skills.
- The ability to deliver high level legal and strategic advice to the AFP Executive.
- Achieve results
- Communicates with influence
- Contributes to strategic thinking
- Cultivates productive working relationships
- Shows personal drive and integrity
- Technical knowledge and skills
As part of your application you are required to submit the following documents via the AFPs Recruitment System (Jobs portal) prior to the closing date and time:
- Resume/CV - (maximum two pages) This will form the basis for determining your suitability against the position requirements and give the panel a clear outline of your current knowledge and qualifications along with previous experiences. Please include your work history, responsibilities and achievements.
- Applicant
Only complete applications will be considered. Please review and ensure the uploaded documents are correct for this application after submitting your application.
Good luck with your application!
COVID - 19 Mandate
AFP employees are required to have received a minimum of two COVID-19 vaccinations (or one dose if the Janssen vaccine was used). Satisfactory proof of vaccination status will be required at the time an offer of employment is made. Please contact the if you wish to discuss the COVID-19 vaccine requirements further.
Employment Suitability Questionnaire (ESQ)
All external applicants must complete an Employment Suitability Questionnaire should you successfully progress from the application stage. This aids in the assessment of your character and your ability to comply with the AFP's professional standards both in an official and private capacity. We encourage you to review our to ensure that you meet the requirements before you submit your application.
The AFP Recruitment Team will be in touch to let you know if you'll need to provide the following additional information:
- A completed Employment Suitability Questionnaire (
Applicants will not receive feedback at this gateway.
Interview
Applicants who have demonstrated their suitability for employment through their resume, application and ESQ, may be invited to a formal interview. Using the relevant as a guide, you may be asked a range of questions to demonstrate your skills and abilities. These could include behavioural based scenario questions.
You can prepare for the interview by:
- reviewing your responses to the selection criteria, picking a few additional examples to use in the interview
- participating in a mock interview using the selection criteria to think of possible questions.
AFP employees are required to have their finger prints taken. This requirement will be undertaken at the time an offer of employment is made.
Commitment to Diversity & Inclusion
Diversity and inclusion is an operational priority for the Australian Federal Police (AFP). To be an effective police force, we must be reflective of the community we serve, working across languages, cultures and transnational borders. The 2023-26 Diversity & Inclusion Strategy is the guiding framework for delivering the AFP's diversity and inclusion goals and reflecting our commitment to being an employer of choice, incorporating diversity and inclusion principles in day-to-day practice and building a psychologically and culturally safe workplace. This includes hiring people from diverse backgrounds who bring their lived experience to contribute, and add value, to the AFP.
Find out more about how the AFP embraces .
Contacts and Closing Information
Contact Officer - Emily Caldwell,
Contact Officer Phone: +61251267355,
Contact Officer Email: Emily.Caldwell@afp.gov.au
Applications Close: 11:59pm (AEDT) 28/01/2024
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