Legal Counsel Workplace Relations

Legal Counsel – Workplace Relations

• Provide legal advice on a variety of workplace and industrial matters
• Permanent Full-Time opportunity
• Open to being located from North Sydney, Newcastle or our Brisbane office
• Collaborative and dynamic team environment

About us

Pacific National (PN) is the largest private provider of diversified rail freight services in Australia. We haul a variety of freight including coal, intermodal containers, steel, and a range of bulk commodities and materials that keep the region’s economy, businesses and households running. We are a company built on solid foundations and we are incredibly proud of the essential role we continue to play supporting Australia’s supply chain. At Pacific National, we take great pride in delivering our best every day and have a relentless focus on customer service and place safety above all else.

We operate nationally with approximately 3,500 staff in over 90+ sites across Australia. We respect and care for the communities in which we operate and continue to evolve our community engagement and strengthen relationships through partnerships and investment. We are focused on reducing the carbon emissions of our business, while also enabling the reduction of carbon emissions in the broader supply chain to support the National targets.

About the role

An exciting opportunity has arisen within our Workplace Relations team, reporting to the Head of Workplace Strategy, we are seeking a Legal Counsel - Workplace Relations to join the team on a permanent basis.

Working as part of a collaborative and dynamic team, the Legal Counsel Workplace Relation will provide legal advice on a variety of Workplace Relations and industrial matters at Pacific National. The Legal Counsel leads representation on a full range of workplace issues including enterprise bargaining, change management, case management, litigation, dispute resolution and compliance.

Delivering valued services for a large and complex business that is investing in new assets, technology, infrastructure, and strategic locations, you will be supported by a manager who focusses on your wellbeing and creates the space to operate autonomously and find the kind of work that energises you. Flexibility will be offered to the right candidate.

Key accountabilities include:

• Resolve industrial disputes, including advocacy in industrial tribunals
• Keep abreast of legislative and case law changes and advise the business accordingly
• Deliver timely, sound, high quality and cost-effective legal advice that meets the strategic objectives of the businesses (this also includes managing advice provided by external lawyers)
• Ensure compliance to legislation in relation to enterprise agreements and bargaining process and assist in negotiations as required.
• Manage Workplace Relations caseload including Fair Work Commission (FWC) activities and employment related litigation.
• Managing the legal risk profile in relation to Workplace Relations matters.
• Educate, coach and mentor others to ensure the best possible industrial and Workplace Relations outcomes are achieved across the business.
• Assisting in the development of policies, procedures, and training programmes for staff on relevant legal issues.
• Develop and maintain key internal and external stakeholders (including trade unions).

About you

Ideal candidates will possess the following experience, skills, and attributes:

• Bachelor of Laws or equivalent qualification, admitted to practice as a lawyer in Australia (unrestricted practicing certificate)
• Minimum 5 years’ experience practising law in the industrial/Workplace Relations arena (either in a law firm, in house or industry group)
• Skilful and competent advocate
• Demonstrated knowledge of employment frameworks and associated legislation.
• Prior experience in the logistics, construction or heavy industries is preferred.
• Strong drafting skills
• Excellent strategic skills
• Exceptional communication skills
• Collaborative approach achieving success with and through others
• Experience in private practice and/or in a sound in-house commercial environment

The benefits

At Pacific National we value diversity, inclusion, and the contribution of each team member. Our values underpin our commitment to create an inclusive culture where everyone is accepted and valued for who they are, enabling everyone to bring their authentic selves to work.

When you join the Pacific National team, you’ll be encouraged to take ownership of your career and we’ll be there to support you with a range of exciting initiatives including:

• Industry leading programs focussed on your growth and career development
• Paid parental leave up to 12 weeks for primary carers after 12 months service
• Opportunity to purchase additional annual leave
• Flexible working arrangements (subject to business needs)
• A focus on your mental health and wellbeing through our PeerConnect program
• Access to our Employee Assistance Program, administered by Benestar, offering confidential counselling services for employees and their eligible family members, paid for by us at no cost to you
• Access to Unmind, a digital platform that gives you access to tools, training and exercises that will support your mental wellbeing
• Discounted fitness and wellbeing benefits with membership to WhereFit, our wellbeing benefits partner
• Novated leasing and discounts on selected health insurance funds, travel, retail brands, vehicles and more

We are proud to be a WORK180 Endorsed Employer for women, and you can visit our Work180 page Pacific National | WORK180 Endorsed Employer to find out more including a list of all of our benefits and policies.

We are seeking applicants who share our values: Make it simple, Share More, Kindness, Gratitude, Curiosity, and Own it. These values help us achieve strong connections with everyone we work with and play an important part in motivating us all to do our best work.

Closing date

Applications close at on the 29th of February 2024

Next steps

Are you ready to be part of our future?

To apply, please click on the 'Apply' button below and follow the prompts.

To find out more about Pacific National, our benefits and opportunities we offer, visit our careers page: www.pacificnational.com.au/careers

Acknowledgement of Country

We acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of​ the land on which we work, live and rail.​ We pay respect to Elders past, present and future and to the​ continuation of cultural, spiritual, and educational practices​ of all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.