Principal Lawyer

Principal Lawyer - Building Operations, Legal Operations, Building Commission NSW - Grade: 11/12- Location: Parramatta, other locations considered- Full Time Ongoing role About Building Commission NSW The new Building Commission NSW has been established after the NSW Government recognised the substantial progress made by Fair Trading and the Office of the Building Commissioner in delivering once-in-a-generation reforms of the building and construction industry. The new Commission will not only be the industry regulator, but also a collaborator with consumers and industry to ensure standards, capabilities, capacity and resilience continue to be lifted across the sector to deliver quality homes and meet the State's housing targets. Building Commission NSW is an outstanding place to work due to its commitment to innovation, collaboration and professional development. With a focus on transparency and accountability, the Commission cultivates a culture of integrity and responsibility. Those who join the organisation can be confident in contributing to meaningful work that positively impacts the built environment and the greater community, making it an exciting and fulfilling place to build a career. This is a fantastic opportunity to join the next phase of Building Commission NSW. https://www.nsw.gov.au/housing-and-construction/building-commissioner An opportunity has arisen for an experienced lawyer ideally with front and back-end experience to join the Commission. The lawyer will be working on contracts, assisting with litigation and prosecutions and working on special projects.Responsibilities include: - Drafting, advising on and monitoring compliance with contracts with external service providers including for Project Remediate and Project Intervene.- Setting up and managing panels of bespoke external service provides for Building Commission NSW including undertaking managers, supervising managers and supervising certifiers.- Drafting and advising on orders, undertakings and requests for documents and information under Design and Building Practitioners Act 2020, Residential Apartment Buildings (Compliance and Enforcement Powers) Act 2020 and other legislation administer by Building Commission NSW.- Advising on insolvency and external administration issues in the construction sector.- Assisting with administrative/judicial review litigation in respect of occupational licensing and disciplinary decisions and challenges to orders issued, in the NSW Civil & Administrative Tribunal, the Land & Environment Court and the Supreme Court, and assisting with prosecutions in the Local Court and the Land & Environment Court for offences against building legislation administered by Building Commission NSW. There may be scope for the role to focus on litigation and prosecutions with carriage of own cases depending on the needs of the Commission.- Drafting correspondence to and dealing with internal and external stakeholders including contractors, service providers, industry associations, builders, developers, strata managers, owners corporations, law firms and members of the public.- Responding to requests for access to documents under Government Information (Public Access) Act 2009 and in response to subpoenas and summonses to produce documents.To be successful in this role you will have: - A current NSW practising certificate or be eligible to obtain one.- Demonstrated experience as a lawyer in at least two of the following practice areas: construction law (front or back end), administrative law, civil litigation, strata law, contracts/commercial law, and criminal law (prosecutions or defence).- Demonstrated experience in drafting legal documents such as court documents, contracts and deeds. It is desirable but not essential if you have experience drafting notices and orders under legislation.- Sound knowledge of legislation administered by Building Commission NSW including Design and Building Practitioners Act 2020, Residential Apartment Buildings (Compliance and Enforcement Powers) Act 2020 and Home Building Act 1989.- Knowledge of insolvency and external administration of companies especially in the construction industry is desirable but not essential.- Strong negotiation, stake holder management. interpersonal and communication skills.- Experience in prioritising time sensitive matters, handling large volumes of work and managing deadlines.- Understanding administrative law issues and decision-making considerations by Commission officers.If you'd like to know more about this amazing role, you are encouraged to contact Carlo Fini, A/Director, Legal Operations at Carlo.Fini@customerservice.nsw.gov.au What we need from you An up-to-date CV and a brief cover letter (2 page maximum) outlining how your skills and experience are aligned to the role. Salary Clerk Grade 11/12, with the base salary for this role starting at 139,787 base plus superannuation Click Here to access the Role Description. For enquiries relating to recruitment please contact Scott Hinchliffe via scott.hinchliffe@customerservice.nsw.gov.au. Visit the Capability Application Tool to prepare for the recruitment process by accessing practice application and interview questions based on the focus capabilities listed in the role description. Closing Date: Thursday 22nd February 2024 [9:59am] Working at Department of Customer Service The Department of Customer Service (DCS) is a great place to work! Our values of accountability, trust, service, and integrity drive our initiatives and culture. We support innovative programs in areas as broad as digital government, consumer protection and major public works. We are an inclusive organisation that celebrates diversity and flexible work practices and believe our people are our greatest asset. Visit our Careers site to find out what it means to work for us. You Belong HereWe are committed to diversity, inclusion, and new ways of working.We have 8 million+ reasons to care and want our employees to represent the communities that we serve. You can view our full diversity and inclusion statement here.We want you to bring your best self to this application process. If you feel you may require an adjustment during the recruitment process, please contact our Diversity, Equity and Inclusion team via scott.hinchliffe@customerservice.nsw.gov.au or 02 9494 8351. For more information, please visit Information on some of the different types of disabilities Information on adjustments available for the recruitment process