Register of Interest - Lawyer or Senior Lawyer - Commercial, Governance & Information Law Section

Register of Interest Details

JOB TITLE - Register of Interest - Lawyer or Senior Lawyer - Commercial, Governance & Information Law Section

LOCATION - ACT

AFP BAND - Band 5-8 within the AFP Legal Officer Broadband: Lawyer - AFP Band 5 - 6 - I  Senior Lawyer - AFP Band 7 - 8

VACANCY REFERENCE NUMBER - 13373

CONTACT OFFICER - Lauren Bird and Erin Bartley, Lauren: +61 (0)418 326 686, Erin: (02) 5126 6849, Lauren.Bird2@afp.gov.au and Erin Bartley@afp.gov.au

APPLICATIONS CLOSE - 11:59pm (AEST) 18/10/2024

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:

• Six weeks (30 days) of paid annual leave per year + additional paid Christmas stand down 
• 4 extra mandatory leave rest days per year 
• 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 AFP Enterprise Agreement 
• Flexible and hybrid working arrangement that provides work/life balance
• Health & wellbeing services – with a focus on early intervention, education and prevention. 
• Access to ongoing training and professional development opportunities

Role Summary

The AFP Legal Corporate team is responsible for the provision of legal advice and litigation services that directly support the operational law enforcement activities of the AFP. AFP Legal provides high quality, cost effective in-house professional legal services in administrative, operational, commercial and employment law to the AFP.

Applications are sought from suitably qualified, professional, enthusiastic and committed lawyers wishing to be considered for the role of Lawyer (Band 5 – 6) or Senior Lawyer (Band 7 – 8) - AFP Legal Corporate – Commercial, Governance and Information Law Section, which provides advice and assistance on a broad range of commercial, governance and information law matters.

This is an exciting opportunity to join a vibrant legal practice that has a diverse and interesting range of work and internal clients and is committed to the development of its lawyers, and the maintenance of a supportive and flexible working environment.

As an employee of the AFP you will also be required to contribute to the achievement of outcomes in accordance with the regulatory framework, the AFP Code of Conduct and the AFP Governance Instruments. It is expected that the successful applicant will deliver on the core responsibilities and meet any requirements of the position as outlined below.

Role Description and Responsibilities

Lawyers working in the Commercial, Governance and Information Law Section in AFP Legal provide high quality, cost effective in-house professional legal services in a broad range of matters, namely:

(a) Commercial and Governance Law Team – advising on: 

(i)    commercial and governance matters, including advice in relation to major projects related to ICT, construction, property, commercial negotiations, tenders and contracts; and 
(ii)    corporate governance including delegations and authorisations, memorandums of understanding and existing powers under legislation.

(b) Privacy Team – advising on:

(i)    the collection, use, disclosure and handling of personal information under the Privacy Act and the Australian Privacy Principles, including in relation to data breaches;
(ii)    assisting and advising on privacy impact assessments, and associated threshold assessments under the Privacy (Australian Government Agencies) Code; and
(iii)    responding to privacy complaints made to the AFP and the OAIC.

Lawyer – Band 5 – 6 ($95,010.00 – $113,563.00)

Lawyers at the Band 5 – 6 level should have a minimum 3 – 5 years’ relevant legal experience. The role requires the provision of timely, well-written and accurate legal advice and support to internal AFP clients in support of the AFP’s activities, and compliance with its governance requirements. A Lawyer in AFP Legal is expected to:

• deliver high-quality, pragmatic legal advice and products; 
• take initiative and work with a significant degree of autonomy, but seek guidance and input as appropriate;
• liaise with AFP clients and take instructions;
• deal with more challenging matters under supervision of a Senior Lawyer; 
• assist and support Senior Lawyers including in relation to: 
  • high level discussions and negotiations with external stakeholders; and 
  • legislative, governance and policy development.
• contribute to AFP Legal strategic and corporate projects; and
• maintain currency in legal knowledge and skills through ongoing professional development and learning opportunities outside the formal education process.

Senior Lawyer – Band 7 – 8 ($113,563.00 – $132,391.00)

Senior Lawyers should have 5 or more years’ post admission experience. Senior Lawyers have responsibility for managing a high volume of varied work. The role requires advanced legal technical knowledge and expertise, including the ability to provide timely, high level accurate legal advice with minimal supervision. A Senior Lawyer is required to:

• have advanced legal technical knowledge;
• deliver high-quality, pragmatic legal advice and products;
• deal with more complex and challenging matters with minimal supervision;
• represent the AFP in high level discussions and negotiations with external stakeholders;
• demonstrate leadership and integrity in their interactions with team members and internal clients;
• provide an appropriate level of guidance and mentoring to junior lawyers; 
• actively contribute to:
  • legislative, governance and policy development; and
  • shaping strategic thinking and harnessing information and opportunities for the broader benefit of the AFP.
• maintain currency of legal knowledge and skills through ongoing professional development and learning opportunities outside the formal education process.

Essential Requirements

• Must be an Australian Citizen at time of application.
• Hold a current practising certificate or be eligible to apply for one.
• Demonstrated experience in commercial, governance and information law matters.
• Have a Negative Vetting 1 (Secret) security clearance, or the ability to obtain one.

Desirable Skills

The following skills and/or experience would be highly regarded:

• For Band 5 – 6 – have a minimum of 3 – 5 years post admission experience or be able to demonstrate contemporary relevant legal knowledge and experience
• For Band 7 – 8 – have 5+ years post admission experience
• Demonstrated experience working in a complex and dynamic environment and
• Demonstrated stakeholder management skills and the ability to form productive working relationships as a member of a team.

Additional Information

• Positions may be filled at the AFP Band 5 – 8 levels, within the AFP Legal Officer Broadband (Band 3 – 8), depending upon the skills and experience of the successful candidate.
• Note: Current AFP Lawyers are not eligible to apply for a promotion or advancement through this process.

Selection Criteria

Band 5

• Organising your work, making sound decisions and achieving outcomes
• Communicating and working effectively with other people
• Applying technical knowledge, expertise and skills

Band 6 – 8

• Achieve results
• Communicates with influence
• Contributes to strategic thinking
• Cultivates productive working relationships
• Shows personal drive and integrity

Required Application Documentation

As part of your Register of Interest you will be required to submit the following documents:

• Applicant response (pitch – maximum two pages)
• Resume/CV

Employment Suitablity

Should you successfully progress from the Register of Interest all applicants must:

• Complete an Employment Suitability Questionnaire (ESQ) and provide a traffic history check and proof of Australian citizenship.  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. Please review our AFP Character Standards to ensure that you meet our requirements before you submit your application. Applicants will not receive feedback if they are unsuccessful at this gateway.
• Have your fingerprints taken if an offer of employment is made.
• Undertake mandatory drug testing for illicit drugs. This sample could include; urine, saliva or hair.
• Proof of a minimum of two COVID-19 vaccinations (or one dose if the Janssen vaccine was used) will be required if an offer of employment is made. 
• Satisfactorily undertake a security clearance to the level specified for the position.