Legal Counsel

Are you a lawyer looking to use your commercial skills to make a positive social impact?

Do you want to work with a leading purpose-driven, community-based organisation?

ABOUT SSI

Settlement Services International Limited (SSI) is a leading Not-for-Profit organisation that supports newcomers and other Australians to achieve their full potential. SSI works with all people who have experienced vulnerability, including refugees, people seeking asylum and culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities, to build capacity and enable them to overcome inequality.

 
 ABOUT THE ROLE

 
 A temporary opportunity has arisen for a lawyer with at least 2-4 years post-qualification experience to make a difference, joining SSI’s award-winning in-house Legal Team while one of our team members is on leave.

 
Our Legal Team supports SSI with legal advice, services and other projects, helping to assist the business to identify, prevent and mitigate legal risks, ensure compliance with legal and regulatory frameworks, and develop the legal understanding of SSI staff members relevant to their daily work.

 
 In this role, reporting to the Acting Senior Legal Counsel, you will:

• Provide high-quality, commercially focused legal advice across all areas of the business, which will include exposure to contract law, privacy, intellectual property, employment law, regulatory compliance, and other areas of commercial law;
• Draft, review and negotiate commercial contracts and other legal documents, and prepare legal templates where necessary;
• Identify and mitigate legal risks pertaining to general commercial matters, and assisting with strategies which reduce and/or eliminate unacceptable exposure to regulatory risks;
• Prepare and deliver legal education within the organisation;
• Review organisational and departmental policies and procedures to ensure compliance with legal, legislative and contractual requirements;
• Review and communicate legal changes, keeping the organisation informed in relation to relevant State and Federal legislation and regulations; and
• Manage and undertake special legal projects as required.

You will have autonomy to run your own legal matters with minimal supervision, but working as part of a close-knit team, you will have the support of collaborative and friendly colleagues.

ABOUT YOU

 
Essential criteria for the successful candidate

• Current Practicing Certificate (unsupervised), or ability to obtain one.
• Minimum of 2-4 years’ relevant post-qualification experience (either private practice or in-house)
• A good knowledge and understanding of commercial contracts.
• Confidence to run your own matters.
• A demonstrated interest in the NFP sector and SSI’s work
• A collaborative, approachable and team-friendly  demeanor
• Passionate about understanding the business and your clients within the business.
• Proactive and ready to take on new challenges.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to advise in non-legal terms.
• High attention to detail and analytical skills; able to think outside the box and reach practical solutions.
• Proficient with the MS Office Suite and able to quickly learn new technologies.

  Desirable experience

• Not-for-Profit sector experience (legal or otherwise, paid or voluntary)
• In-house legal experience
• Experience delivering legal training to non-legal people.

  BENEFITS OF WORKING AT SSI

• Generous salary packaging options (see below)
• Flexible working arrangements including a 9-day fortnight [work 70 hours over nine days to earn a day off]
• Access to SSI's Wellness Program
• Additional leave entitlements
• Diverse and inclusive working environment
• Working alongside professional and dedicated team members all wanting to make a difference in our communities
• Opportunity to work on additional projects alongside business as usual

Salary packaging
 

With the offer of Salary Packaging, you can use up to $15,900 of your salary to pay for everyday expenses before income tax is calculated, meaning you pay less tax and have more money to spend. That's because your salary packaging money is deducted first and then your tax is calculated on the remaining amount.

ABOUT OUR RECRUITMENT PROCESS

 
 At SSI we have a zero tolerance for child abuse and is committed to creating and maintaining a child safe organisation where protecting children and preventing and responding to child abuse is embedded in the everyday thinking and practice of all employees, contractors and volunteers. All employees will undergo a National Police Clearance and a Working with Children Check as a condition of employment. SSI expects all applicants who can be safely vaccinated for COVID-19, to be so. This is also a pre-condition to ongoing employment.

How to apply

If excited by this role, please submit your application, including your resume and separate cover letter expressing your interest and suitability for the role. We want to know why you are interested in working for SSI and in this role in particular, and why you would be a great fit, so applications without a cover letter will not be considered.

Applications will be considered on a rolling basis, so please apply as soon as possible.

Inclusion and diversity

SSI recognises the importance of diversity in our workforce. So, if you're a person living with a disability, an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander person, part of the LGBTQIA+ community, from a culturally or linguistically diverse background or unique in any other way we would love to hear from you.

SSI is a Disability Confident Recruiter, and our Talent Acquisition team can assist in providing alternative formats to apply, making adjustments to the recruitment process and offering information about workplace adjustments and support networks.

Should you require adjustments please email us at talent@ssi.org.au or call Mariam on 0468 836 849