• Full time ongoing position (part-time considered - no less than 0.8 FTE)
• Salary range: $138,909 - $162,060 (pro rata) plus super plus salary packaging
• Up to $15,900 in salary packaging and hybrid WFH & office model
• Training and professional development opportunities

About the role
Victoria Legal Aid (VLA) is seeking a people leader to lead our newly refurbished Geelong office, supporting the communities of Greater Geelong, Surf Coast Shire, Colac Otway Shite and Queenscliffe Borough. This key leadership role involves managing a team of 25 legal and non-legal staff and ensuring the effective delivery of legal services across multiple areas, including criminal law, family law and child protection.

As Regional Manager, you will oversee the daily operations of the Geelong office, manage resources and budgets, and ensure services are delivered effectively to meet local legal needs. You will lead a diverse team, provide guidance and support while maintain a positive and productive work environment.

The role also involves building strong relationships with local stakeholders and community groups, advocating for access to justice, and ensuring that legal services align with the community's needs across areas such as criminal law, family law, and civil justice.

This role is based at our Geelong office on Wadawurrung Country.

About you
As our ideal candidate, you will possess:

• Extensive leadership and people management experience, including the ability to inspire and develop a diverse team.
• Significant legal practice experience, particularly in criminal, family, and civil law, and familiarity with legal aid service delivery.
• Strong strategic planning and problem-solving skills, with the ability to respond effectively to emerging legal trends and needs.
• Tertiary qualification in law, public policy or a related field or equivalent relevant experience (mandatory).
• A current Australian practising certificate which entitles you to practise in Victoria as a government legal practitioner (mandatory)

Why Geelong?

• The Geelong office is just over an hour drive from Melbourne and Ballarat.
• All the amenities of a city, without the extended commute to work.
• Residents in parts of Geelong and the greater region face some of the highest levels of disadvantage in Australia.
• Exposure to multiple practice areas including summary crime, indictable crime, youth crime, child protection, family violence, and family law.
• Opportunity to lead the delivery of community legal education and stakeholder engagement in the region.
• Feel a sense of connectedness and community from working in regional Australia.

Don't meet every requirement? At VLA, we understand that your work and life experiences can be just as valuable. If you're excited about this role but your CV doesn't align perfectly with our job description, we encourage you to apply anyway. You may be just the right candidate for this or one of our many other opportunities.

About Victoria Legal Aid
We provide legal representation to those who need it most. With over 1400 staff employed in 16 offices across Victoria, we help people with their legal problems by providing information, advice and education with a focus on the prevention and early resolution of legal problems.

Our clients come from all walks of life and so do we. We hire great people from a wide variety of backgrounds and foster a work culture that's inclusive as well as diverse. Your unique ideas and perspectives are valued so that we best represent the people we serve.

Employee benefits

• Focus on work-life balance including flexible working arrangements
• Hybrid work from home & office model
• Training and professional development opportunities, monthly Regional Managers' Forums and triannual organisation-wide Managers' Forums
• Excellent salary packaging options including General Expenses up to $15,900, Meals & Entertainment up to $2,650 and Novated Leasing
• Access to discounted Private Health Insurance
• Relocation allowance if relocating for the role

How to apply

To be considered for this role, you MUST submit your current resume and a cover letter addressing the following:

• Your PEOPLE MANAGEMENT AND LEADERSHIP SKILLS.
• KEY OPPORTUNITIES in the BARWON REGION and how you would address them.

If you require adjustments to the recruitment and selection process or need an alternative format to any of the application material, please don't hesitate to get in touch with our team.

For further information, please review the attached position description or contact Melanie Rudolphus, Associate Director, South West on (03) 5329 6281 or [email protected].

No agency applications will be accepted.

Applications close by 11.59pm on Wednesday 6 August 2025.

Other relevant information
It is a requirement that staff attend for office-based days at their primary work location. In line with this requirement, interstate applications will be considered only where the candidate is able and willing to relocate to Victoria, unless part of a border community.

VLA is committed to putting the safety and wellbeing of children first.