Eligibility

The Fair Work Commission (the Commission) requires Australian citizenship as a condition of engagement.

To be eligible for employment with the Commission, the successful applicant must undergo and satisfy a National Police Check.

About the Position

The Fair Work Commission’s (the Commission) Legal and Rules team is seeking an APS6 Senior Advisor and/or an APS6 Senior Lawyer to join the Registered Organisations Services Branch’s (the Branch) complex investigations and litigation function. Reporting to the Assistant Director, Legal and Rules, the successful candidate will work alongside other members of the team to provide advice and assistance to a range of internal and external stakeholders, such as Commission Members, the General Manager, the Branch’s Executive Director and Legal Counsel, registered organisations, and practitioners.

As a Senior Advisor or Senior Lawyer, you will utilise your strong research skills, and ability to interpret and apply complex legislation to assist with and provide advice on regulatory compliance, investigations, and litigations. You will be a proactive team member, contributing to evaluation and improvement of processes and will have the opportunity to work across many of the functions of the Branch.

As a Senior Lawyer, you will provide complex legal advice and are required to be appropriately qualified.

All applicants will be considered for both roles.

Duties

• Work with the Assistant Director, Director, the Executive Director and other team members in providing issues analysis, advice, support and assistance to internal and external clients in relation to registered organisation compliance enforced by the Commission.
• Conduct inquiries and investigations into suspected cases of non-compliance with the Fair Work (Registered Organisations) Act 2009 (RO Act) by organisations, branches, officers and/or employees.
• Identify practical or technical issues and develop investigation and enforcement strategies arising in investigations and communicate these through internal and external correspondence including Investigation Reports.
• Develop and maintain working relationships with a range of key internal and external stakeholders including assisting with interviewing, drafting correspondence and obtaining information from a range of witnesses and legal providers.
• Provide mentorship, and assist the Assistant Director, Director and other staff in completing inquiries and investigations, meeting performance targets including timeliness benchmarks and undertaking relevant project work.
• Process compliance issues and matters that are lodged with the Commission by registered organisations including advising organisations in relation to legislative requirements. This will include assisting the Rules side of the team during peak periods with the processing of applications to alter the registered rules of organisations and the provision of advice regarding proposed rules.
• Other duties as directed by the Delegate, the Assistant Director and/or the Legal Counsel.

Senior Lawyer additional duties

• Preparing and managing the conduct of civil penalty litigation against registered organisations, their officers and employees, that shape the law and deter non-compliance with the RO Act.
• Providing in-house legal advice relating to the General Manager’s regulatory functions and powers under the RO Act in respect of the regulation of registered organisations.

How to Apply

The Position Description (PD) is attached at the bottom of this advertisement which will provide you with further information.

Your application must consist of the following two requirements

• A statement of claim of no more than 800 words, outlining your skills and/or experience relevant to the advertised role using the ‘Our ideal candidate’ section as your basis.
• A resume detailing your employment history relevant to this position and details of at least two recent referees.

Submit your application via the Commission's online e-recruitment system by Sunday 17 August 2025 no later than 11:45 pm AEST.

If you have questions regarding this role, please contact Catherine Bebbington on (03) 8650 0180 or send an email to the Recruitment Team [email protected]

Additional Information

Information about the Commission can be found at www.fwc.gov.au

Commission staff have access to hybrid working arrangements where they can work a combination of in the office and from home.

The Fair Work Commission has a broad range of functions relating to the workplace and seeks to discharge these functions in a way that best meets the needs of our community with a focus on access to justice. As an employer, the Commission values diverse views and backgrounds, including First Nations Australians, mature age workers, people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, carers, LGBTQIA+, people with disability and people who are neurodiverse. Our aim is to create a workforce that reflects the community in which we live. We also welcome conversations about working flexibly.

RecruitAbility applies to this vacancy. Applicants are encouraged to request reasonable adjustments as required to assist your participation in this recruitment process.