Freelance Commercial & Employment Lawyer (0-8 hrs/week, Remote AU)

The Opportunity

Technocrat (www.technocrat.com.au) is a remote-first, full-service open-source digital agency (30 people) delivering large-scale government and enterprise websites (primarily Drupal). Our motto is “Like your work, LOVE your life.” We value flexibility, clear communication and practical outcomes.

We’re seeking a part-time freelance lawyer (ABN contractor) who specialises in commercial and employment matters to support us on an as-needed basis. Work volume will vary week to week (often on the lighter side) and may occasionally be zero.

Reports to: Managing Director.
Direct reports: None.
Start: Immediate.
Target Hours: 0–8 hours/week. May start on the low end as we have no current matters.
Term: Ongoing, terminable by either party.

What you’ll do

Government/enterprise tender & contract reviews (ICT/web projects): Review MSAs, SOWs and procurement templates; identify risks; recommend pragmatic fall-backs on indemnities, liability caps, IP, data/privacy; prepare plain-English issue lists with risk ratings. Work with our dedicated security manager on security clauses.

Employment & HR advisory: Assist our HR and WHS Manager on contracts, policies, and day to day matters as needed.

General commercial: Support our MD on confidentiality, IP and privacy (APPs) matters; review liability/indemnity/insurance clauses; sense-check procurement compliance.

About You

5–8 years PAE with solid experience supporting government or enterprise ICT/web projects.

Calm, clear and plain-English communicator who can redline smartly in Word/Google Docs and explain trade-offs for non-lawyers.

Comfortable working ad-hoc with fluctuating hours; proactive with conflict checks and matter updates.

Minimum Requirements

Current unrestricted Australian Practising Certificate authorising external client work.

You operate via a law practice (sole practitioner or firm) and hold your own professional indemnity insurance for external engagements.

Based in Australia with full AU work rights.

Willing to sign a confidentiality deed and undergo a police check on request.

Non mandatory bonus: familiarity with information-security clauses (ISO27001/SOC2-style obligations) and the Australian Privacy Principles.

Must-have Experience

Government procurement & ICT contracting for web/IT projects.

Negotiating liability/indemnity/insurance clauses for ICT/web MSAs and SOWs.

Practical employment law support for SMEs, including remote staff in WA and VIC

Optional, nice to have

Law Society membership and current CPD.

Demonstrated privacy track record (APPs) and/or prior government supplier exposure.

Engagement & Rate

ABN contractor; ad-hoc only; typical 0–8 hours/week; no SLA commitments.

$100–$120 + GST per hour (ABN). Applications requiring a rate higher than $120 per hour will not be successful.

Invoiced monthly; no retainer initially.

Location & Flexibility

Remote anywhere in Australia.

Flexible hours aligned to business needs and optimising your own work week. We’re very flexible, supportive of your lifestyle balance and low-bureaucracy.

How to Apply

Please attach a short cover letter (5–7 bullets) covering:

Your typical turnaround on short vs longer pieces of work.

Your proposed hourly rate (≤ $120 + GST) and weekly availability.

Confirmation of your APC type/state and PI insurance (insurer & limit).

Why you’re a strong fit for our gov/enterprise ICT context.

If shortlisted for an interview, please come prepared to discuss two recent tender/ICT contract reviews and one recent employment matter (context, your role, outcome). Feel free to include this in your cover letter if you prefer.

If you feel you are a good fit for this role, then look forward to hearing from you.

Best Regards,

The Technocrat Team

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Note to Recruiters: Technocrat will not accept applications or unsolicited contacts from recruitment agents for this role.