Job Description

Location: 680 George Street, World Square, CBD
Commencement Date: Immediate start (or by negotiation)
Closing Date: 14/04/22
Capacity: Full time, Permanent
Number of Position: 2

About us

Catholic schools have been delivering excellence in education to Sydney school students for 200 years. Sydney Catholic Schools (SCS) continues to be a thriving and growing contemporary educational community with 150 schools, more than 71,000 current students,10,000 staff and a large alumni community.

About the role

Reporting to the General Counsel, this role is responsible for the provision of expert legal advice and the effective management of legal and contractual risks. The role supports SCS in understanding and meeting its legislative obligations. The role is highly operational and will also provide mentorship and support to SCS lawyers and paralegals.

The Legal Counsel will be responsible for performing tasks which include, but are not limited to:

  • having the necessary legal skills to become subject matter experts on all school related law, including education, employment, commercial and family law
  • providing quality, timely and independent legal advice to SCS leadership and staff
  • drafting and negotiating services, facilities access, contractor and supplier agreements, and any other legal documents as required
    drafting template agreements, including employment contracts and deeds of release
  • representing SCS in the management of disputes
  • ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements
  • responding to legal claims and representing SCS at courts and tribunals
  • developing and providing legal and compliance training programs across the organisation
  • identifying and where necessary escalate significant risks
  • mentoring and advising SCS lawyers and paralegals, and being their
  • point of referral, including reviewing advice and correspondence.

Essential Criteria

To be considered for this role, you will have the following experience, skills and knowledge:

  • 5+ years’ post admission experience in law
  • strong knowledge of employment, corporation, commercial and/or family law
  • a commercial and strategic approach
  • the ability to work independently and with a broad range of internal and external stakeholders
  • exceptional communication, interpersonal and relationship building skills
  • proactive, results-driven and high attention to detail
  • proven track record of providing accurate and effective legal counsel
  • strong leadership and relationship management skills
  • exceptional time management skills, ability to prioritise competing demands and work effectively in a high volume environment.

What We Offer

  • a long-term career opportunity working for an established Catholic Education  Institution
  • the ability to build your career in a multi-disciplined business environment
  • an opportunity to build professional relationships across the Catholic Education Network
  • competitive remuneration with on-going training and support
    and Generous Salary Packaging.

This position offers a base salary of $168,182. + Employer’s Contribution to Superannuation

How to Apply

To apply for this position please click on the APPLY button and follow the prompts.

For any internal candidates please apply via your ‘Careers tile’ in Employee Self Service.

To support your application, you will be required to provide:

Your current resume
Cover letter

If you encounter technical issues or for any general enquiries, please contact the People & Culture Services team on (02) 9568 8297 (Mon-Fri).

Working With Children Check (WWCC)

This role is classified as child-related work and therefore requires a WWCC clearance prior to commencement of employment.

Vaccination Requirement for our staff:

Sydney Catholic Schools is committed to ensuring the safety of our staff, students and school communities. In line with the Public Health (COVID-19 Vaccination of Education and Care Workers) Order 2021, all of our staff are required to provide Vaccination Evidence that is compliant with the Order as a condition of employment. Compliance with the Order and providing the evidence is an essential requirement of employment with Sydney Catholic Schools.