Senior Lawyer

The Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission (the Commission) is the national regulator of Australian Government aged care services. The Commission is responsible for safeguarding older people, engaging and educating the aged care sector, registering aged care providers and dealing with complaints and feedback about aged care. The Commission offers a variety of interesting and challenging jobs across most capital cities.

It is an exciting time to join the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission, with major reforms having recently taken effect to improve aged care in Australia. You will be contributing to our role as a rights‑based, risk‑led regulator that supports the Government's objectives of ensuring the safety, dignity and wellbeing of every older person accessing funded aged care services.

The Legal Services Branch's Purpose and Responsibilities:

The Legal Services Branch, led by the Chief Counsel, provides the full scope of legal services relevant to the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commissioner's (the Commissioner) and Complaints Commissioner's functions, principally in relation to the interpretation and application of the legislation that currently regulates aged care providers, being the Aged Care Act 2024 and Aged Care Rules 2025 (the aged care scheme). These legal services include, but are not limited to, advising on the Commissioner's and Complaints Commissioner's regulatory activities, advising on matters of administrative law, commercial law, information law and employment law, managing the Commission's involvement in litigation in relevant courts and tribunals and facilitating the Commission's engagement with external legal services providers.

The Legal Services Branch works closely with policy and operational units, particularly to support defensible decision making and the implementation of the Commission's regulatory framework. This includes supporting Commission staff with training programs, where necessary.

The FOI, Privacy and Information Section in the Legal Services Branch is separately responsible for co‑ordinating FOI requests and advising on privacy matters, as well as overseeing and promoting FOI and privacy awareness and compliance across the Commission.

The key duties of the position include

Under limited supervision, provide legal advice and other legal services of a more complex nature in relation to the performance of the Commissioner's and Complaints Commissioner's functions under the aged care scheme, employment law matters, and commercial and corporate law matters.

Arrange for the procurement of legal services from external legal providers in accordance with the Legal Services Directions 2017 and other requirements.

In conjunction with external legal providers, manage the conduct of litigation and other formal dispute or workplace investigation processes.

Prepare training materials and deliver training to Commission staff to increase legal literacy, promote awareness of legal risks, and improve the quality of decision‑making.

Assist the leadership team of the Legal Services Branch (Chief Counsel and Principal Lawyers) by contributing to and advancing strategic initiatives to support the effective operation of the Legal Services Branch, and providing training and support to junior and new staff in the Legal Services Branch with the view to building capability.

Lead and manage other legal staff in the Legal Services Branch (up to a Legal 1 - APS 6 classification level), if required.

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