Senior Lawyer, Children, Families and Education Law Unit

Senior Lawyer, Children, Families and Education Law Unit $113,022 to $136,747 Plus superannuation

An exceptional opportunity has arisen for a senior lawyer to progress their legal career within the Children, Families and Education Law (CFEL) Unit of the Workplace and Education Law branch in the Legal Division of the Department of Education.

The role offers an exciting opportunity to provide high quality, fast paced and practical advice to Victorian government schools, regional offices and corporate staff across areas of law including family law, intervention orders, child protection, child safety and school community safety orders, trespass, privacy and information sharing, duty of care, subpoenas and witness summonses and other school-related legal matters in accordance with the VPS values. You will also have the opportunity to mentor and support junior lawyers and law clerks.

The CFEL unit also manages proceedings, inquiries and investigations such as those conducted by the Coroners Court of Victoria and the Commission for Children and Young People. The successful candidate will manage these matters with sensitivity and compassion while also managing the impact of this work on their own wellbeing. The unit also provides legal review of Department policies and guidelines, correspondence and Cabinet documents and assistance in legal policy issues related to early childhood, schools and higher education.

The successful candidate will be able to prioritise matters, work collaboratively in a team environment with lawyers who are passionate about their work and committed to supporting career aspirations.

Multiple Full-Time, Ongoing and Fixed-term roles available

Meaningful work that is varied, satisfying and rewarding

- A career as a government lawyer provides opportunities that are unrivalled by the private sector. Scale, impact and richness of work set the public sector apart. For more opportunities for publicly minded lawyers, visit Legal profession | vic.gov.au

Flexible and hybrid working arrangements

— Part time, flexible start and finish times, work from home to help manage work and personal commitments.

Competitive salary

- Annual salary increases in line with the Victorian Public Service Enterprise Agreement

Diversity and inclusion

- The department is committed to an inclusive workforce that represents the community it serves.

Values

- The department adopts the public sector values: Responsiveness, Integrity, Impartiality, Accountability, Respect, Leadership and Human Rights. These values underpin interactions with colleagues, students and families, members of the community, suppliers and government.

Employee assistance program

— For emotional, mental and general psychological wellbeing and support

About us

The Department of Education is responsible for delivering and regulating state-wide learning and development services to approximately one-third of Victorians across the early childhood and school education sectors. The department is one of Victoria's largest employers, with approximately 80,000 teaching staff and around 5,000 public service employees.

The Legal Division provides highly valued legal services to support the department's strategic objectives, key reforms and risk management. It delivers practical and strategic legal advice to portfolio ministers, the secretary, other senior staff and over 1,600 government schools, supporting approximately over 650,000 Victorian Government school students.

How to Apply

Applicants are required to submit a CV and a cover letter summarising their skills and experience (no more than two pages).

Visit http://www.careers.vic.gov.au/vacancies/tips-for-applying for guidelines and tips for applying for government positions.

Further Information

For more details regarding this position please see the attached position description for the capabilities to address in application.

The department values diversity and inclusion in all forms – gender, religion, ethnicity, LGBTIQ+, disability and neurodiversity. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander candidates are strongly encouraged to apply. For more information about our work, working for the Department, diversity and inclusion, and our employment conditions visit the Department website and our Diversity and Inclusion page.

Applicants requiring adjustments can contact the nominated contact person.

Information about the Department of Education's operations and employment conditions can be located at www.education.vic.gov.au.

For further information pertaining to the role, please contact

Katherine Johns,

Principal Lawyer and Manager, (03) 7022 5795.

Preferred applicants may be required to complete a police check and may be subject to other pre-employment checks. Information provided to the Department of Education will be treated in the strictest confidence.

Please let us know via phone or email if you require any adjustments to ensure your full participation in the recruitment process or if you need the ad or any attachments in an accessible format due to any viewing difficulties or other accessibility requirements.

Applications close

11:59pm on

Sunday, 08 March 2026

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