Director Legal

Full time role
Highly autonomous role with a focus on construction and dispute resolution
Join a group transforming education in NSW, and make a difference to students in NSW
Ongoing Public Service Senior Executive Band 1 role with a remuneration range of $231,238 - $256,184 per annum
Based in Parramatta and Everleigh with flexible work options
About us
At the NSW Department of Education, we educate and inspire lifelong learners – from early childhood, through schooling to vocational education and training.

We ensure young children get the best start in life by supporting and regulating the early childhood education and care sector. We unlock excellence and unleash the potential of two-thirds of school children in NSW. We’re proudly public and the largest education system in Australia. We nurture opportunities for every learner to develop the skills needed for their chosen career path, helping shape the industries of tomorrow.

We respect and value Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as First Peoples of Australia.
The Legal services directorate provides strategic legal advice across a range of different matters. This is an opportunity to bring your expertise to the Department of Education and join a team of dedicated professionals who are passionate about public education and committed to delivering the Plan for NSW Public Education.

About the role
Reporting to the Deputy General Counsel, the Director, Legal is a trusted a legal advisor to the School Infrastructure team and is required to provide accurate, timely and strategic legal advice and support on complex legal matters and sensitive issues to senior departmental staff, senior executives including Ministers so that the best interests of the department are served and protected.

This is highly autonomous role with a key focus on construction, disputes management and litigation including areas of intellectual property and insolvency.
Supervision and mentoring of other lawyers and management of external lawyers is a key part of this role.

The role will suit an experienced legal practitioner with solid and recent experience managing disputes in an infrastructure/construction environment.
For more details about this role, click here to view the Role Description.

About you
You are a seasoned professional with demonstrated legal experience relevant to the position and a strong track record in managing disputes in a similar context. You will have solid experience in a senior role and in fostering a culture of collaboration and participation.

As a senior lawyer you will join a team focused on driving improved ways of working to deliver meaningful and long-lasting impact. You will be collaborative, courageous, agile, have strong communications skills and disciplined about delivering outcomes for the students of NSW.

To be successful in this role, you will have:
Appropriate tertiary qualifications in law and admission as a legal practitioner with an unrestricted practicing certificate.
Have at least 10 years post-qualification experience in construction, preferably back end managing construction disputes and litigation.
Hold a valid clearance to work with children (Working with Children Check).
Demonstrated understanding of and commitment to the value of public education.
As a condition of employment, successful candidates who have not previously worked for the department will be required to provide a current Working with Children Check (WWCC) Clearance number. This option would allow the WWCC to naturally expire without further communication needed with the employee. The employer obligations under the WWCC would apply for duration of the WWCC’s validity (up to 5 years).

Interested?
To apply for this role, please submit an online application and attach your resume along with a cover letter which describes how your capabilities, knowledge and experience make you the best person for this role.

Applications Close: 11:59pm on Tuesday, 26 August 2025

Contact: For enquiries about the recruitment of this role, please contact Simone Nokes, Deputy General Counsel at Simone.Nokes1@det.nsw.edu.au

Please note:
We welcome applications from all ages and genders, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, culturally and linguistically diverse groups, the LGBTQIA+ community, veterans, refugees, and people with disability. If we can make some adjustments to our recruitment/interview process to better enable you to shine, please contact the Diversity and Inclusion Team (dandi@det.nsw.edu.au) or visit NSW Department of Education Diversity and Inclusion.

A talent pool may be created for future ongoing and temporary roles and is valid for a period of up to 18 months. Candidates on a talent pool may be chosen and directly offered employment in other or similar roles (ongoing or term) in the near future.

Australia
New South Wales
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