• Senior practitioner and leadership role in the Australian Government’s central legal practice
• Ongoing (permanent) roles - SESB1 - Canberra, Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth and Brisbane
• Roles available for property, procurement and probity, and grants specialist legal advisers

Opportunities exist for a senior commercial lawyer to build the next phase of their career working on significant legal matters of national importance in the public interest. AGS Commercial is seeking experienced lawyers to provide specialist legal advice on property, major government procurements, probity issues and grants.

About us
AGS is the Australian Government’s central legal practice and part of the Attorney-General’s Department. AGS helps Commonwealth clients to manage legal issues, navigate new challenges and find solutions which deliver the best outcomes for Australia. We are a self-funded legal practice and compete for our work.

AGS is unique. AGS is dedicated to the national interest and is a trusted advisor to Government.

AGS is innovative. Drawing on an exceptional depth of experience and expertise, we assist the Australian Government in the development and implementation of solutions to legal issues that have national importance.

AGS is diverse. With offices in every capital city and a team of 715 staff, including 500 lawyers, we work in more than 40 different areas of law related to government.

About the role
Our commercial lawyers handle complex transactions and provide specialist commercial legal advice to agencies across the Commonwealth. Our work is diverse, and includes advising on policies and programs that are of national importance, such as:

• some of Australia’s largest energy and infrastructure projects
• management of a large and diverse property footprint in locations across Australia
• complex contracting arrangements, including the acquisition of goods and services to support Australia’s national security and defence forces
• integrity, legal process and probity advice to government at the highest levels; and
• the establishment, governance and financing of Australian Government entities.

Senior Executive Lawyers (SEL / SES Band 1) are Partner equivalent lawyers who provide leadership to our practice, develop the skills of our lawyers, and provide strategic legal advice on complex legal issues to our Commonwealth clients.

These are unique opportunities for highly capable and experienced commercial lawyers wanting to build the next phase of their legal career in the Commonwealth context. AGS’s Commercial practice has over 80 lawyers around Australia. Our employment offering is distinct from private law firm roles, corporate in-house roles and other government legal roles. It offers a unique hybrid culture of market leading legal expertise, dedicated client service, affinity with our clients, involvement in matters of national significance and the opportunity for public service, as well as a culture that embraces diversity and inclusion.

For further information about the requirements of the role, please refer to the role description available below.

About you
We are interested in hearing from candidates with substantial experience and expertise in commercial law matters, with a particular focus on candidates with experience in one or more of the following areas:

• leasing, pre-commitment transactions and technical property law matters
• Native Title and Indigenous Land Use Agreements
• high value procurement and probity transactions and related legal advice
• grants and funding arrangements.

The successful candidates will ideally have:

• substantial expertise and experience (ideally 10+ years PAE) advising on relevant legal matters
• a deep understanding of the Commonwealth legal environment
• proven leadership skills with a high level of professional standing within the public sector and legal profession
• capacity to meet personal productivity/revenue targets
• strong leadership, legal and analytical skills
• demonstrated ability to develop and maintain strong client relationships
• experience in supervising and developing junior lawyers
• the ability to work under pressure, excellent professional judgement and interpersonal skills and the ability to persuade.

You will work with a community of professionals dedicated to the national interest. You will work collaboratively in an inclusive environment where everyone’s contribution is valued, and success is rewarded. We offer our lawyers commercially competitive remuneration packages, including 15.4% superannuation.

AGS is a supportive organisation which embraces diversity. We understand that work is only part of your life and while our workplace can be demanding at times, we also provide access to a range of flexible working options, generous leave entitlements (including paid Christmas shutdown) and wellbeing benefits to support your needs throughout your career.

To apply
To apply you must be an Australian Citizen and be willing to obtain and maintain a security clearance at the Negative Vetting 2 level or higher.

To apply, please click the ‘Begin’ button and ensure that you upload a maximum 2-page cover letter indicating your relevant experience with reference to the required skills and experience set out above and in the relevant role description, along with a copy of your CV.

Applications close at 5:00pm (AEDT) on Tuesday, 17 December 2024.

Further enquiries
Further information can be obtained by contacting Steven Lockwood, Human Resources Business Partner on 02 6141 6532.