Legal Services
Join a university ranked in the world's top 50
Be part of an organisation with a meaningful purpose and impact
Achieve a work-life balance with 36.25 hours/wk, purchased leave, WFH + more
Based at St Lucia campus
As part of the UQ community, you'll have the opportunity to work alongside the brightest minds, who have joined us from all over the world.
Everyone here has a role to play. As a member of our professional staff cohort, you will be actively involved in working towards our vision of a better world. By supporting the academic endeavour across teaching, research, and the student life, you'll have the opportunity to contribute to activities that have a lasting impact on our community.
Join a community where excellence is at the core of our culture, contributions are valued and a range of benefits and rewards are available, such as:
26 weeks paid parental leave or 14 weeks paid primary caregiver leave
17% superannuation contributions
17.5% annual leave loading
Access to flexible working arrangements including hybrid working options, flexible start/finish times, purchased leave, and a condensed fortnight
Health and wellness discounts – fitness passport access, free yearly flu vaccinations, discounted health insurance, and access to our Employee Assistance Program for staff and their immediate family
On campus childcare options
Cheap parking (from just $5 a day)
Salary packaging options
As Legal Counsel, you will be responsible for providing legal advice on disputes and contentious matters arising from UQ's broad range of activities, including managing litigation on behalf of UQ. You will also provide advice on a range of other issues affecting UQ including contractual and commercial matters.
You will work with and under the direction of the Director and other senior lawyers in Legal Services. You will also assist the General Counsel in managing the interests of UQ and be part of a busy, hardworking, and collaborative legal team.
Working in an in-house environment, you will be flexible and available to work across all streams of legal work (depending on client demands, expertise and priorities as directed by the Director and General Counsel). The position reports to the Director, Legal Services, and the General Counsel.
Key responsibilities will include:
Provide quality and timely legal advice to the Vice-Chancellor, Chief Operating Officer, and other senior management and key decision makers across UQ.
Provide legal advice on disputes and contentious matters relating to the activities of the University, including assisting to develop strategies to proactively diffuse disputed matters or seek early resolution.
Assist with the conduct of sensitive litigation on behalf of UQ, as required, including in relation to employment law matters.
Provide legal advice (including as to procedural fairness) on student and staff grievance and misconduct processes and associated regulatory and policy requirements with a focus on developing strategies to diffuse matters to seek early resolution.
Provide legal advice on a wide range of employment-related legal issues affecting UQ, including claims involving allegations of sexual misconduct, bullying or harassment, workplace investigations, workplace health and safety, employee mobility, employer obligations and employee entitlements.
Draft, negotiate and advise on commercial agreements and related documents including funding agreements, consultancy agreements, services contracts, procurement documents, student placement agreements, international agreements, sponsorship agreements, project agreements, collaboration agreements, MOUs, joint ventures and collaboration agreements.
Provide legal advice on a wide range of other legal issues affecting UQ, including in respect of statutory interpretation, governance issues, wills and bequests, administrative law and student issues.
Provide legal advice in relation to the development and implementation of policies and procedures, and in relation to legislative programs, as required.
Actively contribute to and support the development and implementation of improved business efficiencies through continuous improvement, innovation and initiatives in delivery of the legal function.
Assist with developing and maintaining legal resources and precedent material.
Build and maintain strong and effective working relationships with internal clients, team members and external stakeholders.
This is a full-time (100%), continuing position.
At HEW level 8, the full-time equivalent base salary will be in the range $105,338.31 - $118,280.70, plus a generous super allowance of up to 17%. The total FTE package will be up to $123,245.82 - $138,388.42 annually.
About YouYou will be an energetic and experienced disputes lawyer looking to make the move in-house to work as part of a team on a broad range of interesting projects. Experience working in commercial and contract matters, or the ability to acquire this knowledge would be highly regarded.
Mandatory Requirement:The successful applicant must be admitted as a Solicitor or Barrister of the Supreme Court of Queensland, with demonstrated relevant expertise and experience (for example, a minimum of 5 years post admission experience is preferred).
Essential:
Significant experience in a number of the following:
Commercial litigation and sound working knowledge of court processes in the Federal and Queensland courts;
Advising on strategy to resolve commercial and other disputes, including through the use of alternative dispute resolution methods as well as litigation.
Both contentious and advisory aspects of employment law including unfair dismissal, employment contracts and termination of employment.
Advising on claims involving allegations of discrimination, bullying and sexual misconduct including relevant court and tribunal processes & dispute resolution strategies.
Administrative law and decision making (with experience acting for a statutory body or government entity preferred).
Providing advice on and drafting agreements to support a broad range of commercial arrangements.
Demonstrated ability to draft a wide variety of legal documents and to handle and resolve complex legal issues.
Achieves results – solution focused with sound judgement skills and commercial acumen.
Facilitate delivery of high quality, timely legal advice.
Ability to handle several projects simultaneously and meet deadlines.
Responds in a positive and flexible manner to change and uncertainty.
Seeks guidance and advice when required.
Communicates with influence:
Strong written and oral communication skills.
Demonstrated interpersonal and negotiation skills that enable you to effectively communicate and liaise with a diverse range of clients with other stakeholders.
Supports productive working relationships:
Demonstrated ability to work both independently and to contribute effectively in a team environment in order to provide quality and timely client service.
Desirable:
In addition, the following mandatory requirements apply:
Work Rights: You must have unrestricted work rights in Australia for the duration of this appointment to apply. Visa sponsorship is not available for this appointment.
Background Checks: All final applicants for this position may be asked to consent to a criminal record check. Please note that people with criminal records are not automatically barred from applying for this position. Each application will be considered on its merits.
Questions?
For more information about this opportunity, please contact Mrs Leanne Fox - Director Legal, Services [email protected] . For application queries, please contact [email protected] stating the job reference number (R-29137) in the subject line.
Want to Apply?All applicants must upload the following documents in order for your application to be considered:
Cover letter addressing the ‘About You' section
Resume
At UQ we know that our greatest strengths come from our diverse mix of colleagues, this is reflected in our ongoing commitment to creating an environment focused on equity, diversity and inclusion. We ensure that we are always attracting, retaining and promoting colleagues who are representative of the diversity in the broader community, whether that be gender identity, LGBTQIA+, cultural and/or linguistic, Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander peoples, or people with a disability. Accessibility requirements and/or adjustments can be directed to [email protected]
If you are a current employee (including casual staff and HDR scholars) or hold an unpaid/affiliate appointment, please login to your staff Workday account and visit the internal careers board to apply for this opportunity. Please do NOT apply via the external job board.
Applications close Thursday 28 September 2023 at 11.00pm AEST (Job Reference Number - R-29137). Please note that interviews have been tentatively scheduled for 4 October 2023.
Job details
Title
Legal Counsel
Employer
University of Queensland
Location
Australia
Published
September 14, 2023
Application deadline
September 28, 2023
Job type
Administration/Managerment
Field
Business and Economics,Law,Political Science,Social Science
About the employer
The University of Queensland (UQ) is one of Australia’s leading research and teaching institutions. UQ strive for excellence through the creation, preservation, transfer and application of knowledge. For more than a century, this university has educated and worked with outstanding people to deliver knowledge leadership for a better world.
Since it was founded in Brisbane in 1909, UQ has provided exceptional study experiences, research excellence and collaborative partnerships, coupled with an unforgettable lifestyle and stunning climate, to deliver knowledge leadership for a better world. With 3 campuses and more than 40 teaching and research sites, UQ is the perfect place to teach, research and study. Take advantage of the extensive UQ features including the largest research library in Queensland, hundreds of quality study spaces, several museums, a theatre, 11 college residences, and magnificent sporting facilities, such as swimming pools, tennis, basketball and volleyball courts, sports fields, Olympic-standard running tracks, and gymnasiums.
Our high-quality range of around 390 undergraduate and postgraduate programs is one of the most comprehensive in Australia, providing students with the latest and most advanced disciplinary knowledge and industry placements informed by UQ’s world-leading research. UQ’s 6 faculties, 8 globally recognised research institutes and 100+ research centres attract an interdisciplinary community of more than 2,000 scientists, social scientists and engineers, who continue UQ’s tradition of research leadership.
As you enjoy Queensland’s stunning campuses and climate, you can also make the most of the University’s proximity to many natural wonders – including beautiful beaches, lush rainforests, outback deserts, the Great Barrier Reef, as well as the largest sand island in the world – and visit stunning tourist attractions within an hour’s drive, such as the Gold and Sunshine Coasts, Byron Bay, Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary, and the world-famous ‘Australia Zoo’. Within Australia, Brisbane is renowned as a friendly and affordable city, with plenty of dining and entertainment attractions, and was ranked by The Economist Intelligence Unit’s 2019 Global Liveability Index as the world’s 18th most liveable city, achieving a perfect score for education and healthcare.