- $173,816 - $180,629 per annum plus 15.4% superannuation
- Ongoing and Non-Onging, Full-time
- Various locations – Adelaide, Brisbane, Cairns, Melbourne, Perth, Sydney
Position Overview
The Director is responsible for ensuring that the Dispute Resolution & Assistance team delivers high-quality, legally sound and consistent services to internal and external stakeholders. This includes managing future act applications, supporting post-determination assistance functions, providing guidance on the operation of s60AAA and future act processes, and ensuring work is undertaken consistently with the Native Title Act 1993 (Cth), relevant regulations, administrative law principles and NNTT processes.
The role will also contribute to legal policy reform, legal analysis, business improvement, and the development of operational policies, procedures, and guidance. This includes leading or contributing to legal reform projects, reviewing proposed legislative amendments, developing submissions and consultation papers, and supporting the continuous improvement of policies, business guides and operational resources relevant to the statutory functions of the Tribunal and Registrar.
The Director will be expected to maintain strong relationships with the President, Members, Registrar, Executive, internal teams and external stakeholders. The role requires high-level communication, negotiation and influencing skills, together with discretion, integrity and sensitivity, particularly in matters involving Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and native title stakeholders.
Position Duties
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Lead and manage the Dispute Resolution & Assistance team, including work allocation, supervision, review of work quality, performance management, capability building and change leadership.
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Provide expert legal, procedural and strategic advice to the President, Members, Registrar and NNTT Executive on matters relating to future acts, post-determination assistance, s60AAA and broader native title issues affecting the NNTT’s functions and operations.
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Maintain expert knowledge of the NNTT’s statutory functions, native title legislation and regulations, including changes to the Native Title Act 1993 and associated regulations and relevant case law.
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Ensure the efficient and consistent management of future act applications, including future act notices, expedited procedure objection inquiries, future act determination applications, mediations and related processes and guidelines underpinned by annual business planning.
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Support the performance of functions under s60AAA of the Native Title Act 1993 (Cth), including developing policies, systems and procedures for the management of requests under this jurisdiction.
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Lead legal policy, reform and business improvement projects relevant to the work of the team, including conducting or directing legal research, coordinating input from NNTT business areas, consulting internal and external stakeholders, and preparing submissions, advice and consultation materials.
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Lead quality assurance of team outputs, ensuring consistency of work standards, legal accuracy, procedural fairness and compliance with administrative law principles. .
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Prepare reports, statistics, analysis and briefings to support internal and external reporting, executive oversight and continuous improvement.
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Monitor and respond to developments across native title and the interface with First Nations cultural heritage and industry sectors insofar as they relate to the NNTT’s future act and s60AAA functions.
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Lead and oversee the NNTT Legal Professional Peer Support and Development Forum, supporting professional development, peer learning, consistent practice, shared problem-solving and capability uplift across relevant NNTT functions.
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Promote a flexible, responsive, professional and accountable service culture that meets the needs of internal and external stakeholders.
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Model APS Values and appropriate professional conduct, and support a workplace culture grounded in integrity, respect, accountability and cultural capability.
Competencies & Attributes
- Demonstrated expert knowledge of native title law, the Native Title Act 1993 (Cth), administrative law principles and the statutory functions of the Tribunal and Registrar, with proven ability to apply legislative, procedural and policy frameworks to complex decision-making and problem-solving.
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Proven ability to lead a team responsible for complex statutory, legal or operational functions, including work allocation, quality assurance, performance management, capability building and delivery of consistent, accountable and client-focused services.
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Highly developed communication, negotiation and interpersonal skills, including the ability to engage sensitively and effectively with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, native title stakeholders, senior executives and internal teams.
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Demonstrated ability to identify and advocate for reform or business improvement processes and coordinate the change implementation.
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Demonstrated ability to build professional capability, support consistent practice and foster knowledge sharing, including through peer support forums, mentoring, professional development activities or communities of practice.
Qualifications
- Standing to be admitted as a legal practitioner in Australia.
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Bachelor of Laws or equivalent
Contact Officer
For more information, please contact Max Comp at
[email protected].
How to apply
To apply, please submit your curriculum vitae and a two-page response detailing your skills, attributes, and experience relevant to the selection criteria.
Eligibility
Employment with the Court is subject to the conditions prescribed in the Public Service Act 1999, and the following:
Australian citizenship – the successful applicant must hold Australian citizenship;
Security and character clearance – the successful applicant must satisfy a Police Records Check, and may also be required to complete security clearances during the court of their employment;
Health clearance – the successful applicant may be required to complete a health declaration or attend a medical assessment to confirm their fitness for duty.
Interested candidates who have received a redundancy benefit from an APS agency are welcome to apply but note that they cannot be engaged until their redundancy benefit period has expired.
Diversity and Inclusion
Federal Court Australia is committed to supporting an inclusive and diverse workforce and welcomes and encourages applications from People with Disability.
First Nations peoples, LGBTIQA+ people, people from Culturally and Linguistically Diverse backgrounds, mature age workers, as well as young workers and supporting an inter-generational workforce and supporting gender equity and families.
Federal Court Australia will provide reasonable adjustments for candidates to participate equitably in the recruitment process and discuss workplace adjustments to fulfil the inherent requirements of the role.
RecruitAbility
RecruitAbility applies to this vacancy. Under the RecruitAbility scheme you will be invited to participate in further assessment activity for the vacancy if you choose to apply under the scheme; declare you have disability; and meet the minimum requirements for the job. For more information visit: https://www.apsc.gov.au/recruitability
