Director of Legal, Risk & Compliance

Barker College -
Hornsby NSW

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Job Details

1 day ago

Qualifications

Law
Analysis skills
Working with Children Check
Communication skills

Full Job Description

Director of Legal, Risk & Compliance

OVERALL PURPOSE OF THE POSITION

The Director of Legal, Risk & Compliance is responsible for leading the School’s legal, governance risk and
compliance (GRC) framework, ensuring the School operates within a robust, proactive and integrated system
of legal oversight, risk management and regulatory compliance.

Reporting to the Chief Operating Officer, the role serves as the School’s principal legal adviser and lead for
enterprise risk and compliance, providing strategic advice to the Executive and Council while enabling sound
decision making, effective risk mitigation and a strong culture of accountability.

The role ensures the development, implementation and continuous improvement of the School’s legal, risk
and compliance frameworks, and leads the identification, assessment and management of enterprise risks in
alignment with the School’s strategic priorities and values.

The Director of Legal, Risk & Compliancel is expected to actively support and embody the Christian ethos of
the School through their professional practice and leadership.

PRIMARY DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES

Contracts and Commerical Legal Support

 Lead the development, negotiation and oversight of contractual frameworks across the School,
ensuring commercial arrangements appropriately manage legal and operational risk

 Support business units in understanding contractual obligations and associated risks
 Maintain and develop standard contract templates and guidance material
 Assist in contract negotiation processes, escalating complex or higher risk matters as required

Privacy and Data Protection

 Act as one of the School’s Privacy Officers, providing legal interpretation of privacy obligations
 Provide advice on data handling, information governance and privacy risk across the School
 Lead legal input into the management of privacy breaches, including supporting response and

strategy, regulatory notifications and documentation

 Advise on the development and review of privacy-related policies and practices to ensure alignment
with legislative obligations

Regulatory and Legislative Support

 Provide legal advice on risk and compliance matters within School Life, supporting the identification,
assessment and management of legal risk

 Provide legal input on regulatory obligations impacting the School
 Assist in interpreting legislation relevant to the School’s operations, including education,

employment, WHS and child safety frameworks

 Support the development of guidance materials for leaders and operational staff
 Undertake legal research and contribute to the development of advice in complex people matters

People & Culture

Policy and Governance Support

 Provide legal input into the development, review and maintenance of policies and procedures to
ensure alignment with legislative and regulatory requirements

 Support operational leaders in ensuring policy frameworks reflect current legal obligations and
emerging risks

 Assist in identifying legal risks or gaps within existing policy settings and recommend appropriate
amendments

 Contribute to the preparation of policy related materials for Executive and Council where required

Governance, Risk & Compliance Leadership

 Lead the development, implementation and maintenance of the School’s Risk Management
Framework and Compliance Framework

 Own and maintain the School’s Enterprise Risk Register, supporting Executive leaders as risk
owners

 Provide strategic oversight of the School’s risk profile, including reporting emerging risks and trends
to the Executive and Council

 Lead the Governance, Risk & Compliance Committee, including agenda setting, reporting and
recommendations

 Facilitate executive risk reviews and build organisational capability in risk identification and
management

 Ensure the School meets all legislative, regulatory and registration requirements across education,
employment, WHS, privacy and child safety frameworks

 Oversee compliance systems, policy governance and incident management frameworks
 Provide proactive advice on risk mitigation strategies aligned to strategic initiatives and operational

delivery

Child Safety and Complaints Support

 Provide legal support in relation to child safety obligations and student related matters as required
 Assist in preparing responses to sensitive complaints and escalations
 Support the management and documentation of complaints to ensure legal robustness
 Assist with matters involving regulatory bodies or external agencies as required

Dispute Management and External Legal Coordination

 Support the management of disputes, including early stage resolution and documentation
 Assist in small scale litigation or alternative dispute resolution matters
 Coordinate engagement with external legal advisers
 Prepare briefs, instructions and supporting documentation for outsourced legal matters
 Monitor progress and support effective and cost-conscious use of external legal services

Governance and Executive Support

 Provide legal input into Council and committee papers where required
 Support the HoBC, COO and Council on governance related legal matters
 Assist in identifying and articulating legal implications of key decisions and proposals

People & Culture

ESSENTIAL PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL ATTRIBUTES

 Alignment with the values and Christian ethos of the School
 Strong analytical capability with developing legal judgement
 Ability to translate legal concepts into clear, practical advice
 High attention to detail and strong written communication skills
 Professional integrity, discretion and sound judgement
 Ability to manage competing priorities in a dynamic environment
 Collaborative, responsive and service oriented approach

Qualifications & Experience

 Law degree and eligibility for admission as a solicitor in NSW
 Exposure to contracts, regulatory or general commercial law
 Interest in employment, education or regulatory environments (desirable)

KEY RELATIONSHIPS

 Head of Barker College
 Chief Operating Officer
 Deputies
 Business Operations Leaders and Managers
 External Legal Advisors

ACCOUNTABILITY

Child Safety
Barker College has an abiding commitment to the safety, protection and well-being of all children and
young people in our care. All staff members will be held accountable for ensuring adherence to the policies
of the School, in particular those relating to the safeguarding of children.

General
Breaches to a staff member’s responsibilities and/or authority will be managed through the School’s
Disciplinary Management Procedures. This defined accountability is underpinned by Barker College’s
Code of Conduct and the Complaints Procedures.

Work Health and Safety
All staff members will be held accountable for their actions and omissions where it affects their own or
another person’s workplace safety

SPECIAL CONDITIONS

 May require engagement outside standard hours in response to urgent matters or critical incidents
 Requirement to hold a current Working with Children Check

People & Culture

ORGANISATION CHART RELATIVE TO POSITION

The Immediate Manager: Chief Operating Officer

This position: Director of Legal Risk & Compliance

APPROVAL

This position description accurately details the primary duties and responsibilities of the Director of Legal
Risk & Compliance

Approved by the Head of Barker College in June 2026

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