Head of Legal

Australian Financial Complaints Authority -
Melbourne VIC

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Job Details

Full-time
2 days ago

Qualifications

AI
Leadership
Communication skills

Full Job Description

Company Description

Fairness feels good

Make a real impact at AFCA. Where fairness drives every decision. Help us deliver world-class, independent complaints resolution for Australians. As a not-for-profit and progressive financial ombudsman, we’re championing positive change. Achieving our purpose takes progressive thinking, accountability and resilience. At AFCA, our inclusive leadership values every voice. We offer our people flexible work options, thoughtful benefits and opportunities to deepen expertise. Flourish in a diverse, caring culture. Feel the difference of belonging to an organisation intentionally designed to put people first.

Job Description

We’re now seeking an experienced and inspiring Head of Legal to lead our high-performing Legal Counsel function and play a critical role in safeguarding our integrity, reputation, and impact.

This is a permanent, senior leadership opportunity where you’ll influence at the highest levels, partner with executive stakeholders, and drive strategic legal outcomes across a complex, purpose-led organisation.

The Opportunity

Reporting to the Executive General Manager, Legal & Privacy, you will lead a team of Senior Managers and Legal Counsel to deliver proactive, high-quality legal advice that enables strong decision-making and effective risk management across AFCA.

You will champion a culture of accountability, continuous improvement, and service excellence, ensuring legal support is pragmatic, commercial, and aligned to AFCA’s mission and strategy.

What You’ll Be Responsible For

Strategic leadership & team development

Lead, inspire and develop a high-performing Legal Counsel team
Build capability through coaching, feedback, and talent development
Foster an inclusive, engaged culture aligned to AFCA’s Leadership Capability Framework

Legal advisory & risk leadership

Deliver strategic legal advice across commercial, regulatory, employment, jurisdiction (including Scams Prevention Framework) and operational matters
Anticipate and proactively manage legal risk, including litigation and complex disputes
Lead the development and execution of legal strategy aligned to AFCA’s broader corporate objectives

Stakeholder engagement

Partner with senior stakeholders across AFCA, including the Executive Team and Ombudsman
Engage with regulators, Treasury, industry bodies, and external counsel
Influence outcomes through strong, trusted relationships

Operational excellence & continuous improvement

Drive best-practice legal frameworks, governance and processes
Lead change initiatives to strengthen risk management and service delivery
Oversee legal inputs into strategic projects, including jurisdictional developments and regulatory change

Qualifications

What You’ll Bring

Qualified lawyer with 10+ years’ PQE, including experience in a legal leadership role
Strong background in commercial law, with litigation/dispute experience highly regarded
Proven ability to lead teams, build capability, and drive performance
Strategic thinker with the ability to anticipate risk, solve complex problems, and influence outcomes
Exceptional communication and stakeholder management skills
Resilient, adaptable and comfortable operating in a fast-paced, high-impact environment

Ready to Make an Impact?

If you’re a senior legal leader looking to combine strategy, leadership, and purpose, we’d love to hear from you.

Join us and be part of something bigger ,because at AFCA, fairness feels good.

Additional Information

Silver AWEI Accreditation 2025 – Recognised for LGBTQ+ workplace inclusion.
Accredited Family Friendly Workplace – Supporting work-life balance and inclusivity.
Hybrid working – Flexible arrangements with two days a week in our modern offices designed for collaboration and wellbeing.
Additional and inclusive leave options – Flexible public holidays, gender affirmation leave, women’s health leave, and bonus paid time off over the end of year holiday period.

To apply

If you’re passionate about fairness and believe your skills align with this role, we encourage you to apply even if you don’t meet every single criterion.

We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds, cultures, abilities, sexual orientations, and gender identities. If you require any accessibility support during the recruitment process, please reach out to our team at [email protected].

We believe fairness starts with people. That’s why we don’t use AI or automated tools to screen candidates. As a result, our processes may take a little longer, and we thank you for your patience.

About AFCA

The Australian Financial Complaints Authority (AFCA) was established in 2018 as a private not-for-profit ombudsman service providing free, fair and independent help with financial disputes. The original team has grown to over 1600 dedicated professionals. Since 2018, AFCA has received more than 634,000 complaints, helping to secure $2.1 billion in compensation for consumers.

AFCA is a 2026 Circle Back Initiative Employer - we are committed to responding to every applicant.

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