Victoria Police's Legal Services provides legal services and advice to support policing, courts, and the Victorian community. Legal Services is led by an Executive Director (who is also the organisation's General Counsel) and employs over 800 staff spread across four divisions - the Office of the Executive Director; the Specialist Legal and Litigation Division; the Courts & Prosecution Services Division; and the Legal Business Operations Division.
The Managing Principal Laywer Human Rights reports directly to the Director, Legal Practice Division, and is responsible for proactively identifying, and addressing human rights legal risk across Victoria Police. This includes responsibility for providing high quality, timely and accurate written and oral legal advice to clients across the organisation, from frontline police through to executive command members. Among other areas of legal advice, this will include the Charter of Human Rights and Responsibilities Act 2006, and on providing legal advice that assists clients to properly consider and act compatibly with the human rights protected by that Act.
A significant component of the proactive aspect the position holder is responsible for, is maintaining a strong, contemporary understanding of emerging human rights issues, and designing and delivering training and workshops on human rights to audiences across Victoria Police. The successful applicant will have significant responsibility in managing all aspects of this work independently, and as part of the team within the Legal Practice Division (the latter team is responsible for a broader range of legal advice responsibilities, and the occupant of this role will assist with this work when required).
This role is also required to support the development and provide supervision of junior lawyers in the team in developing advocacy and legal analytical skills with a particular focus on human rights and public law fields.
Victoria Police is a contemporary and agile workplace and supports flexible working arrangements.
Your duties will include:
- Providing expert and authoritative legal advice, both written and oral, on a variety of complex and sensitive matters across Victoria Police, with a particular focus on human rights and public law
- Maintain expert knowledge on contemporary and human rights law, and design and deliver training and workshops on human rights to audiences across Victoria Police
- Provide legal advice support to other legal teams within Legal Services Department where required
- Manage case and advice work independently
- Build and maintain strong relationships with stakeholders and colleagues
- Manage complex and sensitive advice work with professionalism and confidentiality
- Manage, mentor and support junior lawyers in the division.
As the successful applicant, you will have:
- The ability to review, manage and conduct complex and sensitive proceedings in state courts and tribunals, including a sound knowledge of relevant court practice and procedures
- Experience providing written and oral legal advice in an `in house' legal function (preferably with some experience working in government in comparable roles)
- Sound knowledge of relevant areas of law, including human rights, equal opportunity, criminal law, administrative law and public law
- Leadership and decision making skills
- Emotional intelligence, self awareness and resilience
- Strong interpersonal skills and excellent stakeholder engagement experience; and
- A current unrestricted practicing certificate (or being eligible to obtain one on commencement in the role).
Requirements and relevant information:
- One (1) x full-time, ongoing position available.
- The salary range for a VPS6 role is $142,790 to $191,084 (covering salary ranges VPSG6.1 and VPSG6.2). Although it is standard practice for selected candidates to commence at the base of the salary range, genuine consideration will be given to a commencement salary within the available range that is commensurate with the successful candidate's knowledge, skills and experiences. This will be subject to negotiations with the Hiring Manager in the course of the selection process and may include the provision of evidence of a higher income and/or supporting documentation (as required).
- This position is located at Victoria Police Centre, 311 Spencer Street, Docklands.
- Applicants must be an Australian Citizen, Permanent Resident or hold a valid work permit or visa.
- The successful applicant will be required to undergo pre-employment checks which may include fingerprint checks and misconduct screening.
- As a member of the Legal Services Department you will be located, on selection, at a specific office within a Division for a particular advertised opportunity. However, given occasional legal service demand issues you may be required at times to undertake varied work within the Department. This supports the Departments commitment to a flexible and deployable legal workforce and professional development opportunities in a range of legal domains.
Your application must include:
- Resume
- Completed application form - the word document (2. Application form) for you to complete and attach to your submission, is attached to the job advertisement.
- Current Practicing Certificate
Applications close midnight, 6 July 2026.
Please Note: All applications will need to be submitted through one of the following platforms: Victorian Government careers website (Careers.vic) or Seek. Applications will not be accepted via other platforms or email.
For further information, please contact: Director Ben Reade on (03) 8533 0119 or via [email protected].
No recruitment agencies.
We welcome applications from people with disability and aim to support an inclusive recruitment experience. If you require a copy of this advertisement and attached documentation in an accessible format or would like to discuss an access requirement/reasonable adjustment for the recruitment process (including an alternate method of submission of the application), please contact VPS Recruitment via email [email protected] or on (03) 8335 6004.
About Us:
Victoria Police has a dedicated workforce of more than 22,000 employees consisting of police, protective services officers, police custody officers, and public service staff. Each employee plays a vital role in providing the 24/7, 365 days a year emergency response and public safety capability the organisation delivers to its community. As a Victoria Police employee, you have a dedication and commitment to community safety.
Victoria Police is committed to creating a workplace that is safe and inclusive of all our people. We empower and expect our people, at all levels, to develop interpersonal connections and collaborate, use sound judgement, and create and innovate.
In alignment with the principle of self-determination, Victoria Police is dedicated to enhancing our collaboration with the Aboriginal community in Victoria as we build a culturally safe and inclusive workplace for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander employees. We continue to engage and build relationships with local Aboriginal communities and work closely with them to enhance opportunities and services aimed at empowerment, equality, and equal participation across all areas of the organisation.
We value the diversity and differences of our employees, including their age, gender, culture, religion, sexual orientation, abilities, and life experience. We celebrate these diverse experiences and perspectives as each person brings an informed and contemporary approach to our work which enhances the wellbeing of all. We aim to provide a safe place that is reflective of the community it serves, allowing everyone to bring their whole selves to work."
If after reading this, you're not sure you tick every single criteria box, but have the passion to get behind our purpose, the determination to face a challenge and a willingness to grow and learn, we think you should click the apply button anyway. We're passionate about building a diverse and inclusive team, and love hearing from people like you.
Find out what it is like working as a Victorian Public Servant for Victoria Police:https://www.police.vic.gov.au/vps
