This register is only open to ongoing Australian Public Service (APS) employees for permanent (at-level) and temporary (at level, with higher duties or at a lower classification) section 26 transfer opportunities.
Who we are
The Legal Division is managed by the Chief Counsel and is comprised of both lawyers and non-lawyers. Together we are responsible for all legal services required by the department. We partner with the business areas of the department, the Executive, and the Secretary to identify and manage legal risk across the department and facilitate excellent legal outcomes for our clients.
As a member of the Division, you will be involved in interesting and important work which may span environment protection, energy, climate change, heritage, and on-ground operations in Commonwealth national parks and Antarctica. The Legal Division operates in a fast paced, exciting environment. We focus on ensuring our staff are supported and developed so that they are in the best position to take on and enjoy the challenges of the work. We provide competitive conditions and remuneration and provide opportunities for lawyers to either specialise or diversify their skills, while learning from and being supported by highly skilled senior lawyers.
Work across the Legal Division includes:
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Providing high quality, strategic commercial legal advice on complex and novel projects related to renewable energy and the Commonwealth’s operations in Antarctica.
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Supporting the department deliver on the Government’s ambitious legislative reform agenda, including reforms to environmental and cultural heritage laws and climate change and energy legislation.
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Providing legal advice on a broad range of issues including statutory interpretation and administrative law, regulatory actions and investigations.
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Managing the department’s litigation across a broad range of matters including merits review, judicial review, regulatory enforcement, commercial disputes, and Work Health and Safety matters, in a range of Courts and Tribunals.
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Developing legal risk and mitigation strategies, particularly in areas of novel or complex work.
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Developing and coordinating legislation bids and processes.
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Developing legal guidance resources and policies and delivering training to the department.
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Providing advice on privacy, data protection, disclosure of information and secrecy provisions.
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Coordinating freedom of information requests.
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Providing administrative and financial support services to the Division.
For more information about us, please visit our website.
Why work for us
Our staff are central in achieving our purposes. We work in diverse settings: from national parks to Antarctica and from laboratories to offices.
As a member of the Division, you will be involved in interesting and important work which may span environment protection, energy, climate change and heritage, and on-ground operations in Commonwealth national parks and Antarctica.
The opportunities
The Legal Division has multiple opportunities for ongoing APS employees to join DCCEEW via section 26 transfer. There are positions across multiple classifications, including:
- Legal Officer (APS3 - APS6)
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Senior Legal Officer (EL1)
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Principal Legal Officer (EL2)
We thrive when our teams are made up of people from different backgrounds, cultures, genders, education, training, and skills. People who work for us will be collaborative and solutions-focused legal professionals. If you enjoy a challenge and want to work in a team in a fast-paced and exciting legal environment, then we would welcome an application from you.
Eligibility
Mandatory qualifications
- Legal Officer candidates must have a degree in Law and be admitted to practise, or be eligible for admission to practise, in 2026.
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Senior and Principal Legal Officer candidates must have a degree in Law and be admitted to practise.
APS employment - applicants to this register must be ongoing APS employees.
Citizenship - to be eligible for employment with the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water you must be an Australian citizen.
Security Clearance - ability to obtain and maintain a
Baseline Vetting security clearance.
Pre-employment checks - your suitability for employment will be assessed through a pre-employment screening process. This process includes a requirement to undergo and satisfy a National Police Check, referee checks, character clearance and where required a pre-employment medical assessment, specified mandatory qualification(s) validation and a probation period.
