Deputy General Counsel

Deputy General Counsel, Office of Governance & Legal

National: Sydney (Broadway)

Full-time on-site, Ongoing opportunity

• Rewarding opportunity
• Friendly and collaborative environment
• Competitive salary + 14.50% superannuation

About the university

We believe in the power of education to transform lives, strengthen communities, and help people become the best version of themselves. The University of Notre Dame Australia is a modern national Catholic university that serves more than 12,000 students across its campuses in Fremantle, Broome, and Sydney.

With a community of over 1,000 academic and professional staff, Notre Dame is recognised for its personalised learning environment, strong graduate outcomes, and holistic educational philosophy rooted in critical thinking and ethics.

About the team

Our Legal Team plays a pivotal role in supporting the University’s mission by delivering clear, commercially focused legal and regulatory advice. We partner closely with leaders across the institution to enable confident decision-making, ensure legislative compliance, and uphold the highest standards of transparency, integrity, and governance. As trusted advisors, we help safeguard the University’s reputation while enabling innovation and strategic growth.

About the role

The Deputy General Counsel provides expert, high-quality, and strategically aligned legal advice to senior stakeholders across the University. The role encompasses a broad and challenging portfolio, including complex commercial, employment, privacy, governance, and regulatory matters within the higher education sector. It would suit a lawyer who values variety, thrives in a collaborative environment, and is motivated by purposeful, intellectually engaging work.

Leading and managing a team of legal practitioners, the Deputy General Counsel supports the provision of oversight to the University’s legal function and ensures the delivery of timely, practical and commercially astute advice.

In this role, you will provide solutions-focused legal advice across a diverse range of matters, from commercial contracting and employment issues, to privacy, governance, and sector-specific regulatory compliance. No two days are the same.

You’ll work closely with senior leadership and colleagues across the Legal Team, contributing to both day-to-day matters and significant strategic initiatives. This is an ideal opportunity for an experienced lawyer seeking to deepen their expertise, broaden their practice, and make a tangible impact within a purpose-driven organisation.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide strategic legal advice
• Contribute to the development of legal strategies in responding to litigation, government interventions, and compliance requirements.
• Draft, negotiate, and review a wide range of legal agreements.
• Advise on legislative compliance specific to corporations and institutions of Higher Education, including the Higher Education Standards Framework, privacy laws, workplace laws, and other regulations affecting the sector.
• Represent the University’s interests in negotiations and appearances at mediations, tribunals, commissions, and courts.
• Manage the legal budget.

Qualifications, skills & experience

• Bachelor of Laws (LLB)
• A current unrestricted Australian legal practicing certificate.
• Extensive post-admission experience (minimum 10 PQE), including significant expertise in commercial law, and regulatory compliance.
• Demonstrated experience providing legal advice in a complex, regulated environment.
• Experience in the higher education or government sector is highly desirable.
• Demonstrated high level of organisational, time and workload management skills, including the ability to prioritise to meet deadlines.
• Demonstrated highly effective communication skills and the ability to use initiative to resolve problems.

Benefits

• Join the University supporting its students and staff to achieve their career goals – in a personal and positive environment
• Fast paced environment with opportunity for professional growth
• Generous training and development opportunities
• Friendly and collaborative working environment

How to apply

Please apply online with a resume and cover letter outlining your suitability for the role.

Applications closing date: 31 March 2026

For further information on how to apply, please visit: How to apply | Notre Dame

Applicants are expected to have current and valid work rights in Australia.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are encouraged to apply.

The University of Notre Dame Australia seeks to increase the diversity of our workforce to better meet the different needs of the University and its stakeholders and to improve equal opportunity outcomes for our staff.

Contact us

Please direct your queries regarding this role to Janette Tam, janette.tam@nd.edu.au

Unsolicited contact from recruitment agencies will not be entertained.