Director, Legal Services (MDHS)

Role type: Continuing, Full time (1 FTE)

Department: Legal and Risk, Chief Operating Officer Portfolio

Salary: Senior Manager 2; including 17% superannuation

• Lead the MDHS Legal Services team, providing high-level, proactive legal advice across a large faculty and the Parkville Biomedical Precinct.
• Partner with Faculty and School executives, Chancellery Research and RIC to support research, commercialisation and complex collaborations.
• Provide strategic legal leadership in a highly autonomous role with significant stakeholder engagement and accountability.

The University of Melbourne

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Your next career opportunity

The Director, Legal Services (MDHS) is a senior leadership role within Legal and Risk, responsible for leading the MDHS Legal Services team and delivering expert legal support to the Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences (MDHS), its Schools and Departments, and numerous affiliate and institute arrangements across the Parkville Biomedical Precinct. The role also supports Chancellery Research and partners with the Research, Innovation and Commercialisation (RIC) team.

Reporting to the General Counsel and Chief Legal and Risk Officer, the Director will operate with a high degree of autonomy in a complex, dynamic environment, provide strategic, risk-based legal advice to senior leaders, and ensure legal advice enables the University’s strategic objectives while protecting its reputation. This role has accountability for decision outcomes and leads a team of direct reports (7/8 direct reports).

What you will deliver:

• Lead the proactive delivery of legal services within the MDHS legal team, ensuring University activities comply with relevant legislation and obligations.
• Manage and direct resolution of numerous complex legal matters by providing high-quality, strategic legal advice to senior management and governance bodies.
• Build and maintain trusted adviser relationships with Faculty, School and University stakeholders to embed sound legal, governance and risk practices.
• Support Research and Commercialisation activities, partnering with RIC to advise on grants, contracts, intellectual property and commercialisation matters.
• Provide creative and visionary leadership, coaching and development for team members, and manage performance to build a high-performing, collaborative team.

You may be a great fit if:

You are an experienced legal leader with strong commercial judgment, a solutions orientation and the ability to influence at senior executive level in a large, complex organisation.

You will also have:

• A law qualification (postgraduate qualification desirable) and a Legal Practising Certificate.
• 10 years post-admission experience and proven success in a senior leadership role (experience in higher education will be well regarded but is not essential).
• Significant experience managing multiple, contemporaneous complex legal matters and delivering client-focused legal advice.
• General commercial law experience and significant experience across areas such as intellectual property, commercialisation in a university context, corporate law, research and commercial collaborations, M&A, information technology and privacy law.
• Demonstrated ability to lead and develop high-performing teams and to drive cultural change aligned with organisational values.

For further information please refer to the attached PD.

What we offer you

You will join a vibrant, purpose-driven community and have access to a comprehensive range of benefits designed to support your success and wellbeing, including:

• Flexible working arrangements that support inclusion, wellbeing, and work–life balance.
• Progressive leave entitlements to help you manage personal, family, and community commitments.
• Salary packaging options and access to discounted services, including health insurance.
• A range of health, wellbeing, and professional development programmes, including a leading Employee Assistance Programme.

For more information, visit our staff benefits page.

Your new team – Legal and Risk

Legal and Risk delivers integrated, expertise-based legal and risk services to support the University’s operations and strategic goals. As a member of the Legal and Risk Leadership Team, the Director will promote a culture of collaboration, business partnering and excellence in service delivery, working closely with other Legal Directors, Compliance, RIC and Faculty executives to enable timely, risk-based decision-making across the University.

Position Description: PD - JR-013121 - Director, Legal Services MDHS .pdf

Applications close: Sunday, 31st May 2026 at 11:55 pm, Melbourne time.