• Position: Permanent Role (Full Time/Part Time)
• Location: Preston
• Salary: $138,746 - $155,357 (Plus Super and Salary Packaging upto 15k)

The Organisation

The Victorian Aboriginal Child and Community Agency (VACCA) is an Aboriginal Community-Controlled organisation that supports and advocates for the Aboriginal Community and is the largest organisation of its kind in Australia. The VACCA team is committed to the organisation’s visions and values, passionately providing support, service and advocacy for our children and other vulnerable members of the community.

Our strength lies with our people.

About the role

The primary responsibility of VACCA’s Principal Managing Lawyer is to manage VACCA’s expanding In-house Legal Service comprising of two Senior/Deputy Managing Lawyers and two-three additional lawyers of varying level of experience and one Legal Administration Officer.

The primary function of VACCA’s In-house Legal Service is to provide legal advice and representation to delegates of VACCA’s Chief Executive Officer as the ‘Principal Officer’ authorised under section 18 of the Children, Youth and Families Act2005 to perform and exercise functions and powers of the Secretary of the Department of Families, Fairness and Housing (DFFH) currently in relation to Aboriginal children located in the Northern, Southern and Western metropolitan Melbourne, Inner Gippsland and Ovens Murray regions.

It is the role of the Principal Managing lawyer to oversee the current and anticipated future expansion of VACCA’s Legal Service both in terms of geographic client region, lawyers employed, and court venues serviced. VACCAs In-house Legal Service currently services the Melbourne, Broadmeadows, Moorabbin and Dandenong Children’s Courts and the Magistrates Court sitting as the Children’s Court at Morwell, Wangaratta and Wodonga

About You

• Demonstrated understanding of, and commitment to, the values that underpin the organisation and to VACCA’s vision and purpose. 
• Demonstrated awareness and appreciation of Aboriginal societies and cultures, and commitment to continually build knowledge of such, along with a high level of awareness of the key issues that impact Aboriginal communities.
• Demonstrated experience and skills in managing the operational and administrative aspects of running a legal practice in the social justice sector.
• Demonstrated skills in court advocacy and experience appearing or instructing in complex litigation.
• Demonstrated ability to engage effectively with a broad range of stakeholders including courts, legal professionals, government and Aboriginal people and organisations.
• Demonstrated ability to lead, inspire, manage and supervise a team of legal practitioners of varying levels of skill and experience.
• Capacity to employ critical analytical skills to solve problems and provide operational or policy solutions.  
• High level oral and written communication skills, including ability to produce high level policy documents addressing a range of issues for different audiences or purposes including the development and delivery of legal training. 
• High level organisational skills, attention to detail and the ability to work under pressure and prioritise competing demands.  
• Ability to work with a high level of autonomy and also recognise and identify appropriate level of involvement and briefing of Director of Legal Practice and VACCA’s Executive Leadership Group where relevant. 
• Requirements: Current COVID-19 vaccination (including booster dose, as applicable), a Working with Children’s Check for a paid employee (or willingness to obtain) and a Victorian Driver Licence.

What we can offer you

• A supportive environment that includes comprehensive induction
• The support of regular internal supervision
• Professional development and training opportunities 
• Attractive salary packaging to increase your take-home pay
• 17.5%  loading on annual leave
• Access to agency vehicles for all work-related travel 
• Access to Employee support and wellbeing programs 
• Paid parental leave after 12 months of ongoing employment
• Opportunity to work and build connection with the Aboriginal Community and culture
• Fitness Passport - allowing you (and your family) access to any of the facilities available on this program 

 We strongly encourage Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders people to apply.

Applications should include a cover letter addressing the key selection criteria and current resume.

We encourage applicants to view the Position Description prior to applying:

Principal Managing Lawyer.

We are committed to Aboriginal self-determination and supporting strong, safe, thriving Aboriginal communities and aim to ensure every individual is treated with dignity, honouring all cultural backgrounds, abilities, ethnicities, sexual orientations, gender identities and spiritual beliefs.

VACCA is a child-safe organisation and is committed to ensuring the safety and wellbeing of children and young people with zero tolerance for child abuse. All successful applicants will be required to undertake a National Police Record Check and Working with Children Check prior to commencement of employment and periodically following commencement.

VACCA is an equal opportunity employer and has a smoke-free workplace policy.