• First Nations peoples are strongly encouraged to apply.
• Location: Anywhere within Australia or the Torres Strait Islands
• Term: until 30 April 2026
• Job Type: Full-time (37.5 hours) or 0.8FTE might be considered
• Remuneration: SCHADS Level 8: 1FTE = $152,501 + 11% super + 17.5% Annual Leave Loading
• Some travel will be required to fulfill this role
• Reporting to: Director, First Nations and Indigenous Peoples

Environmental Defenders Office (EDO) is the leading environmental law practice in the Australia Pacific Region delivering legal solutions for peoples, nature and our climate. We have a big vision which is a world where nature thrives. We’ve got big ambition about the role we can play in delivering that vision and we’ve got an incredible team across the country working to achieve it.

We are dedicated to protecting our climate, communities and shared environment by providing access to justice, running ground-breaking litigation and leading law reform advocacy. Over our 30-year combined history we’ve developed a formidable track record of empowering communities and delivering effective protection of the environment through legal services.

Since time immemorial, First Nations and Indigenous peoples have been taking care of their Countries in Australia and the Pasifik. These deep understandings, knowledges and experiences are critical to maintaining the health and vitality of Australia and the Pasifik’s unique wildlife and ecosystems. EDO respects these great knowledges, and strongly believes that EDO cannot achieve a world where nature thrives without working alongside First Nations and Indigenous peoples.

EDO has established an Indigenous-led First Nations Program to support First Nations peoples to protect their Country and cultural heritage in Australia and the Torres Strait Islands reflecting a key part of the EDO’s charitable purpose. The Program is designed to ensure that EDO centres understanding of – and respect for – First Nations perspectives in our work. The First Nations Program has also built the infrastructure within EDO to sustain, whilst continuously improving, culturally safe work practices for all team members, but specifically First Nations team members.

Purpose of the role

The Deputy Director, Country and Cultural Heritage Practice is the Principal Lawyer for the First Nations Program, responsible for driving and overseeing the Western legal elements of the broader First Nations Program. This will include providing holistic and creative legal services to First Nations clients, including legal representation, advice and education, including in respect of protecting cultural heritage. This may include representing First Nations clients through international mechanisms, including the United Nations.

A critical part of this role is to also proactively work with the Director, First Nations and Indigenous Peoples, to identify areas of Western law which can be improved through decolonisation and indigenisation, via law reform, litigation and community legal education practices.

The opportunity:

This is a unique opportunity for a passionate and experienced lawyer to lead the Western legal elements of the EDO’s First Nations Program, which will include building and maintaining reciprocal relationships with First Nations communities who are needing to protect their cultural heritage and Country. This role will work closely with the Director, First Nations and Indigenous Peoples to also help shape the strategic direction of work relating to First Nations communities.

We are looking for a talented and creative lawyer with demonstrated litigation and legal education and/or outreach experience, who looks at situations in a holistic manner. You will provide culturally safe legal engagement, education and legal reform on issues facing First Nations peoples, including cultural heritage.

You will have the opportunity to build relationships and learn from a broad range of community members, as well as solicitors and other professionals across the EDO who work on a range of issues in pursuit of environmental justice – climate change, pollution, mining, gas, biodiversity and human rights.

Your work will include litigation, legal advice and representation, policy and law reform, legal education and at times, outreach. Your work may even take you beyond the bounds of Australia, as you represent clients, or give advice to clients, on international mechanisms to further their causes, including at the United Nations.

Depending on your location, travel will be required for court, outreach and other engagements.

Candidate Profile:

You are a senior lawyer with litigation and law or policy reform or legal education and outreach experience looking for an opportunity to use your professional skillset and potentially lived experiences to work with the largest public interest environmental law centre in the region.

You will have an unrestricted practising certificate, and strong PAE working as a lawyer with demonstrated culturally safe community engagement experience, specifically with First Nations communities.

This position represents an opportunity to deliver legal advice, education, and representation in a culturally safe manner within First Nations communities, largely based on cultural heritage, access to Country and First Nations water concerns at state, territory and commonwealth levels. A critical part of this role is to also work alongside the Director, First Nations and Indigenous Peoples, to proactively identify areas of Western law which can be improved through decolonisation and indigenisation, via law reform practices.

We are looking for lawyers who think outside the box, are creative and view situations and solutions holistically. If you enjoy working with First Nations communities, have experience in prioritising culturally safe practices and want a chance to think creatively about delivering legal information in a legally pluralistic country – you are strongly encouraged to apply.

You want to work at the intersect of climate justice, human rights, the rights of First Nations and the environment and want an opportunity to make an impact for peoples and nature.

Key selection criteria:

Essential

• A minimum of 10 years PAE working as a solicitor, with an unrestricted practicing certificate or entitlement to one.
• Strong supervisory skills and development of legal and non-legal staff, as well as managing a wide range of client file work and other matters.
• Extensive experience working in a respectful, humble and culturally safe manner, specifically with First Nations communities and First Nations colleagues.
• Experience with and understanding of Native Title/Land Rights frameworks.
• Demonstrated extensive litigation experience with high level and complex matters in administrative law and/or related disciplines, including at the federal level.
• Demonstrated experience in supervising staff in providing legal services, including legal advice, community outreach, legal education, law reform and/or litigation.
• Demonstrated ability to work productively and to deadlines.
• Legal practice management experience or capacity to rapidly develop practice management skills. Experience within a community legal centre or like legal practice highly regarded.
• Expertise in cultural heritage laws, policies and issues or demonstrated capacity to develop this expertise.

Desirable experience

• Expertise in First Nations water concerns, and/or access to Country issues, or demonstrated capacity to develop this expertise.
• Experience with leading creative solutions to solve complex problems or situations, with the ability to make sound judgements and decisions based on consideration of different views.
• Experience delivering or leading community outreach or community legal education highly desirable.
• Experience managing cultural evidence in the context of cultural heritage protection matters.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills suited to a range of audiences.
• Experience in undertaking law or policy reform experience desirable
• Understanding of, or experience of international mechanisms, including at the United Nations, and UNDRIP.
• Proven experience in a leadership role within a not-for-profit organisation, including budget and grants management.

Personal qualities and cultural competency

• A champion of the EDO values
• Strong initiative and self-motivation
• Commitment to the protection of human rights and the environment
• A strong sense of ethics and understanding of professional obligations
• Demonstrated awareness of and sensitivity to the needs and concerns of First Nations and peoples from diverse cultures, backgrounds and orientations in both the delivery of our work and our internal culture
• Demonstrated ability to work in a collaborative and team-based environment

Our Culture and Benefits:   

We care deeply about creating a workplace where our team members feel valued, respected, and empowered. We are committed to providing equal opportunity regardless of gender identity, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, or life stage.

• The chance to be part of the largest environmental legal practice in the Australia-Pacific 
• A very flexible and family-friendly workplace 
• Option to work from home and the office 
• 8 weeks paid parental leave, regardless of gender or carer status
• 15 days personal/carer’s leave  
• 3 days paid cultural leave
• Extra leave over the Christmas period
• Access to Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• Ongoing professional development opportunities 
• EDO proudly has a JEDI (Justice, Equality, Diversity, Inclusion) Committee and a Mental Health Ambassador Committee, and has developed a First Nations Program with the aid of indigenous-led consultancies. 
• Affinity groups for the following: Disability Affinity Group, Global Majority* & LGBTQIA+
• *Global Majority is a collective term that first and foremost speaks to and encourages those so-called, to think of themselves as belonging to the majority on planet earth. It refers to people who are Black, African, Asian, Brown, dual-heritage, indigenous to the global south, and or, have been racialised as ‘ethnic minorities’.

Our Values

Commitment – We are committed to; a united organisation, to each other, to collaboration, to justice, to our communities and to creating a world where nature thrives. 

Diversity – We are respectful of and welcome diversity of staff, volunteers, offices, environmental regions, communities, stakeholders. 

Integrity – We work effectively, efficiently, strategically, professionally, and ethically; “justice is in our nature”. 

Vision – We lead change and environmental empowerment using innovation, creativity, and courage. 

How to Apply

• Click 'Apply now'.
• To review the position description, please click here. 

If you have queries in regard to this advert, please feel free to contact the Director – First Nations Program, Casey Kickett on – [email protected] for an informal yarn about the position, using the subject line: Deputy Director, Country and Cultural Heritage - Principal Lawyer - Flexible Location enquiry via EthicalJobs.

Applications must include a CV and a letter that clearly addresses each of the selection criteria.

Please note: Your application may be considered for future roles at the EDO within the next 12 months without additional advertising. Please notify us in your application if you would not like to be considered for similar roles beyond this recruitment.

If you have any accessibility needs for the recruitment or interviewing process, please let us know in your application or by emailing [email protected].

Other Information

All offers of employment may be subject to satisfactory background checks including a National Police Check, disclosure of previous or current disciplinary action, referee checks, proof of eligibility to work in Australia and qualification checks.