• Be a part high performing Legal team at EPA.
• Working and building relationship with Senior stakeholders.
• Flexible work environment with opportunities for growth.

About the Organisation

Environment Protection Authority Victoria (EPA) was established in 1971 as Victoria's environmental regulator. EPA's role is to prevent and reduce the harmful effects of pollution and waste on Victorians and the environment. We work in a complex and ever-changing operating environment. As the needs of Victorians change, we must be equipped to adapt and respond to a range of factors.

Benefits of working with EPA:

• Contribute to the protection of Victoria's environment and our people's health.
• A focus on work/life balance and development opportunities.
• A diverse and inclusive workplace with many career pathways.
• Hybrid and flexible work arrangement options.

About the Role:

The Senior Solicitor, Civil Litigation is a senior member of a team primarily responsible for leading civil litigation matters at the EPA, as well as supporting legal reviews of regulatory activity such as permissions and notices, and corporate legal affairs. You will provide expert legal services and advice, aligned to EPA’s strategic priorities to prevent harm to Victorian communities and the environment from pollution and waste.

This is a senior role for an experienced solicitor advocate that wants to contribute to the success of the EPA as it enters a new era of environmental protection in Victoria. Working under the broad direction and supervision of senior team leaders, you will actively contribute to a positive organisational culture and achieve the highest standards of performance and integrity; fostering genuine partnerships across all levels of government, industry, and community to deliver organisational outcomes.

Key accountabilities

Operating at a VPS 5.1, you will:

• Advise, initiate, or respond to Victorian Civil Administration Tribunal (“VCAT”) and Supreme Court litigation, prepare and implement management strategies for legal proceedings; appear on behalf of EPA at Magistrates Courts, Country Court and/or VCAT; and prepare and instruct external solicitors and/or counsel in a range of litigation matters.
• As a senior member of the Civil Litigation team, lead and role model high standards of performance, accountability, collaboration, ethics, and integrity; contribute to business and project planning and reporting; and demonstrate a strong commitment to a positive culture and the development of staff.
• Develop and implement legal policy, procedures and guidelines and contribute to strategic policy development.
• Undertake administrative processes and other tasks as directed for the effective achievement of regulatory outcomes; ensure that all Government and EPA policies and procedures, such and financial management, occupational health and safety, and conduct are complied with.

Operating at a VPS 5.2, you will perform all the above together with increasing involvement to:

• Negotiating and managing complex or highly sensitive legal matters.
• Proving advice with an increased level of autonomy in a less prescriptive environment.
• Providing professional leadership within the Civil Litigation and Advice Unit.

Skills and Experience:

• A relevant tertiary degree and/or post graduate qualifications in law.
• Admitted to practice as an Australian legal practitioner under the Legal Profession Uniform Law Application Act 2014, ideally with a minimum of four years post admission experience.
• Sound knowledge of the law of evidence, the practice and procedure in the Magistrates’ Court, County Court, Supreme Court, Supreme Court and the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal.
• Sound knowledge of the Environment Protection Act 2017 or transferrable knowledge from another regulatory legal environment

Position Description: PD.

How to Apply

Click the 'Apply Now' button to submit your application and cover letter addressing the key selection criteria.

For any enquiries relating to this role, please reach out to [email protected] using the subject line: Senior Solicitor enquiry via EthicalJobs.

Need to know more?

All prospective employees will also undergo a National Criminal Record Check prior to an offer of employment. You must be an Australian Citizen or Permanent Resident or hold a valid work permit or visa. Preferred candidates will be subject to pre-employment checks including, but not limited to, police checks, reference checks and role related security clearances.

EPA Victoria recognises the value of the diversity, strength, and knowledge of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people as we work with Traditional Owners to care for our environment. We provide a culturally safe and embracing work environment.

We are an equal opportunity employer with a commitment to merit, equity, diversity, and inclusion in the workplace. We believe our workforce should represent the diversity of the lands upon which we reside; and we actively embrace staff of different abilities, orientations, backgrounds, faiths, and genders.