knowmore legal service is currently seeking  an experienced Managing Lawyer for the Redress Support Services (RSS) to join our organisation within the community legal sector.  This is an opportunity for the right candidates to be part of a reputable organisation with fantastic career progression and professional development prospects. The roles may be based in our Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne or Perth offices.

About knowmore

knowmore is a nation-wide, free and independent mainstream community legal centre providing legal information, advice, representation and referrals, education and systemic advocacy for victims and survivors of child abuse.

knowmore uses a multidisciplinary model bringing together intake officers, lawyers, social workers and counsellors, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander engagement advisors and financial counsellors to provide trauma-informed, client-centred and culturally safe legal assistance to clients. Services are provided through a national phone line and face-to-face services in key locations, supported by a comprehensive program of outreach and community engagement across Australia. knowmore currently has offices in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth.

About the Role

The Managing Lawyer for the Redress Support Services (RSS) team will provide key leadership to their legal team within a multi-disciplinary and trauma informed framework.

This role delivers front line service and support to RSS and other support services as part of knowmore’s multi-disciplinary model and supervises service delivery by a dedicated legal team. The role ensures high-quality legal and capacity building services are delivered to support services. The role also provides the opportunity to work at a high-level on operational planning and service delivery projects; law and policy reform initiatives; and community engagement activities.

This role reports directly to the Director Strategic Engagement and leads a legal team across various locations while working co-operatively with knowmore’s other teams. The role will involve intrastate and interstate travel to manage and support the team and deliver services to RSS and other support services clients, and to undertake community engagement activities in collaboration with these services and workers from other knowmore teams.

Duties and responsibilities are including but not limited to:

• Provide high quality legal assistance to RSS and other support service workers in relation to the issues arising from instances of child sexual abuse experienced by their clients, including in relation to compensation and redress options.
• Support the Principal Lawyer and Director, Strategic Engagement to lead knowmore’s service delivery to RSS and other support services by leading a dedicated legal team and working co-operatively with knowmore’s other teams, to ensure the legal and related needs of clients of RSS and other support services are identified and actioned in an effective and consistent way and all timelines are met.
• Contribute as a professional member of a national legal practice, ensuring compliance with professional and corporate responsibilities including the rules and requirements of relevant legal profession legislation and the Community Legal Centres Australia Risk Management Guide.
• Manage the team’s workload and co-ordinate team coverage and contributions across knowmore’s activities, including client work, community education and outreach, law reform and other projects.
• Manage team members, including in undertaking short term and longer-term management tasks (such as fostering professional development).
• Be responsible to the Principal Lawyer for the effective supervision of the team’s practice including conducting regular file reviews and monitoring and contributing to the development and continuous improvement of service delivery standards, policies, and precedents.
• Ensure all relevant service data is recorded and prepare reports as required.
• Support knowmore’s contributions to law reform and policy and procedural initiatives relating to its client group and RSS and other support services, including through the identification of issues arising from practice and leading the preparation of submissions and undertaking media appearances.
• Prepare and deliver community legal education and other engagement activities and materials working cooperatively and collaboratively with non-legal service providers and other staff and external partners to raise awareness and provide information about knowmore’s services and common issues facing the RSS, other support services and their clients.
• Lead and manage effective contributions from volunteers and pro bono providers.

Location & Hours

• Locations: Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth 
• Full-time hours - flexibility considered for successful candidate
• Ongoing contract - subject the funding of the knowmore service

Selection Criteria

• Hold or be eligible to immediately obtain a current unrestricted practising certificate in the relevant jurisdiction and, ideally, be eligible to obtain a principal’s practising certificate.
• An excellent awareness of the legal issues facing survivors of child sexual abuse and ideally demonstrated experience practicing in a relevant area or areas of law.
• Experience leading teams and managing people, including multi-disciplinary teams of legal and non-legal staff, and demonstrated experience in supervising and assisting more junior legal staff.
• Demonstrated understanding of the issues affecting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and experience in providing culturally safe services to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.
• Demonstrated ability to build and maintain collaborative working relationships with stakeholders to further access to justice for clients.
• Strong organisational and time management skills, including the capacity to manage competing demands, prioritise tasks and to find creative solutions to improve effectiveness of service delivery for clients.
• Demonstrated ability to identify broader and systemic issues and develop appropriate responses, including experience in contributing to policy development and law reform.
• Proactively manage own care and workload.
• Ability and willingness to travel and work in regional, rural and remote areas
• Hold or be eligible to obtain a satisfactory National Police Records Check and a Working with Children Check.

Benefits

A competitive salary commensurate with the not for profit sector is offered together with the availability of salary packaging to achieve a tax effective total salary package.  In addition to being a flexible workplace, knowmore offers 10.5% superannuation (0.5%above the SGC), a 37.5 -hour working week and 4 weeks annual leave, including annual leave loading.

Additionally, knowmore offers the ability to partially work from home to facilitate a balanced work life.

Further Information about knowmore is available at www.knowmore.org.au

For more information and to discuss your specific queries, please contact Nick Hudson, Director Strategic Engagement, on 03 8663 7400.

If this sounds like an opportunity you would be interested, please “apply now”.