Principal Legal Officer

About this role

Join us in safeguarding democracy in NSW! * Ongoing full-time opportunity * Are you a dynamic lawyer looking for challenging, high-profile work in a supportive and collegiate environment? * Sydney CBD office location with hybrid working arrangements About the Role As a Principal Legal Officer, you’ll be delivering legal advice to the NSW Electoral Commissioner, the three-member Electoral Commission and our internal stakeholders on matters related to elections and electoral law. You will be providing expert support in relation to the 2027 State General Election and beyond. The Principal Legal Officer will advise on a diverse range of matters including providing advice on administrative law and the interpretation and operation of legislation. You will be accustomed to providing high quality, practical, solutions-focussed advice. The role is an Ongoing Full-time position. Key knowledge, experience and essential requirements * Relevant tertiary qualifications * Admission as a lawyer and hold, or be eligible to hold, a Law Society of NSW Practising Certificate * Experience managing complex legal matters as a solicitor in NSW (or similar jurisdiction) * Significant experience in statutory interpretation, legal analysis and drafting * Excellent written and verbal communication skills and the ability to provide clear, accurate and practical legal advice, tailored to a range of audiences * Excellent organisational skills and the ability to manage competing priorities, high workloads and tight deadlines, whilst maintaining accuracy and attention to detail. * Ability to engage and motivate staff, and develop capability and potential in others. * You must be politically neutral with no affiliation to political parties or lobbyists/third party campaigners (see other information section at the bottom of this page). * A satisfactory criminal record check result. About the NSW Electoral Commission The New South Wales Electoral Commission delivers trusted and independent systems, processes, oversight and engagement that support democracy in New South Wales. Our vision is to maintain confidence in the integrity of the democratic process and make it easy for people to understand and participate. Our work includes: * Running and regulating elections * Communicating and engaging with current and future voters, key NSW community stakeholders and NSW election participants; and * Investigating possible offences and enforcing electoral and lobbying laws such as the Electoral Act 2017 and the Electoral Funding Act 2018. What we offer * Opportunity to work on large scale events and assist your local community * Career development opportunities through study and face to face training * Access to self-paced expert-led training via LinkedIn Learning * Employee Assistance Program for wellbeing support * Staff social events to connect with colleagues * Work/Life balance (35 hour working week), flex leave, generous holidays and leave conditions * Access to Fitness Passport for eligible staff * Free annual flu vaccination * Convenient CBD location, access to public transport How to apply As part of your application, you will be asked to respond to the two targeted questions: * Describe a time when you had to provide complex legal advice. How did you ensure that your advice was understood? (maximum 300 words) * Describe a time when you had to provide feedback to a direct report or team member. How did you approach this and what was the outcome? (maximum 300 words) You should include a covering letter summarising how your skills, knowledge and work experience meet the requirements of the role, along with an up-to-date resume which clearly detail your skills and experience as relevant to this role. For further information regarding the role please download the Role Description Applying for a role in the NSW Public Service For more information on how to apply for a role in the NSW Public Service, please refer here The NSW Electoral Commission embraces diversity and inclusion and is committed to creating a workplace that reflects the population of New South Wales. We welcome applications from people from diverse backgrounds and encourage women, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, LGBTQIA+, people with disability, mature-age people, and people from culturally diverse backgrounds to apply for this role. If you have any questions about applying or would benefit from an adjustment to the recruitment process to help you perform your best please contact talent@elections.nsw.gov.au. For more information on recruitment adjustments visit I Work for NSW Adjustments for individual needs. Applications received and completed after closing time will not be considered for selection. The selection process will include a range of assessment techniques to assist in determining your suitability for the role. For further information, contact NSW Electoral Commission’s Talent team on talent@elections.nsw.gov.au Other Information Your employment will be subject to National Criminal Records Check to determine your suitability for employment. The NSW Electoral Commission is committed to maintaining public confidence in the integrity of the electoral system. The Commission requires all its employees to refrain from membership of any political party and from engaging in political activity which could be seen as reflecting adversely on the strict political neutrality of the Commission. To maintain political neutrality, applicants for roles with the Commission who are, who have been or who may be perceived to be or have been connected with political activities may also be ineligible for appointment and should disclose such information as part of their application. This does not include voting in a Commonwealth, State or Local Government election, which is compulsory in NSW. The Commission’s Political Neutrality Policy may be viewed on its website. A talent pool may be created from this recruitment action for ongoing and temporary roles of the same work classification that may become available for filling over the next 18 months. This role is based in at our Elizabeth Street, Sydney office with a hybrid work arrangement. Applications Close: 6th August 2026 @ 11.59pm