Services Australia Temporary Legal Professional Register - APS4 to EL2

About this role

Services Australia (the agency) maintains a register of people interested in temporary (non-ongoing) employment opportunities in various legal and non-legal professional roles, levels, and locations throughout Australia. We may use this register to identify candidates for future opportunities to temporarily fill professional roles in the Legal Services Corporate Division and Customer Division, across a range of levels from APS4 to Executive Level 2. Legal roles available may include: • Government Lawyer (APS5) • Government Lawyer (APS6) • Senior Government Lawyer (EL1) • Principal Government Lawyer (EL2) • Deputy General Counsel (EL2) Non-legal roles available may include: • Assistant Paralegal (APS4) • Paralegal (APS5) • Freedom of Information Officer/Privacy Officer (APS5) • Senior Freedom of Information Officer/Privacy Officer (APS6) • Liaison Officer (APS5) • Senior Liaison Officer (APS6) Legal Roles – APS5 to EL2 The Legal Services – Customer Division and Legal Services – Corporate Division (the Divisions) combined are a large and dynamic Commonwealth legal practice managing one of the Commonwealth’s largest practices, as well as advising on cutting-edge digital and information law matters including privacy, secrecy, artificial intelligence, data governance and Freedom of Information (FOI), emerging administrative law issues such as process automation, and a range of complexities in corporate and employment law practices. The Divisions provide independent legal services, advice and assistance to the Minister, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and the Executive within and on behalf of the agency. The agency’s work is complex and exciting. We are responsible for administering the Centrelink, Medicare and Child Support master programs and provide services to millions of people for and on behalf of almost every Commonwealth department and agency. It is also responsible for administering myGov and the Digital ID exchange, and for delivering critical support to Australians in need during natural disasters and other emergency events. Being at the forefront of modern service delivery, the agency harnesses technology to provide our customers with simple, helpful, respectful and transparent services. Our lawyers provide legal advice on the use and risks of complex technologies, because as a custodian of a significant amount of personal information, ensuring privacy protections are built into how we deliver services is key. Services Australia’s responsibilities include Centrelink, Medicare and Child Support services, as well as whole of government services such as myGov. Our agency delivers help to Australians in times of need from natural disasters and delivers a range of other government services, such as the Australian Immunisation Register. Our lawyers work on a wide variety of complex and challenging issues that often require a multi-disciplinary approach to problem solving to support our customers seamlessly. Staff have access to professional development and mobility opportunities across the Divisions, which supports the broadening of legal skills and experience, or specialisation in a chosen field. Our key legal practice areas include but are not limited to: • Privacy, secrecy and data governance • Freedom of information and privacy matters • Administrative law advice and litigation • Commercial and procurement law • Property law • Employment law and litigation In addition to providing legal support, Principal Government Lawyers are required to identify, assess, manage and report on legal risk and escalate relevant issues to the executive, and develop and manage key strategic relationships with a broad range of internal and external stakeholders. Deputy General Counsels may also represent the General Counsel, the CEO, the broader Executive, and the Minister at cross-agency, inter-jurisdictional and other forums. Non-Legal Roles – APS4 to APS6 Non-legal roles are essential to the agency’s legal, legislative and regulatory legal function. As part of the division, you will have the opportunity to provide administrative, legislative and legal support on matters that directly impact customers. Agency Privacy and Freedom of Information Officer roles are operational. Officers performing these roles respond to emerging and systemic issues that may impact on policy, process, performance and/or customer outcomes. • Assistant Paralegal and Paralegal Officers – are responsible for the legal research and analysis, document drafting, case management, assist our lawyers to manage workloads, prepare complex and/or sensitive legal notifications and submissions to Commissions, Courts or Tribunals. They undertake complex support activities to facilitate the delivery of legal advice. • Privacy and Senior Privacy Officers – are responsible for the assessment of privacy incidents under the Privacy Act 1988, the development and maintenance of privacy policies, coordination of privacy matters with the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner and the provision of operational privacy advice. Privacy Officers make decisions within defined parameters which requires a strong understanding of privacy legislation and internal policy to manage workloads and meet statutory timeframes. Senior Privacy Officers are responsible for processing and managing complex matters, working under the leadership group. • FOI Officers – are responsible for processing and managing all requests for access to documents under the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (FOI Act). They work under the general direction of senior staff, exercise a degree of independent judgement and make decisions within defined parameters that require reliance on skills and knowledge. The virtual team works closely together to manage workloads and statutory timeframes to deliver the agency's FOI obligations. • Senior FOI Officers are responsible for processing and managing complex requests for access to documents under the FOI Act. They work under the general direction of the leadership group, exercise independent judgement and make decisions within defined parameters that require reliance on extensive skills and knowledge. • Liaison and Senior Liaison Officers – are responsible for coordinating agency responses to Commonwealth Ombudsman requests for information, investigations and reports and monitoring the agency’s progress in implementing Ombudsman recommendations and suggestions. This role requires the applicant to work with client areas of individual issues to draft and prioritise proactive notifications of issues to the Ombudsman. They work under the general direction of senior staff, exercise judgement and initiative to support the agency to meeting its obligations under the Ombudsman’s Statement of Expectations and Ombudsman Act 1976.