Job Details

EMPLOYMENT TYPE - Ongoing Full time & Non-Ongoing for a period of up to 24 months

LOCATION - ACT

AFP BAND & SALARY - Band 3-8 within the AFP Legal Officer broadband

Lawyer - Band 3-6 ($69,224 - $113,563)

Senior Lawyer - Band 7-8 ($113,563 - $132,391)

JOB REFERENCE NUMBER - 12366

This advertisement is to fill current vacancies and create a merit pool for future ongoing or non-ongoing vacancies arising over the next 12 months.

Did you know?

The mission of the Australian Federal Police is to provide dynamic and effective law enforcement to the people of Australia. It provides policing throughout Australia in relation to the prevention and detection of crimes against the Commonwealth, its laws and integrity, and community police services to the Community of the ACT.

Working for the AFP provides you with a diverse and rewarding career. Whether you immerse yourself in a position on the frontline, or provide critical operational or professional support, the work you do makes a big impact on the people of Australia.

We recognise your contribution to our workforce and offer generous remuneration and conditions including:

• Six weeks (30 days) of paid annual leave per year + additional paid Christmas stand down
• 4 extra mandatory leave rest days per year
• 18 days of paid personal leave per year
• Generous superannuation of 15.4%
• 16 weeks of paid maternity leave (after 12 months of service) + an additional 36 weeks of maternity leave without pay
• Generous salaries and incremental salary progression governed by the AFP Enterprise Agreement
• Flexible and hybrid working arrangement that provides work/life balance
• Access to ongoing training and professional development opportunities

What is the role?

Applications are sought from suitably qualified, professional, enthusiastic and committed Lawyers wishing to be considered for Lawyer (Band 3-6) and Senior Lawyer roles (Band 7-8) within AFP Legal – Corporate, based in Canberra.

This is an exciting opportunity to join a vibrant legal practice that has a diverse and interesting range of work and internal clients and is committed to the development of its lawyers, and the maintenance of a supportive and flexible working environment.

As an employee of the AFP you will also be required to contribute to the achievement of outcomes in accordance with the relevant regulatory framework, the AFP Code of Conduct and AFP Governance. It is expected that the successful applicant will deliver on the core responsibilities in one of the work areas below and meet any requirements of the position as outlined below.

What will you do?

The AFP Legal Corporate Branch is responsible for the provision of legal advice and litigation services that directly support the law enforcement activities of the AFP. Vacancies exist across two sections.

Commercial, Governance & Information (CG&I) Legal Section

Commercial, Governance, Freedom of Information (FOI) & Privacy lawyers working in the CG&I Section in AFP Legal provide high quality, cost effective in-house professional legal services across a broad range of matters relating to commercial, governance, freedom of information and privacy including advice in relation to major projects, tenders and contracts, construction and property matters and operational and corporate governance and freedom of information requests.

Employment & Dispute Resolution Legal Section

Lawyers working in the Employment and Dispute Resolution Section provide advice and assistance on employment law issues and support the AFP in its civil dispute resolution processes. While lawyers work across both practice areas, the AFP welcomes interest from specialist lawyers with experience in either employment or civil disputes.

Important: Further information regarding the different sections and what they are responsible for, and the role of a lawyer and senior lawyer can be found in the Candidate Information Pack

Essential Requirements

All applicants must:

• be an Australian Citizen at the time of application
• hold tertiary qualifications in law
• either hold a current practising certificate for an Australian state or territory or the High Court, or be eligible to apply for a practicing certificate
• have a Negative Vetting 1 (Secret) security clearance, or the ability to obtain one

Desirable Requirements

The following skills and/or experience would be highly regarded:

• For Band 3 - have demonstrated experience, or interest in a relevant area of corporate law
• For Band 4-6 - have a minimum of 1-5 years post admission experience or be able to demonstrate contemporary relevant legal knowledge and experience
• For Band 7-8 - have 5+ years post admission experience
• Demonstrated experience working in a complex and dynamic environment and
• Demonstrated stakeholder management skills and the ability to form productive working relationships as a member of a team.

Additional Information

• Positions may be filled at the Band 3 to 8 levels, within the AFP Legal Officer Broadband 3-8, depending upon the skills and experience of the successful candidate.
• Positions are located in Canberra, ACT. Successful applicants must be willing to relocate to Canberra
• Current AFP Legal lawyers are not eligible to apply for a promotion or advancement through this process.

Selection Criteria

Bands 3 - 5

• Organising your work, making sound decisions and achieving outcomes
• Communicating and working effectively with other people
• Applying technical knowledge, expertise and skills

Band 6 - 8

• Achieve results
• Communicates with influence
• Contributes to strategic thinking
• Cultivates productive working relationships
• Shows personal drive and integrity

Application

As part of your application you will be required to submit the following documents:

• Applicant response to selection criteria (pitch – maximum two pages). Your targeted two page pitch should align to the AFP work level standards
  Use the role description to guide the development of your personal pitch.
• Resume/CV
• Please upload your Academic record, where applicable to the ‘other requested documents’ field in the jobs portal

Only complete applications will be considered. Please review and ensure the uploaded documents are correct for this application after submitting your application.

COVID - 19 Mandate

AFP employees are required to have received a minimum of two COVID-19 vaccinations (or one dose if the Janssen vaccine was used). Satisfactory proof of vaccination status will be required at the time an offer of employment is made. Please contact the Recruitment Team if you wish to discuss the COVID-19 vaccine requirements further.

Employment Suitability Questionnaire (ESQ)

All external applicants must complete an Employment Suitability Questionnaire should you successfully progress from the application stage. This aids in the assessment of your character and your ability to comply with the AFP's professional standards both in an official and private capacity. We encourage you to review our employment suitability standards to ensure that you meet the requirements before you submit your application.

The AFP Recruitment Team will be in touch to let you know if you'll need to provide the following additional information:

• A completed Employment Suitability Questionnaire (ESQ);
• Traffic history for the last 10 years;
• and Proof of Australian citizenship.

Applicants will not receive feedback at this gateway.

Interview

Applicants who have demonstrated their suitability for employment through their resume, application and ESQ, may be invited to a formal interview. Using the relevant AFP work level standards as a guide, you may be asked a range of questions to demonstrate your skills and abilities. These could include behavioural based scenario questions.

You can prepare for the interview by:

• reviewing your responses to the selection criteria, picking a few additional examples to use in the interview
• participating in a mock interview using the selection criteria to think of possible questions.

Finger Printing

AFP employees are required to have their finger prints taken. This requirement will be undertaken at the time an offer of employment is made.

Commitment to Diversity & Inclusion

Diversity and inclusion is an operational priority for the Australian Federal Police (AFP). To be an effective police force, we must be reflective of the community we serve, working across languages, cultures and transnational borders. The 2023-26 Diversity & Inclusion Strategy is the guiding framework for delivering the AFP’s diversity and inclusion goals and reflecting our commitment to being an employer of choice, incorporating diversity and inclusion principles in day-to-day practice and building a psychologically and culturally safe workplace. This includes hiring people from diverse backgrounds who bring their lived experience to contribute, and add value, to the AFP.

Find out more about how the AFP embraces diversity and inclusion.

Contacts and Closing Information

Contact Officers:

Patrick Myrtle (Employment & Dispute Resolution) - Phone: 0251267801 Email: patrick.myrtle@afp.gov.au

Adam Anastasi (Commercial, Governance & Information) Phone: 0251269979 Email: adam.anastasi@afp.gov.au

Applications Close: 11:59pm (AEDT) 28/11/2023

To view other employment opportunities, please visit our career site.

www.afp.gov.au