Job Summary

• Starting salary is $110,534.50 pa.
• Full-time (35 hours per week) preferred but part-time considered.
• Flexible working hours available.

About the Migrant Workers Centre

The Migrant Workers Centre is a not-for-profit organisation and community legal centre working to empower migrant workers in Victoria to understand and enforce their rights. The Migrant Workers Centre assists workers from emerging communities to address problems they encounter in workplaces and collaborates with unions and community partners to seek long-term solutions to the exploitation of migrant workers.

The Centre’s activities are organised around three areas of work:

• Education – helping migrant workers to understand their rights at work by delivering community education that is culturally and linguistically appropriate.
• Enforcement – assisting migrant workers who are experiencing workplace issues, such as wage theft and discrimination, to enforce their workplace rights and win just outcomes.
• Advocacy – working with migrant communities to improve their lives in Australia by conducting research, empowering community leaders and members, and advocating to decision-makers.

About The Role

We are looking to add a new lawyer in our expanding legal team to support the MWC’s enforcement work, as part of an integrated service model.

The Employment Lawyer will provide high-quality legal services and support to migrant workers, work alongside team members to contribute to the MWC's growth, and collaborate with migrant communities, unions, service providers, and other organisations to support the MWC’s mission and ensure migrant workers’ rights are respected.

ABOUT YOU

To be successful in this role, you would:

• Hold (or be eligible to hold) a Practising Certificate in the state of Victoria;
• Have a strong understanding of employment law, and experience in litigation, mediation, and negotiation in employment law;
• Have high level interpersonal and communication skills, including the ability to liaise and communicate effectively and sensitively with clients and stakeholders with complex needs and from diverse backgrounds;
• Be committed to social justice and union values, and the MWC's mission to advance the rights of migrant workers;
• Have a valid visa that provides work rights or be an Australian citizen or permanent resident;
• Conversational comprehension of a language other than English is highly desirable.

Our ideal candidate has two or more years of post-admission experience, however applications from graduate lawyers, with relevant work experience in employment law will be considered. The starting salary for graduate lawyers is $101,539.58.

The Key Selection Criteria can be found in the attached position description.

When applying for the role, please include a cover letter addressing each of the key selection criteria.

BENEFITS and Other Relevant Information

• Starting salary of $110,534.50 plus 12% superannuation, salary packaging benefits, and a range of additional benefits included in our collective agreement.
• These include 5 weeks of annual leave, 12 days of reproductive health leave, flexible working hours and rostered days off, 20% leave loading, and cultural leave to allow team members observe religious, cultural or ceremonial obligations not otherwise provided for under Victorian public holidays.
• The position is based at the Migrant Workers Centre office in Carlton, with flexible working arrangements available.
• For any questions or requests for further information about the role, please email [email protected] using the subject line: Employment Lawyer enquiry via EthicalJobs.
• A position description is attached.

commitment to inclusion

The Migrant Workers Centre is committed to create an inclusive, culturally safe, and respectful workplace that celebrates diversity in all its forms. We recognise the value of unique perspectives and contributions, and we encourage people of all backgrounds and ability to apply if you have an aspiration to work collectively towards a fairer world.