• Max-term 12 month Contact for parental leave cover to start in September
• Hours per week: 28 hours per week (0.8 FTE)
• Location: Melbourne

About Us

At Oxfam Australia, we believe all lives are equal and no-one should live in poverty. We are a member of Oxfam International, a global confederation working with partners and local communities in 76 countries.

Would you like to join this global movement of people working together to eliminate the inequalities that keep people in poverty?

We are currently seeking a Senior Legal Counsel to join our team.

The Role

An exciting opportunity to join Oxfam Australia’s legal counsel on a 12 month parental leave contract, starting September 2026. Reporting to the General Counsel, the Senior Legal Counsel provides strategic, pragmatic and commercially focused legal advice across a broad range of matters including governance, compliance, privacy, regulatory obligations, contracts and organisational risk. Working collaboratively across the organisation, the role supports commercial and operational activities, fundraising initiatives, First Peoples programs, international programming, policy and advocacy. The Senior Legal Counsel identifies and manages legal risks, develops practical solutions and ensures Oxfam Australia meets its legal and regulatory obligations while advancing its mission and strategic objectives

Key Responsibilities

• Provide strategic legal advice and risk management support across governance, compliance, contracts, privacy, fundraising, advocacy and commercial activities, enabling informed decision-making across the organisation.
• Partner with internal and external stakeholders to manage legal matters, regulatory issues, board governance, litigation and organisational initiatives, while supporting Oxfam’s strategic objectives and global mission.
• Manage legal risk, regulatory inquiries and potential litigation matters, providing practical advice to protect and advance the organisation’s interests.
• Support governance activities, including Board and committee processes, and contribute to strategic initiatives that enable the successful delivery of Oxfam Australia’s mission and objectives.
• Support the General Counsel in leading and developing legal team resources, including recruitment, performance management and professional development.
• Promote a positive, safe and compliant workplace by ensuring sound people management practices and adherence to HR and WHS policies.

A little about you (Key Selection Criteria)

• Be a lawyer qualified and admitted to practice in Australia and eligible to hold a practising certificate, with at least 5 years PQE.
• Have a background grounded in commercial legal practice, ideally with experience in one or more of the following areas; commercial or corporate law, privacy, charity law, tax law, dispute resolution, employment law or international public law.
• Demonstrate your knowledge, experience in and understanding of highly regulated contexts.
• Be able to confidently juggle competing priorities and deadlines while working on complex projects with a wide range of stakeholders.
• Be a valued member of a team but also able to lead and self-actualise work independently with minimal supervision.
• Demonstrate your commitment to Oxfam Australia’s values of equality, empowerment, solidarity, inclusiveness, accountability and courage.

How to Apply

Complete the online application form, then, as three separate documents, upload:

1. A cover letter that tells us why you want to join Oxfam Australia, and how your professional history and lived experience make you the right candidate.
2. Your CV.
3. Your response to the key selection criteria outlined in the advertisement.

Here is the link to the Position Description.

What we can offer you

• Superior leave benefits and access to a generous not-for-profit salary packaging program (up to $18,450 of your salary tax-free).

• The opportunity to use your talents and expertise to make a positive impact around the world.

• We value flexibility and seek to support our people in ways that meet their work/life commitments and support their wellbeing.

• Cultural leave
• Superannuation matching

Our culture is shaped by our values, which reinforce what we care about and how we do things, not just what we do. Our core values of Equality, Empowerment, Solidarity, Inclusiveness, Accountability and Courage drive everything we do at Oxfam.

Oxfam is committed to preventing any type of unwanted behaviour at work, including sexual harassment, exploitation and abuse, lack of integrity and financial misconduct. We are committed to promoting the welfare of children, young people and adults. Oxfam expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment through our code of conduct. We place a high priority on ensuring that only those who share and demonstrate our values are recruited to work for us. Therefore, our people are required to comply with the One Oxfam Child Safeguarding and Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse policies and sign the Oxfam Australia Child Safeguarding and One Oxfam Employee Codes of Conduct.

Our people are at the heart of everything we do. We care deeply about creating a safe and inclusive workplace where our people feel valued, respected and empowered. We are committed to providing equal opportunities and encourage applicants with personal experience of the forms of injustice we seek to address to apply for opportunities at Oxfam Australia.

Australian work rights

Applicants will be required to show proof of their right to work in Australia the subject to satisfactory pre-employment checks, which include Police Checks and Misconduct Disclosure Scheme outcomes, before commencement. Pre-employment checks are not used by Oxfam Australia to prevent any applicant from applying for this position. Each application will be considered on its merits.

Oxfam Australia will not recruit international candidates who do not hold visas permitting them to work in Australia. Oxfam Australia does not provide visa sponsorship.

Additional information

For ongoing roles, candidates will be required to have a minimum of 2 years' Australian work rights from the date of commencement of their employment with Oxfam Australia. For fixed-term roles, candidates will be required to have work rights for the full duration of the contract.

At Oxfam Australia, we are committed to fostering a diverse, inclusive, and equitable culture where everyone's rights are recognised and respected. Guided by feminist principles and core values, we embrace different perspectives and work to eliminate systemic inequities that perpetuate discrimination. We centre and amplify the voices of people with lived experience and work in solidarity to build a future where no one is left behind.

Our commitment to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion is reflected in our actions, Oxfam Australia:

• Supports employee-led committees

• Promotes consultative ways of working and decision making

• Maintains a comprehensive enterprise agreement that prioritises employee well-being, as demonstrated through multiple leave types

• Provides ongoing awareness and training on unconscious bias, inclusion, and respectful workplace practices, ensuring alignment with Oxfam’s values

• Ensures a fair and accessible recruitment process