• Reports to: Chief Operating Officer
• Location: Darlinghurst, NSW

About the Paul Ramsay Foundation

Paul Ramsay was a visionary business leader who left Australia a remarkable legacy. Through his generous bequest, the Paul Ramsay Foundation continues his philanthropic legacy through a shared commitment to help break cycles of disadvantage in Australia.

Our talented team bring to this challenge their diverse perspectives and experience. We are anthropologists and educators, lawyers and economists, epidemiologists and entrepreneurs, political scientists and historians, psychologists and business analysts, journalists and administrators, philosophers and artists – all guided by our values of respect for people, curiosity, loyalty, courage and innovation. Diversity & inclusion, wellness, culture and learning are all important to us.

Find out more about the Paul Ramsay Foundation at www.paulramsayfoundation.org.au. 

The Role 

We are looking for a lawyer with 4-5 years of experience that is prepared to take charge of the preparation of the core contracts the PRF uses to make grants, enter impact investing arrangements (involving various capital markets type instruments) and to contract with various service providers to the Foundation. 

The role will involve working closely with our grants team and senior leadership to negotiate, prepare and review contracts.  The work will also involve liaising with external lawyers, reviewing precedents and processes and keeping up to date with legal and market developments that impact the way PRF goes about making grants, impact investments and contracting with service providers. 

Job description

• Develop standard formats for contracts and agreements in program and project management, employment law and other key areas
• Negotiate terms, write and execute agreements and contracts on behalf of PRF
• Ensure legal compliance and mitigate risk
• Advise on contract status, legal risks and legal liabilities associated with the work of PRF
• Brief and manage relationships with external legal advisers, chosen for their expertise in key areas
• Research, anticipate and advise on legal issues that could impact the organisation
• Investigate ethical issues within PRF and assist with resolving key legal matters as they arise
• Assist with the delivery of timely, high quality executive and Board papers which contribute to informed decisions
• Train PRF employees and as required, key external stakeholders, on legal topics
• Other duties as required in the role, as the role develops over time. 

Person specification 

The person will have the following:

• Legal qualifications (including a NSW practising certificate or equivalent)
• Evidence of analysis and evaluation skills
• Demonstrated capability to integrate services and policies around a vision and purpose
• Ability to prioritise, manage and coordinate a complex role
• Excellent written and oral communications skills including the ability to communicate in plain English and express complex legal ideas to non-lawyers
• Ability to scope legal risks 

Key personal capabilities

• Exceptional ability to develop and manage effective relationships and develop trust across the organisation
• Ideally an understanding of the not for profit sector
• Commitment to the overall purpose of PRF
• A consultative, cooperative style of working within the organisation with the ability to communicate well with non-legal staff
• Strong decision-making capability
• Exceptional leadership skills
• A team player within a small, professional team
• Demonstrable integrity
• Ability to multi-task, problem solve and deliver results in demanding timeframes.