About this role

• Full time ongoing position
• Salary range: $157,341 - $180,991 (pro rata) plus super plus salary packaging
• Up to $15,900 in salary packaging and hybrid WFH & office model

About the role

This role leads the Therapeutic Justice program across the organisation, ensuring the delivery of high quality legal services in therapeutic and specialist courts as well as the broader application of therapeutic and restorative justice approaches to criminal law practice.

As Associate Director, you will develop and implement strategic objectives to ensure that the experience of clients and staff in therapeutic and specialist courts, are embedded in our policy, advocacy and service design.

You will also work closely with the Director, Summary Crime and Therapeutic Justice and the Executive Director, Criminal Law to engage with external stakeholders (including the Department of Justice, Victoria Police, private practitioners and courts) to drive a system wide approach and understanding of therapeutically oriented criminal law services.

As a member of VLA's Criminal Law directorate leadership team, you will also to the planning, service delivery and continuous improvement of the whole directorate.

This role is based at our Melbourne CBD office on Wurundjeri Country.

About you

As our ideal candidate, you will possess:

• A current Australian practising certificate which entitles you to practise in Victoria as a principal of a law practice (mandatory).
• Entitlement to practise in federal courts and courts exercising federal jurisdiction (entry on the High Court's Register of Practitioners) (mandatory).
• Strong knowledge and experience in therapeutic and specialist criminal law practice.
• Extensive experience in developing, implementing and evaluating high impact, successful and influential projects and policies.
• Leadership and management experience preferably gained within a public or private legal sector.

Don't meet every requirement? At VLA, we understand that your work and life experiences can be just as valuable. If you're excited about this role but your CV doesn't align perfectly with our job description, we encourage you to apply anyway. You may be just the right candidate for this or one of our many other opportunities.

About Victoria Legal Aid

We provide legal representation to those who need it most. With over 1400 staff employed in 16 offices across Victoria, we help people with their legal problems by providing information, advice and education with a focus on the prevention and early resolution of legal problems.

Our clients come from all walks of life and so do we. We hire great people from a wide variety of backgrounds and foster a work culture that's inclusive as well as diverse. Your unique ideas and perspectives are valued so that we best represent the people we serve.

Employee benefits

• Focus on work-life balance including flexible working arrangements
• Hybrid work from home & office model
• Training and professional development opportunities
• Excellent salary packaging options including General Expenses up to $15,900, Meals & Entertainment up to $2,650 and Novated Leasing
• Opportunity to join Myki Commuter Club (and salary package the cost)
• Supportive team environment in modern offices (including free gym and end-of-trip facilities at our CBD office)
• Access to discounted Private Health Insurance

How to apply

To be considered for this role, please submit your current resume and a completed candidate application form (listed within the file attachments).

If you require adjustments to the recruitment and selection process or need an alternative format to any of the application material, please don't hesitate to get in touch with our team via [email protected] using the subject line: Associate Director, Therapeutic Justice enquiry via EthicalJobs.

For further information, please review the attached position description or contact Elanor Peattie, Director Summary Crime and Therapeutic Justice on (03) 9280 3740 or [email protected].

No agency applications will be accepted.

Other relevant information

It is a requirement that staff attend for office-based days at their primary work location. In line with this requirement, interstate applications will be considered only where the candidate is able and willing to relocate to Victoria, unless part of a border community.

VLA is committed to putting the safety and wellbeing of children first.

A position description is attached.