APS6 Lawyer / EL1 Senior Lawyer

About the OFWO

The Office of the Fair Work Ombudsman (OFWO) is an independent statutory office established by the Fair Work Act 2009 (Fair Work Act). Our functions outline the responsibilities we have as set by the Fair Work Act and other legislation to achieve our purpose:

• provide education, assistance, advice and guidance to employers, employees, regulated workers, regulated businesses, persons in a road transport contractual chain, outworkers, outworker entities and organisations
• promote and monitor compliance with workplace laws
• inquire into and investigate breaches of the Fair Work Act
• take appropriate enforcement action
• perform our statutory functions efficiently, effectively, economically and ethically.

What our employees say about us

We are one of the most engaged and high performing agencies in Australia; consistently scoring above average on employee engagement and wellbeing when surveyed against other APS agencies. 

What we offer you

We provide a diverse, inclusive and supportive work environment with access to: 

• Great training and development opportunities 
• Generous leave and flexible working arrangements 
• Our Employee Assistance Program (EAP), a free counselling service for you and your family 
• A competitive salary, plus 15.4% superannuation 
• Rewards and recognition initiatives. 

We Value Diversity 

OFWO has been accredited as a Breastfeeding Friendly Workplace since 2011. We are also members of the Australian Network on Disability and Pride in Diversity. We encourage and welcome applications from First Nations people, people with disability, LGBTQIA+ people, people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds and mature age people.

About the Branches

The FWO’s Legal Enforcement Branches are a large team of professionals responsible for providing advice in respect of investigations and conducting civil penalty litigations relating to Commonwealth workplace relations laws. We conduct the majority of our litigations in-house, in addition to working closely with counsel and external legal providers. We work with internal stakeholders to identify and progress compliance and enforcement outcomes, including significant litigation matters involving large corporations. As part of this process, we advise on the progress of investigations, the use of statutory compliance powers (including compulsory evidence gathering powers), evidentiary issues, and different enforcement options. We also contribute to a range of innovative continuous improvement projects within the Agency. We offer a comprehensive professional development program. 

Typical Duties 

• Undertake the day-to-day running of civil penalty litigation to deliver outcomes on time (for example, meeting court deadlines) as well as representing the FWO in review proceedings;
• Prepare or settle briefing material, affidavits, submissions, correspondence, reports and legal documents; 
• Appear at Court for hearings, for example, directions hearings and penalty hearings; 
• Research, prepare and provide technical workplace relations legal advice including in respect of statutory interpretation, compliance powers, and evidentiary issues; 
• Contribute to developing capabilities of lawyers at a more junior level, including by mentoring more junior lawyers; 
• Develop strong working relationships with internal stakeholders;  
• Ability to proactively progress matters and be accountable for next steps;  
• Be part of a responsive and dynamic Agency committed to innovation.

As a Senior Lawyer (EL1) you will also have the opportunity to:

• Have carriage of and lead the overall management of civil penalty litigations, including having carriage of significant litigation matters, including advocacy;
• Advise on complex workplace relations issues;  
• Demonstrate an advanced ability to identify and manage risk; 
• Lead, directly supervise (including by having direct reports) and mentor more junior lawyers to both enhance their capabilities and to achieve outcomes;
• Be responsible for fostering strong and productive relationships with internal and external stakeholders, including through providing strategic legal advice relating to the FWO’s functions, investigations or compliance and enforcement tools; 
• Contribute to the leadership of the Branch. 

Please note: Executive Level employees will sometimes be required to work and be contactable outside of hours. Operational needs will often require you to work part of the week in your local office, and be available to attend at Court, when required. You may also be required to undertake some domestic travel (including overnight); flexibility requests will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Selection Criteria

We are seeking exceptional lawyers with a can-do attitude who are agile and adaptable and who are committed to achieving fairness in Australian workplaces. 

You must have experience in litigation, regulatory law and/or workplace relations. Generally, candidates will have the following experience:

• APS 6 – more than 3 years of post-admission practice experience; 
• EL1 – 5 or more years of relevant post-admission experience. 

You will be capable of providing practical legal advice on a range of issues in a regulatory or civil litigation environment or in the area of workplace relations, and be able to produce work autonomously with a proven track-record of achieving results within short time frames. You will show good legal and strategic judgment and an ability to deploy analytical and problem-solving skills to identify practical solutions and manage risk. 

The roles require professionalism, self- management and the ability to work autonomously and as part of team, as the roles report directly to a Principal Lawyer. 

You will have excellent oral and written communication skills and be able to effectively convey your opinion, position or counter-position on a matter. You will be able to persuasively communicate in both written Court documents and when appearing as an advocate before the Court. You will adhere to the Australian Public Service standards and model litigant obligations. 

At the APS6 level, you will be expected to help develop junior lawyers’ capabilities. At the EL1 level, you will be expected to lead and directly manage more junior lawyers who will report to you.

• To be eligible for employment with the OFWO you must be an Australian citizen.
• The successful candidate must hold a current Australian Government Security Clearance (AGSVA) or be willing to undergo and obtain a Baseline security clearance.
• You will need to hold a degree in Law from an Australian university (or overseas equivalent qualification) and admission, or eligibility for admission, to the Supreme Court in your State and the High Court of Australia.
• You will need to have (or be able to obtain before commencement) a practising certificate.
•  At the EL1 level, you will also need to have a practicing certificate without a supervised legal practice condition (or ability to obtain the same before commencement).

How to Apply 

If you are excited about this opportunity, please tell us in no more than 800 words:

• Why you want to apply for this role?
• How your skills and experience address the requirements of this role, with consideration of the selection criteria and specific reference to litigation and (ideally) workplace relations litigation matters you have conducted. 

All applications must be submitted via our online application system through the FWO website. 

If you have any questions about this recruitment exercise, please email recruitment@fwo.gov.au. 

*Please ensure you check your junk mail throughout the recruitment process, as sometimes our emails sent from our online system end up in junk mail folders.* 

RecruitAbility Scheme applies to this vacancy

Under the RecruitAbility scheme you will be progressed to further assessment if you declare you have a disability (according to definition below), opt into the scheme, and meet the minimum requirements for the position. 

The RecruitAbility scheme disability definition is 'a limitation, restriction or impairment, which has lasted, or is likely to last, for at least 6 months and restricts everyday activities'. This also includes episodic conditions. For more information visit: https://www.apsc.gov.au/recruitability.

Applications close 11:00pm (AEDT) Thursday 12 November 2026