Solicitor

Above Award Contract

Location: Maroochydore

Vacancy No: 3550

Permanent - Full-time

Applications close: Sunday, 9 April 2023 11:59pm AEST

Why work with us?

There is no better place to work than with an outstanding organisation like Sunshine Coast Council.

With the vision to be Australia’s most sustainable region - Healthy, Smart, and Creative, council is at the forefront of delivering a number of region-shaping projects that will see the region become a hub for innovation, entrepreneurship and creativity, along with opportunities and a lifestyle for all to enjoy.

About the Role

Joining a local government entity experiencing rapid and progressive change, you will be drawn upon to provide guidance and advice on complex and varied legal matters. The portfolio of projects that the Council is actively implementing include a new CBD smart city development scheme, , the 2032 Olympics and multiple commercial, infrastructure and environmental initiatives.

Council’s legal services team is seeking a solicitor to join our team and work closely with our senior solicitors and General Counsel, to provide legal representation and advice to council and its managers and staff on a wide range of legal issues and take primary conduct of a broad range of disputes and advisory work. In this role you will:

• Represent Council in litigation in various disputes including planning and environment disputes, commercial disputes, employment matters, and discrimination matters.
• Appear at conciliation conferences, without prejudice discussions, mediations and in court..
• Advise council and staff on planning legislation, various legal proceedings, employment matters, and a broad range of legal issues.
• Draft and review a broad range of commercial documents including infrastructure agreements and other related documents.
• Advise on a diverse range of legal issues relating to Local Government.

In this role you will work within Council’s established Legal Service branch as an in-house solicitor, and be part of a collegiate team serving the Council.  You will receive a variety of challenging and quality work that is important to the future of the region.

This position is located at Sunshine Coast City Hall, in the heart of Maroochydore CBD. This state of the art and sustainable building is designed to achieve an innovative workspace.

About you

You will have demonstrated ability and experience in dispute resolution,  the provision of legal advice,  and drafting contracts and other commercial documents with minimal guidance.

You will possess high level written and oral communication skills, interpersonal skills and excellence in delivery of legal service including tact, integrity and discretion.

As a requirement of this position, you must hold (or be capable of holding) a current Legal Practising Certificate pursuant to the Queensland Law Society Act and a Current ‘C’ class Drivers Licence.

Our Culture & Employee Benefits

Council is committed to creating an inclusive, culturally diverse, healthy, skilled and dedicated workplace culture. As an employee you will enjoy a range of benefits and working styles to suit you:

• Wellbeing: Your wellbeing is important to us therefore we offer a number of different initiatives such as discounted health related memberships, fitness passport, employee assistance program and development opportunities. 
• Flexibility: We offer flexible working .
• Extras: Those extras make a difference therefore we offer salary packaging options on novated leases, superannuation, smartphones and devices. We also pay you 17.5% leave loading and generous Superannuation where council will contribute 12% Superannuation in addition to your 6% superannuation contribution.

How to apply

Your written application should include:

• A 1-2 page cover letter demonstrating your ability to fulfil the mandatory and desirable requirements on the Position Profile. Keep the key responsibilities in mind when addressing this criteria; and
• A current resume or curriculum vitae.
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• Once you have these two documents ready, click ‘Apply Now’ and follow the prompts to complete your application.

Further Information

Helpful information to assist you in completing your application is available on the Sunshine Coast Council website.

To learn more about Council’s vision and projects, you can view the Corporate Plan 2022-2026.

For specific enquiries contact Mitchell Birks during business hours on 0448 136 214.

We're working hard to create an inclusive workplace that reflects the diverse community we serve. If you require adjustments at any stage of the recruitment process, please reach out to the Recruitment Team joinusnow@sunshinecoast.qld.gov.au.

At Sunshine Coast Council, we embrace differences in gender, age, ethnicity, race, cultural background including First Nations, disability, religion and sexual orientation. To deliver the best service to our region we want a workforce that reflects the diverse community that we serve. Sunshine Coast Council strongly encourages all suitable applicants to apply for this role.