Senior Solicitor Property & Commercial

Why work with us?

At Council, we’re proud of our region. We collaborate with community to achieve truly sustainable outcomes, enhance our enviable lifestyle, and create award-winning places and spaces that are uniquely Sunshine Coast. So, if you love it here as much as we do, and you want to shape our region for the future – you’ll want to join our team!

With the vision to be Australia’s most sustainable region - Connected. Liveable. Thriving, our region is a model of sustainability, where caring for our environment, creating vibrant communities and growing our local economy is a way of life.

About the Role

Legal Services is Council’s in‑house legal partner—delivering professional legal advice and services that help realise our vision for Australia’s most sustainable region – Connected. Liveable. Thriving.

As a Senior Solicitor Property & Commercial, you will: 

• Provide specialist legal advice on legally complex matters across Council activities, with a focus on property transactions and commercial projects linked to major development and infrastructure.
• Draft, negotiate and advise on contracts, leases, licences, permits, easements, construction/development agreements, joint ventures, tenders and collaboration/project agreements.
• Advise on property, land tenure, native title, planning and local government issues of varying complexity.
• Assist the disputes team with property‑related disputes.
• Identify and recommend policy or program changes arising from legal developments and best practice.
• Interpret and apply legislation relevant to land, planning, environment, roads, compulsory acquisition and local government governance.
• Support the General Counsel to deliver the Branch vision, strategy and service objectives aligned to corporate strategies.
• Build a supportive, best‑practice team culture that shares information and empowers people.
• Supervise officers such as a legal support officer (paralegal), property solicitor and administration assistant (legal secretary); steward human, physical and financial resources effectively.
• Ensure compliance with legislation, policies and records management standards, upholding the highest integrity and WHS responsibilities

This position is based 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 and collaborative workspace.

About you

To succeed in this role, you:

• Must be admitted as a Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Queensland and hold (or can hold) a current practising certificate.
• Bring deep property and commercial pedigree, with extensive post‑admission experience in property and commercial law advising on major projects.
• Are a sharp, practical adviser who distils complex legal issues into clear, actionable guidance for senior stakeholders.
• Are public‑sector savvy, understanding the roles and responsibilities of fast‑growing local governments and the governance frameworks they operate within.
• Are a confident regulatory navigator, interpreting intersecting land, planning, environmental and local government legislation to unlock outcomes.
• Bring a deal‑maker’s toolkit, drafting and negotiating the full range of commercial and property documentation end‑to‑end.
• Are a trusted communicator, offering exceptional written and verbal communication grounded intact, integrity, discretion and stakeholder focus.
• Are a values‑driven professional who upholds confidentiality and integrity at the highest level while exercising sound judgement on sensitive matters.
• Are a people‑first leader who coaches, supervises and develops legal professionals while championing teamwork, openness and continuous learning.
• Are a self‑starter and team player, equally comfortable leading or contributing within a dynamic, high‑performing in‑house team.

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 know it is important to balance life and work, therefore we offer flexible working including a hybrid WFH model that help you be your best.
• Extras: Those extras make a difference therefore we offer salary packaging options on novated leases, superannuation, smartphones and devices.

How to applyYour 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 these criteria; and
• A current resume or curriculum vitae.

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 2025-2030.

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 [email protected].

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.