Senior Legal Counsel, Employment Legal

About the role

The Commonwealth Bank's Group Services Legal team has an opening for a Senior Legal Counsel in its Employment Legal team, reporting to the General Manager, Employment Legal. The team advises the Group on complex and sensitive workplace matters across a diverse workforce, working closely with Human Resources, Investigations and other legal teams. The role provides clear, timely and high-quality advice on litigious and non-litigious employment and workplace relations matters, managing legal, regulatory, operational and reputational risk.

Key responsibilities

• Advise on complex employment and workplace relations matters, including performance and disciplinary processes, terminations, executive employment and remuneration, restructures, workplace change and employee entitlements.
• Advise on workplace and whistleblower investigations, covering scope, procedural fairness, confidentiality, privilege and consequences.
• Provide strategic advice on employee disputes, discrimination, harassment, bullying, adverse action, workplace grievances and other sensitive matters.
• Advise on enterprise agreements, industrial instruments, consultation obligations and collective workplace relations issues.
• Manage and support employment litigation, claims, regulatory inquiries and dispute resolution, including instructing and overseeing external legal advisers where appropriate.
• Monitor legislative, regulatory and case law developments and support the implementation of changes across the Group.
• Partner with Human Resources and the business to deliver commercially focused solutions, and advise senior stakeholders on risks, options and recommended actions.
• Contribute to legal risk management, governance, policies, guidance, training and continuous improvement, and support colleague development.

Required profile

• Minimum of 8 years' post-qualification experience, with at least five years specifically in employment law.
• Substantial experience advising on complex employment and workplace relations matters in a leading law firm or in-house team.
• Admission to practice in Australia and a current Australian practising certificate.
• Experience in financial services, a regulated environment or a large organisation is highly regarded but not essential.
• Role based in Sydney or Melbourne.

Required skills

• Deep knowledge of Australian employment and workplace relations law, across disputes, enterprise agreements, discrimination, investigations and compliance.
• Ability to give clear, practical, commercially focused advice and to identify, assess and communicate legal, regulatory, operational and reputational risk.
• Autonomy, strong stakeholder engagement and communication skills, and the ability to influence senior stakeholders.