Candidate information pack: Senior Lawyer

• Candidate information pack: Senior Lawyer (MS Word, 1.1 MB)
• Candidate information pack: Senior Lawyer (PDF, 505 KB)

Position number: Multiple
Position title: Senior Lawyer
Group / Team: Legal, Risk and Quality Assurance Group / Legal Services
Employment type: Ongoing/non-ongoing up to 12 months / full-time
Classification: Executive Level 1 (EL1)
Salary range: $124,681 to $137,803 per annum plus 15.4% superannuation
Location: Melbourne or Canberra (other locations may be considered). Hybrid and flexible work options are available
Reporting to: General Counsel
Agency Employment Act: Public Service Act 1999
Contact person: Nicholas Riordan – 03 8306 2503

Applications close on Monday 28 September 2026 at 11:45pm (AEST).

About us

The Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (TEQSA) is Australia’s independent national quality assurance and regulatory agency for higher education. TEQSA protects the interests of students and the reputation and standing of Australian higher education.

As an independent quality assurance and regulatory agency, TEQSA adopts a risk-based approach that is guided by the principles of necessity, risk, and proportionality, and which supports quality, diversity, innovation, and excellence in higher education.

TEQSA has three strategic objectives in delivering its purpose:

1. Promote and support good practice and effective self-assurance across the sector.
2. Identify, analyse, and respond to risks to the sector.
3. Ensure compliance with applicable legislation through effective and efficient regulation.

Our culture

Our organisational culture reflects our Culture Plan 2023 and the core values and behaviours that guide how we approach our work and interact with each other.

The core values by which we operate include:

• Trust – We have confidence in each other to do our best. We encourage open and honest conversations that focus on the issue, not the person. We promote a supportive and safe workplace environment.
• Respect – We approach every situation with kindness, compassion, and an open mindset. We value people, the range of views and experience they bring, and the work they undertake.
• Accountability – We hold ourselves and each other accountable for our actions, how we work together, and the quality of what we deliver. We gather feedback, reflect, and act on opportunities for improvement.
• Collaboration – We draw on our collective strength by encouraging each other to contribute to the achievement of shared objectives. We provide context and information to help others succeed.

At TEQSA, we are building a working environment that aligns with our cultural values and cultivates a rewarding, stimulating, and engaging workplace. If our organisational culture resonates with you, we want to hear from you.

How we value our employees

TEQSA is committed to investing in its people. So, what’s on offer for you?

• A full-time and secure role in a for-purpose organisation that protects the interests of students and the reputation and standing of Australian higher education.
• Flexible working arrangements, including working from home to balance work and personal life.
• Conveniently located spacious office close to public transport in the heart of Melbourne CBD or in the Parliamentary Triangle Canberra.
• Generous leave entitlements, including study leave to support your professional development, personal leave, and paid time off over Christmas!
• Competitive superannuation at 15.4% and remuneration.
• Professional development that is supported and encouraged so your career continues to grow as you enhance your technical and leadership skills and capabilities and build a career at TEQSA.
• Free Employee Assistance Program for you and your immediate family members. Our external partner is a leading provider of wellbeing and mental health support services.
• Workplace diversity and inclusion. TEQSA welcomes people with diverse skills, experiences, perspectives, and backgrounds. TEQSA encourages applications from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People, people with disabilities, people that identify as LGBTQIA+, and people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.

About the position

As a Senior Lawyer within the Legal Services Team, the successful candidate will have a key role in providing accurate and strategic legal advice and assistance to TEQSA’s Commissioners and staff. The successful candidate will be able to demonstrate highly developed legal and analytical skills, excellent communication skills, and expertise in the key areas of law relevant to TEQSA or a capacity to develop this expertise.

The successful candidate will also be able to lead the Legal Services Team by providing guidance, direction and support, developing the capacity of staff in the team and planning the resources and priorities of the team.

Duties

The duties of a Senior Lawyer include:

• providing legal advice on administrative law and statutory interpretation to support TEQSA’s regulatory and quality assurance functions (including in relation to litigation that arises out of these functions)
• providing legal advice on regulatory investigations or enforcement proceedings, including in relation to litigation or administrative action involving academic cheating services
• providing information law advice (including privacy, Freedom of Information and records management) on issues arising from TEQSA’s work
• providing legal advice on employment law, contracting and procurement or intellectual property issues
• drafting and managing legislative instruments, delegations, external correspondence and guidance material relevant to TEQSA’s regulatory and enabling functions
• playing a central leadership role in the Legal Services Team, including supervising and building the skills set of more junior staff
• fostering collaborative working relationships with internal and external stakeholders and liaise with them on a range of matters, assisting with their needs and expectations. Under general direction, they will analyse, interpret, and apply legislation, policies, practices, and precedents to solve complex problems, escalating as appropriate
• other duties as required.

Our ideal candidate

TEQSA is looking for someone who is passionate about contributing to the excellence of Legal Services and Australian higher education. Our ideal candidate will have:

1. highly developed knowledge of areas of law relevant to the agency’s work, including administrative law, statutory interpretation and litigation or administrative review, or the ability to quickly acquire this knowledge
2. demonstrated ability to exercise sound professional judgement and problem-solving skills in a complex and changing environment, using highly developed analytical and interpretative skills
3. excellent interpersonal skills and be able to develop and maintain productive and collaborative relationships with internal and external stakeholders
4. demonstrated excellent communication and negotiation skills, including in relation to complex and contentious matters
5. demonstrated ability to lead a team of employees, providing direction, determining priorities and building capacity.

Qualifications and experience

The following qualifications are mandatory:

• a law degree from a recognised higher education provider (or equivalent overseas qualification), and
• admission as a legal practitioner in an Australian state or territory and a current legal practising certificate (or the capacity to obtain a practising certificate).

The following experience will be highly regarded:

• 3+ years post-qualification experience in practice or equivalent legal roles
• experience in providing legal services to Commonwealth government agencies or to regulatory bodies.

How to apply

Your application must include the following items:

1. a TEQSA job application cover sheet
2. a current resume (maximum two pages)
3. a two-page cover letter (pitch) (maximum 1,000 words) detailing how your skills and experience address the ‘our ideal candidate’ section (i.e., what makes you the best candidate for the position), and the value you can add to TEQSA.

Once prepared, please submit your completed application to recruitment@teqsa.gov.au.

Handy hints

• Your pitch should be succinct and showcase your skills, knowledge, experience, and qualifications.
• For assistance with preparing your response, you may wish to refer to the Australian Public Service Work Level Standards relevant to the classification level and Cracking the Code.

Eligibility

The successful applicant must:

• be an Australian citizen
• complete a National Police Check satisfactorily
• be able to obtain and maintain an Australian Government Security Vetting Agency (AGSVA) clearance to Baseline status, supported by TEQSA.

Failure to satisfy any of the above conditions may result in the withdrawal of an offer of employment or termination of employment.

Additional information

• This recruitment process is being conducted to fill one ongoing and one non-ongoing vacancy up to 12 months. There is potential for the non-ongoing position to become ongoing after this time.
• A merit pool of suitable applicants will be created from this process and may be used to fill similar ongoing and non-ongoing vacancies. It is active for 18 months from the date of this advertisement.
• Before commencing in the role, the successful candidate will be required to disclose details of any material personal interests in connection with their employment at TEQSA via a Declaration of Interest form and seek approval to undertake any outside employment (paid or unpaid) via an Outside Employment application.
• For further information on this role, please contact Nicholas Riordan on 03 8306 2503 or recruitment@teqsa.gov.au.