Special Counsel

About the role :

This is an exciting opportunity to progress your career as Special Counsel / Branch Head in the Specialist Legal and Litigation Division (SLLD) of the Victoria Police Legal Services Department (LSD). Our vision is to be a centre of legal and prosecutorial excellence, with people who are recognised as being fair, just and valued partners in the Victorian justice system.

Victoria Police's LSD provides legal services and advice to support policing, courts, and the Victorian community. The LSD is led by an Executive Director (who is also the organisation's General Counsel) and employs over 800 staff spread across four divisions – the Office of the Executive Director; the Specialist Legal and Litigation Division; the Courts & Prosecution Services Division; and the Legal Business Operations Division.

Reporting to the Director & Deputy General Counsel of the Specialist Legal & Litigation Division, the role provides leadership across a diverse group of legal units. The work is highly varied and often involves high profile, complex and sensitive matters. The Special Counsel role will be expected to continue the development of our in‑house capacity to provide high‑quality in‑house legal advice and advocacy.

Victoria Police is a contemporary and agile workplace and supports flexible working arrangements.

Your duties will include :

• Highly specialised, strategic and authoritative advice to the Region / Department / Command on matters of organisational significance, including complex legal and / or policy risks and opportunities for the organisation,
• Strategically demonstrate Legal Practice Management to ensure complex legal matters are addressed with due diligence,
• Provide highly specialised and authoritative advice in the investigation of complex legal matters,
• Manage the following teams : Criminal Investigations and Confiscations Legal Group, Counter Terrorism Legal Unit, Chief Examiner Legal Unit, Taskforce Reset Legal Unit and Royal Commissions and Inquiries Unit.

As the successful applicant, you will have :

• Excellent knowledge of Criminal Law, the Law of Evidence and Procedure and other relevant legislation.
• Ability to plan and manage high level projects and issues and provide outcomes at the executive level of the organisation.
• Demonstrated high level and professional written and verbal communication and interpersonal skills.
• Demonstrated experience in providing reasoned opinions and advice on complex legal matters and ability to justify conclusions effectively and succinctly.
• Current Unrestricted Practicing Certificate.

Requirements and relevant information :

• One (1) x full‑time, ongoing position available.
• The salary range for a VPS7 role is $177,488 to $241,387 (covering salary ranges to ; Although it is standard practice for selected candidates to commence at the base of the salary range, genuine consideration will be given to a commencement salary within the available range that is commensurate with the successful candidate's knowledge, skills and experiences. This will be subject to negotiations with the Hiring Manager in the course of the selection process and may include the provision of evidence of a higher income and / or supporting documentation (as required).
• This position is located at Victoria Police Centre, 311 Spencer Street, Docklands.
• The successful applicant will be required to undergo National Security Vetting, achieve and maintain a security classification as determined by the Department Head. To achieve this, applicants must be an Australian Citizen.
• The successful applicant will be required to undergo pre‑employment checks which may include fingerprint checks and misconduct screening.
• As a member of the Legal Services Department you will be located, on selection, at a specific office within a Division for a particular advertised opportunity. However, given occasional legal service demand issues you may be required at times to undertake varied work within the Department. This supports the Departments commitment to a flexible and deployable legal workforce and professional development opportunities in a range of legal domains.

Your application must include :

• Resume
• A copy of your unrestricted Practicing Certificate

Applications close midnight, 8 September 2024.

Please Note : All applications will need to be submitted through one of the following platforms; Jobs and Skills Exchange (JSE) website, Victorian Government careers website ( or Seek. Applications will not be accepted via other platforms or email.

Current Victorian Government employees must apply via Jobs and Skills Exchange (JSE).

For further information, please contact : Director Sascha Gelfand on or . No recruitment agencies please.

We welcome applications from people with disability. If you have a disability / medical condition and require a copy of this advertisement and attached documentation in an accessible format or would like to discuss an access requirement / reasonable adjustment for the recruitment process, please contact VPS Recruitment via email or on .

About Us :

Victoria Police has a dedicated workforce of more than 22,000 employees consisting of police, protective services officers, police custody officers, and public service staff. Each employee plays a vital role in providing the 24 / 7, 365 days a year emergency response and public safety capability the organisation delivers to its community. As a Victoria Police employee, you have a dedication and commitment to community safety.

Having a workforce that reflects the community we serve is important to Victoria Police. We want to attract and retain people of all genders, ages, religions, disability, sexual orientation, family and caring responsibilities, and cultures including people of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander heritage. If you are interested in a position, we encourage you to apply as we celebrate the benefit that diversity brings to our employees, our services, and our community.

Find out what it is like working as a Victorian Public Servant for Victoria Police :