Senior Lawyer, ELL1, AER (EA2025/222)

• Do you want to work at an agency where each day reveals newopportunities to work on some of the biggest issues facingconsumers and businesses and have opportunities to pursue newand exciting pathways?
• Do you want to work at a place where smart and dedicated peoplefrom all walks of life collaborate to work on meaningfulmatters?
• Do you want to workin a complex and challenging field and contributespecialised legal services to Australia's Energy Regulatoras a Senior Lawyer?

Then this is the place foryou! At the AER, we work to makeenergy consumers better off, now and in the future. We focuson ensuring a secure, reliable and affordable energy futurefor Australia as it transitions to net zero emissions. Ourhigh performing culture is built on a foundation of care,support and inclusion. It's why we're driven byconnection and collaboration, sharing our skills, knowledgeand support with each other freely and frequently. It'swhy we prioritise the wellbeing of our people and empowerthem to work autonomously, flexibly and courageously. Webelieve the best version of you is the one that's trueto who you are - and that's the you we wantworking alongside us.

We valueflexibility, this role can be performed at any of the AER officeslocated in Adelaide, Brisbane, Canberra, Melbourne, or Sydney and are available on a full-time, part-time or job-sharebasis.

Applicantsfrom diverse backgrounds including First Nations peoples, peoplewith disability and those from different cultural backgroundsare encouraged to apply.

The LegalBranch forms part of the AER's Legal, Corporate andInformation Services Division.The Legal Branch providesspecialised legal services to the AER. The AER is conferredwith regulatory functions pursuant to the Competition and ConsumerAct, the National Electricity Law and Rules, the National Gas Lawand Rules, the National Energy Retail Law and Rules.

With thepending legal separation, we are increasing our corporate andgovernance legal work, including procurement and freedom ofinformation. On these corporate matters, we work closely withour ACCC colleagues.

There isdiverse work in the Legal Branch, ranging from advising onadministrative decision-making, compliance and enforcement actions,litigation, and public sector corporate governance. The majority ofwork involves the provision of general legal services to assist theAER to make lawful and fully informed decisions, to comply withlegislative and policy requirements in its regulatory andadministrative activities, and to conduct litigation to enforce theenergy laws. Some positions will also require knowledge of laws andpolicies related to the corporate operation of a Commonwealthagency.

The work ofthe Branch is complex and intellectually engaging. Our purpose isto work collaboratively within the AER and with its stakeholders,and to advise using a partnership approach that focusses onpractical, lawful outcomes. We will maintain our independenceof advice and ensure that we comply with our ethical andprofessional obligations as lawyers.

What you willdo as theSenior Lawyer

Senior Lawyers will beexpected to be able to work in and provide advice across all areasof law relevant to the work of AER, but will generally focus on oneor several areas of expertise. They will act as second counsel andsecond chair for other lawyers, and provide supervision, guidanceand mentoring to junior lawyers. A Senior Lawyer works bothindependently and, at times, under the supervision of more seniorlawyers including EL2 Principal Lawyers.

Senior Lawyers arerequired to be aware of and comply with theLegal ServicesDirections, including in relation to the sourcing of externallegal services and compliance with Model Litigant obligations. Theymust also comply with any requirements of a Practising Certificatethat the candidate holds at the relevant time.

SeniorLawyers generally report to an EL2 Principal Lawyer and directly tothe General Counsel when required.

SeniorLawyers will perform some or all the following overall dutiesdepending on experience and the needs of the agency:

• Provide advice oneconomic regulation, administrative decision making, and otherregulatory matters under Australian energy laws, as well asinvolvement in enforcement investigations and litigation astechnical experts, administrative law issues, and statutoryinterpretation of Australian energy laws and other relatedlaws.
• Provide advice onlegal policy and legislation development, including identifyingand monitoring opportunities for amendments to Australianenergy laws.
• Assist with theconduct of litigation, including managing court and tribunalproceedings involving the AER, and provide assistance to theAER in the performance of its dispute resolution functions inrelation to Australian energy laws.
• Negotiate and draftintergovernmental agreements that relate to the conferral ofpowers and functions on the AER under State energylegislation.
• Provide advice onpublic sector corporate governance issues that arise underrelevant legislation and policies.

As partof these overall duties, the day-to day-duties of Senior Lawyerswill involve some or all of the following:

Assist inproviding advice on complex issues relating to theregulatory functions and powers of the AER, including theCompetition and Consumer Act (to the extent that it isrelevant to the work of the AER), the National ElectricityLaw and Rules, the National Gas Law and Rules, the NationalEnergy Retail Law and Rules and other relevantlegislation.

• Assist otherlawyers through the conduct of legal and related research intoroutine and complex matters relevant to the AERresponsibilities under Australian energy laws and otherrelevant legislation.
• Provide legal inputfor AER determinations, publications, and information programsregarding Australian energy laws.
• Workcollaboratively with ACCC colleagues, to provide advice onissues relating to the public sector corporate governanceapplicable to the AER (including those arising under the PGPA,FOI, Public Service and Privacy Acts, the Fair Work Act and WHSlegislation and the handling of confidentialinformation).
• Coordinate theprovision of external legal services (including in relation tospecialist legal advice on matters including, for example,employment law and major procurements), including managingexpenditure on those services.
• Develop andmaintain professional relationships at all levels within theAER to assist the AER Legal Branch to provide responsive clientservice.
• Develop andmaintain professional relationships with relevant public sectorofficials in stakeholder agencies (including the AER'sportfolio Department and agencies).
• Develop internalresources and provide training to staff on relevant areas ofthe law.
• Supervise, train,or mentor others, including staff who are new to the work ofthe AER, including developing and providing professionaldevelopment activities for staff, second counsel and secondchair other lawyers including EL2 PrincipalLawyers.

Aboutyou

In order to succeed in the role, you will have:

• Demonstrated experience leading a teamor similar role in a fast-paced and complexpeople-centred organisation.
• Admission as apractitioner, however described, of the High Court or theSupreme Court of an Australian State or Territory. You must beeligible to hold (and must maintain) a practising certificateissued in an Australian jurisdiction.
• Experience as alawyer (generally 5+ years post admission orequivalent).
• Ability to getacross complex legislation quickly; including a willingness toexplore, collect and harness new information.
• Demonstratedexperience working under general direction when providing legaladvice.
• Demonstratedability to make sound decisions and solve complex problemsthrough strong analytical and negotiation skills.
• Well-versed inproviding a consistently high degree of persuasion and advocacyand working on complex and sensitive issues.
• Proven experiencecollaborating effectively across teams and with people atdifferent levels, and to distil and communicating legal adviceconcisely to diverse audiences.
• Excellent writtenand verbal communication skills, with the capacity to influenceand persuade, outcomes effectively.
• Experience inenergy laws, administrative law and decision making, statutoryinterpretation, regulatory litigation, and/or public sectorcorporate governance issues is highly desirable.

To findout more about us and the role, please read the CandidateKit.

How toapply

You willbe asked to respond to the statement of claims of no moretha n 800 words and submit your resume with key outcomes or what you are most proud ofin each role you have held (2 pages maximum).

Salary:$123,702 - $153,880 per annum (plus 15.4%superannuation)

ApplicationsClose: 11:00pm, Sunday, 9 November 2025