Senior Legal Counsel

Looking for a role where you can combine strategic influence with hands-on legal expertise? Join HCF and play a pivotal role advising on employment, workplace relations and people-related legal matters across one of Australia's leading health organisations.

As our Senior Legal Counsel, you'll partner closely with People & Culture, Executive Leaders and business stakeholders to provide practical, commercial and risk-based legal advice that supports our people, our members and our strategy.

What you'll be doing

You will be the trusted legal advisor across a broad range of employment and workplace relations matters, including:

• Employment contracts and executive service agreements

• Fair Work Act compliance, modern awards and enterprise agreements

• Performance management, workplace investigations and disciplinary matters

• Redundancies, organisational change and workforce transformation initiatives

• Employee grievances, discrimination and general protections matters

• Workplace surveillance, privacy and whistleblowing matters

• Work Health & Safety advice, incidents and regulatory interactions

• Fair Work Commission matters, litigation and dispute management

• You'll also support major strategic initiatives including organisational design projects, executive remuneration arrangements, restructures, acquisitions and other employment-related business changes.

Beyond legal advice, This role offers the opportunity to influence organisational outcomes through:

• Managing employment-related legal risk and emerging legislative changes

• Developing practical governance and compliance solutionsBuilding strong relationships with external employment law providers

• Managing legal spend and identifying opportunities to bring work in-house

• Supporting legal education and capability-building across the business

• About you

• You are a commercially minded employment lawyer who enjoys partnering with stakeholders to solve complex people and business challenges.

You'll bring:

• Admission as a solicitor in an Australian jurisdiction and a current practising certificate
• 8+ years' post-admission experience
• Significant expertise in employment, workplace relations and industrial relations law
• Experience working in-house and/or within a leading employment law practice
• Strong knowledge of the Fair Work Act, anti-discrimination legislation, WHS, privacy, surveillance and whistleblower frameworks
• Excellent stakeholder engagement, negotiation and influencing skills
• A pragmatic approach and the ability to translate legal complexity into practical business outcomes
   

About HCF

At HCF, our purpose is to bring our human touch to healthcare. Since 1932 we’ve been putting our members and their health first. As Australia’s largest not-for-profit health fund, we cover 2 million members with health, life, travel and pet insurance and our vision is to make healthcare understandable, affordable, high quality and member centric.

We want to be true health partners to our members, easily guiding the healthcare choices that are right for them. At HCF, our values are the way we do things and create the necessary culture to help us realise our purpose and deliver our  Strategy. Living our values in action we step forward, walk in their shoes, stay human, make it better and get there together.
 

Culture & Benefits 

Purpose-driven passion
We’re united by a common purpose: to make healthcare affordable, understandable, high quality and member-focused.

Wellness and work-life balance
We’ll empower you with the necessary skills and tools to support your personal wellbeing journey, ensuring you perform at your best. Our offerings include:

• Flexible working arrangements

• 50% subsidy on HCF hospital and/or extras cover

• Family-friendly certified employer

• 18 weeks of parental leave for all new parents

• Mental health and wellbeing programs, including workshops, fitness classes, flu vaccinations, skin checks and more

• Discounts on HCF’s products, including life, pet and travel Insurance, as well as discounts at Fitness First gyms and on our eyecare products.

Collaboration and inclusivity
We embrace diversity as our strength and are committed to maintaining an inclusive and collaborative work environment. Our workplace is welcoming and safe for all our employees, irrespective of their unique characteristics including age, ethnicity, cultural or spiritual background, gender identity, disability, education and socio-economic status.

Continuous learning and growth
We believe in lifelong learning. HCF provides opportunities for personal and professional development. From workshops to mentorship programs, we encourage your growth and curiosity.

Next steps

If you require any adjustments to assist you in making your application or during the recruitment or onboarding process, please reach out to Talent Acquisition – [email protected]  to discuss.

We encourage applicants to submit their applications at their earliest convenience, as at HCF, we review applications as they are submitted, and may have filled the role prior to the job closing date.