First listed on: 22 July 2024

Legal Counsel – Regulatory Water & Environment Planning Law

Ready to make a splash in your career? WaterNSW is seeking an experienced Legal Counsel – Regulatory Water & Environment Planning Law to join our team.  

This is an opportunity to work with an essential organisation creating a more sustainable future for the state.  

This role offers the flexibility to work around life, your contribution will be valued, and you’ll be supported to build a rewarding career. 

This role is a Part Time (0.8 FTE/4-day week) opportunity to cover a parental leave up to January 2026.

Our perks and Benefits:

At WaterNSW, we believe that our employees should be as well taken care of as our rivers, dams, and pipelinesthat’s why we offer a load of benefits.  

  • Flexible working  
  • Up to 16 weeks paid parental leave  
  • Fertility leave  
  • Yearly corporate wear allowance  
  • Professional development and educational assistance  
  • Attractive remuneration
  • And so much more! 

What you’ll do: 

  • Provide strategic and technically sound legal advice to enable WaterNSW to assess legal risks and make sound decisions in performing its core business functions, which includes, river operations, asset delivery and maintenance, catchment protection, water licensing and trade, and environmental assessments.
  • Provide advice on administrative law and legislative amendments arising in the context of the Water NSW Act 2014Water Management Act 2000 and other regulatory frameworks relevant to WaterNSW, including the State Owned Corporates Act 1989 (NSW) and WaterNSW’s Operating Licence.
  • Provide advice on questions of tort law, including assessing and minimising WaterNSW’s exposure to liability in the performance of its functions and activities.
  • Provide advice on the law and policy relating to WaterNSW’s powers, rights and duties under statute and common law, including powers of entry for authorised officers and the preparation of relevant legal instruments.
  • Provide environment and planning law and native title law advice to enable WaterNSW to assess legal risks and make sound decisions relating to major projects, minor capital works and maintenance works on existing assets.

What we are looking for:  

  • Tertiary qualifications in law
  • Admission as a Legal Practitioner of the Supreme Court of an Australian State or Territory (currently holding, or eligible to hold a NSW practising certificate)
  • Post-qualification legal experience, gained in a law firm or in an in-house environment.
  • Demonstrated project analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to analyse and interpret complex information and make reasoned judgements.
  • Experience in providing quality legal advice across administrative, water management, environment and planning, and regulatory law.
  • Ability to independently prioritise workload in a high-volume and fast-paced environment.
  • Experience in communicating and building relationships with people at all levels of an organisation and providing advice to senior management.
  • Pro-active, agile mindset and strong problem solving and influencing skills.

How we will support you: 

At WaterNSW, we balance flexibility – and the way we work – with the needs of the business, our teams, and us as individuals.

When it comes to working in an office, we work in a hybrid way. If you’re required to be in the field or on site, the benefits of flexibility can be achieved in other ways, such as through a condensed work week.

We are proud to be a WORK180 Endorsed Employer and are committed to providing equal opportunities for women. Visit ourWORK180 page to access our benefits and career development opportunities 

More about our team/ culture:

No matter how or where you work, safety is the number one priority. This means the physical and mental safety of you, your colleagues, and the public.

WaterNSW operates the state’s dams, capturing and storing water, and then supplying it ready for distribution – for the environment, agriculture, industry and the community. With 41 major dams and hundreds of waterways across the state, we play a vital role at the source of the state’s water, delivering two thirds of all water used in NSW 

We’re the people taking care of the state’s water at the source – capturing, storing, delivering. Find out more at waternsw.com.au 

For more information, please reach out to: Talent Acquisition Partner Azmine Amer at azmine.amer@waternsw.com.au

Please note applications for this position will close on 31 July 2024.

Click for Position Description - Please note this can only be accessed on the WaterNSW Careers Page.

You must have full work rights in Australia to qualify for all positions at WaterNSW.

We are a 2024 Circle Back Initiative Employer – we commit to respond to every applicant.




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