Legal Secretariat Officer

The National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Services (NATSILS) is the national peak representative body for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Services (ATSILS) around Australia, including the:

• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Service (Qld) Ltd (ATSILS Qld);
• Aboriginal Legal Rights Movement Inc. (ALRM);
• Aboriginal Legal Service (NSW/ACT) (ALS NSW/ACT);
• Aboriginal Legal Service of Western Australia Ltd (ALSWA);
• North Australian Aboriginal Justice Agency (NAAJA);
• Tasmanian Aboriginal Community Legal Service (TACLS); and
• Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service Co-operative Limited (VALS).

NATSILS provides a united voice at the national level for the rights of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and also supports the ATSILS to provide high quality and culturally competent legal services.

The Legal Secretariat Officer of NATSILS provides high quality secretariat support services to the Executive Officer, Chairpersons of NATSILS and to the NATSILS members.

The Legal Secretariat Officer duties include:

• Exercises discerning skills to research and develop solutions to complex legal services issues informed by an Australia-wide approach to building strong communication across the ATSILS and the broader legal services sector.
• Provides direct strategic advice and analysis services to internal and external stakeholders regarding justice system reform.
• Works closely with the Executive Officer and Chairpersons of NATSILS to ensure NATSILS strategic priorities are designed, achieved and evaluated.
• Coordinates communications, feedback and discussions of state and national issues between ATSILS members and the Commonwealth Attorney General’s Department.
• Identifies challenges to access to justice and suggests solutions.
• Drafts submissions in response to commissions of inquiry, reviews and new policy initiatives issued by government.
• Drafts content for external communications with media and other key stakeholders.
• Co-ordinates NATSILS forums, including liaising with members, co-chairs and external third parties attending forums, drafting forum reports and actioning resolutions.

To apply, please provide:

• Cover letter outlining who you are and why you are suited to this position
• Statement addressing the key selection criteria – applications submitted without a statement addressing the key selection criteria will not be accepted.
• CV, including education and training, professional experience and two referees

Please submit your application to jobs@vals.org.au using the subject line: Legal Secretariat Officer.  Please apply by 5pm, Thursday 28th February 2019. 

To obtain a copy of the position description, please click here: Legal Secretariat – Position Description Feb 2019 v2 20190205