Executive Assistant

The Organisation

WEstjustice are a leading community legal centre providing free services to vulnerable and disadvantaged people. From their offices in Footscray, Werribee and Sunshine and through their outreach services they provide advice on a broad range of issues including employment, discrimination, consumer disputes, tenancy, credit and debt, family disputes, family violence, criminal law and more.

WEstjustice believe in a just and fair society where the law and its processes do not discriminate against vulnerable people. They provide free legal education, undertake law reform activities and work in partnership with their local communities to deliver projects that improve access to justice.

WEstjustice’s purpose is to service the legal needs in the West in a way that addresses the systemic nature of disadvantage

Benefits and Culture

• Competitive salary with generous salary packaging
• Up to 5 hours study leave per week
• Flexible working conditions
• Full-time opportunity
• Based in Werribee

The Role

This is an exciting new opportunity for a highly skilled and organised Executive Assistant to join our Senior Leadership Team. We are seeking an Executive Assistant to support our Directors, Program Managers and the CEO for administration support.

Reporting to the CEO you will use your strong administration skills such as maintainingg and coordinating effective calendars, organise meetings and events, coordinate the preparation of reports and organisation wide events.

The position is primarily based at our Werribee office but may be required to work at our other offices (located in the western suburbs of Melbourne including Sunshine and Footscray, or the CBD) and/or partner organisation sites, depending on program need.

Skills Required

• Intermediate skills in Microsoft Word, Outlook, Excel and PowerPoint
• Prior experience supporting a Chief Executive or Executive Manager
• Strong commitment to social justice, including a demonstrated understanding of the social context of law and the issues faced by vulnerable communities and the ability to contribute to WEstjustice’s systemic impact work
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively with a range internal and external stakeholders
• Ability to work under the direction of senior employees
• Understanding of and commitment to WEstjustice’s Vision, Purpose, Strategic Plan and Impact Areas. 

The full key selection criteria are contained in the position descriptions available here.

The successful applicant will require a current Working with Children’s Check and a National Police Check or be prepared to apply for both. Applicants must possess the right to work in Australia.

Generous salary packaging is available (including access to Accommodation and Meal Entertainment packaging).

Please apply by 15 October 2023 by sending your resume together with a cover letter responding to the each of the key selection criteria in the Position Description to recruitment @westjustice.org.au.  If you have any queries about the role, contact Theresa Mai (Senior HR Officer) on (03) 9997 3100.

Lawyer, Youth Law Program

The Organisation 

WEstjustice is a leading community legal centre providing free services to people experiencing vulnerability. From our offices in Footscray, Werribee and Sunshine and through our outreach services we provide advice on a broad range of issues including employment, discrimination, consumer disputes, tenancy, credit and debt, family disputes, family violence, criminal law and more.

WEstjustice believes in a just and fair society where the law and its processes do not discriminate against people. We also provide free legal education, undertake law reform activities and work in partnership with their local communities to deliver projects that improve access to justice.

Our purpose is to service the legal needs in the West in a way that addresses the systemic nature of disadvantage.

Benefits and Culture

• Competitive salary with salary packaging
• Up to 5 hours study leave per week
• Flexible working conditions
• Passionate, professional and dedicated team
• Focus on career development
• Sunshine-based location

Would you like to work for a courageous organisation that continuously strives to respect its people, advocating on behalf of Melbourne’s western suburbs youth and making a real impact?  Then we may have a lawyer or senior lawyer role that may be ideal for you!

This exciting opportunity is available for an experienced Lawyer or Senior Lawyer (dependent on experience). The role will provide in reach and outreach criminal and civil legal services to children and young people aged 10-25 in diverse settings including at youth service hubs, residential care homes and schools.

The legal work includes advice, case work, in court advocacy and developing and delivering community legal education. You will also contribute to law and policy reform activity and the achievement of our strategic advocacy priorities that aspire for excellent legal and life outcomes.  

This role will be based at our Sunshine office and from time to time, travelling across our other offices in the Western suburbs (Footscray and Werribee) and outreach sites (as required). This role will report to the Youth Law Program Manager/s.

Our ideal candidate is admitted to practice law; have demonstrated criminal and/or civil law practice experience; an ability to engage and communicate effectively with children and young people, many of whom have experienced childhood disadvantage, discrimination and trauma. The ideal candidate will also enjoy and have a demonstrated ability to engage with diverse audiences ranging from young people, sector colleagues and supports.

Remuneration:

Salary range - $96,000 to $110,000 p.a. plus employer funded superannuation in accordance with Superannuation Guarantee (Administration) Act 1992 (Cth). In addition, generous salary packaging is available (including access to Accommodation and Meal Entertainment packaging).

A copy of the position description is available here.

For more information about WEstjustice, please visit our website (www.westjustice.org.au)

To apply, please email a short cover letter, your CV and your responses to the key selection criteria to recruitment@westjustice.org.au addressed to Theresa Mai, Senior HR Officer, by 5.00pm on 29 September 2023. Please use the subject line: Youth Lawyer [your name] application via [website].

If you have any questions in relation to the role, please contact our office on 9749 7720 and ask to speak to Vincent Shin, Program Manager.

Late applications will not be considered.

The successful applicant will require a current Working with Children’s Check and a Police Check or be prepared to apply for both.

Due to the role involving outreach, it is preferred that the applicant has access to their own vehicle.

Applicants must possess the right to work in Australia.

WEstjustice is committed to building a diverse workforce. We strongly encourage applications from Aboriginal people, people with disability, people from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds, mature age workers and LGBTIQ people. 

Community Engagement and Development Program Manager 

The Organisation

WEstjustice is a leading community legal centre providing free services to people in Melbourne’s west. WEstjustice offers legal services from offices in Footscray, Werribee and Sunshine and through outreach services. Westjustice provides legal advice and education on a broad range of issues including employment, discrimination, consumer disputes, tenancy, credit and debt, family disputes, family violence, criminal law and more. WEstjustice also undertakes law reform activities and advocacy and works in partnership with local communities to deliver projects that improve access to justice.

WEstjustice believes in a just and fair society where the law and its processes do not discriminate. WEstjustice’s purpose is to service the legal needs in the West in a way that addresses the systemic nature of disadvantage.

Benefits and Culture

• Competitive salary with generous salary packaging
• Up to 5 hours study leave per week
• Flexible working conditions
• Part time role 0.6-1 FTE negotiable
• Sunshine-based location

The Role

This role will lead Westjustice’s targeted community engagement and development, including issue-specific consultations and the establishment of community advisory panels. This role will provide event management, coordinate community engagement and development activities, support community led initiatives that deliver innovate responses to legal and community needs and lead community engagement and development on the Wyndham Community Hub proposal.

This role will be part of the Westjustice Management Team, work with the Senior Leadership Team and report to the Director of Policy and Innovation.

Skills Required

Demonstrated experience as a subject matter expert on community engagement and development, along with prior experience as a senior member of a community development, education and/or engagement team and experience leading and managing staff.

You will also have:

• Experience in report writing and developing frameworks for community engagement.
• Demonstrated ability to facilitate and coordinate consultation workshops (particularly with community and/or people with lived experience).
• The ability to work strategically and collaboratively to build strong stakeholder relationships and partnerships across a range of sectors and community groups.
• A strong commitment to social justice.
• Proven ability to listen to, engage with, and assist people from diverse backgrounds.
• Capacity to work within a rights-based framework.
• Demonstrated excellent organisation, communication and administrative skills.
• Demonstrated understanding of and commitment to WEstjustice’s Vision, Purpose, Strategic Plan and Impact Areas. 

The successful applicant will require a current Working with Children’s Check and a National Police Check or be prepared to apply for both. Applicants must possess the right to work in Australia.

Remuneration

Salary range $114,235pro rata - $119,000pro rata (commensurate with experience) plus superannuation, 17.5% leave loading and additional generous salary packaging of up to $15,900 for general living expenses, access to Accommodation and Meal Entertainment packaging and employer funded superannuation in accordance with Superannuation Guarantee (Administration) Act 1992 (Cth).

For enquires, call Annie Belcher, Acting Program Manager, on 03 9749 7720 for a confidential discussion.

Please send your resume together with a concise cover letter demonstrating your skills and experience via this portal or by emailing it to recruitment@Westjustice.org.au by no later than 6th October 2023.

For a copy of the Position Description, please click here.

Legal Program Manager (Managing Lawyer), Family Violence and Family Law Program

• We are looking for a manager and supervisor to join our growing family law and family violence legal practice.
• In this role you will lead a team of high performing, passionate and dedicated lawyers representing people experiencing family violence with ancillary family law, child protection and criminal legal issues.
• Be part of a courageous, supportive, well-regarded, collaborative and innovative team committed to delivering life outcomes to economically and socially disadvantaged clients, in particular women.
• Provide meaningful community-led services to clients experiencing poverty, homelessness, insecure employment and other access to justice barriers.
• Assist in addressing improvements to the family violence, family law, child protection and criminal systems through law reform, research projects, community education and key community stakeholder engagement.
• Work closely alongside our Legal Director to diversify, promote and grow our family rights program and directly help of survivors of family violence move forward in their journey of recovery.
• If you have legal practice experience in family law, family violence and/or child protection plus supervision experience, we would like to hear from you.

THE ORGANISATION

WEstjustice are a leading community legal centre providing free services to vulnerable and disadvantaged people. From our offices in Footscray, Werribee and Sunshine and through our outreach services we provide advice on a broad range of issues including employment, discrimination, consumer disputes, tenancy, credit and debt, family disputes, family violence, criminal law and more.

WEstjustice believe in a just and fair society where the law and its processes do not discriminate against vulnerable people. We provide free legal education, undertake law reform activities and work in partnership with their local communities to deliver projects that improve access to justice.

WEstjustice’s purpose is to service the legal needs in the West in a way that addresses the systemic nature of disadvantage.

BENEFITS and CULTURE

• Advocating for clients who really need help during very challenging times in their life.
• Be part of that client’s journey to safety, recovery and stability including helping families who have experienced family violence.
• Passionate, professional, supportive and dedicated team producing high quality outcomes for women and their children.
• Flexible work practices (hybrid – mix of onsite and work from home)
• Contribution to important social justice community legal work, varied client base and engagement with community stakeholders
• Focus on career development through access to professional development and community engagement.

• Professional growth and development with access to mentoring and supervision from experienced leaders in the team
• Flexible working conditions including hybrid work arrangements

• Full or part time work
• Up to 5 hours study leave per week
• Competitive salary with generous salary packaging
• Based in the Footscray office with Court and Outreach work at other sites in the Western Suburbs

ABOUT THE ROLE

Our legal practice is growing, so we are looking for a Legal Program Manager (Managing Lawyer) to join our well-regarded Family Violence and Family Law Program. Part time candidates are encouraged to apply.

We recognise that family and gender-based violence are serious community concerns that disproportionately affect women, gender diverse people and children. Our vision is for our clients to feel safe and secure. We do this by representing clients in family violence intervention order proceedings, family law (parenting, property division disputes and divorce), criminal proceedings where they have been misidentified as the primary perpetrator and providing early intervention legal advice to clients being investigated by the Child Protection.

If successful, you will join a high performing supportive leadership team delivering legal services in family law, family violence, criminal law and child protection with an early intervention focus. As we are s29A panel certifiers, we also undertake legally aided casework by applying for grants of legal assistance for clients who qualify under VLA’s family law, family violence, criminal and child protection guidelines. 

This role is primarily based at our Footscray office, and you may also be required to undertake outreach legal services at our key health justice partner sites in the Western suburbs. From time to time, you may also be required to work at our other offices (Sunshine and/or Werribee) and/or partner organisation sites, depending on Program needs.

SKILLS REQUIRED

The person we are seeking will have:

• Minimum of five years post admission experience, with demonstrated management experience.
• Demonstrated legal experience in any of our key legal areas:
  • Family law (highly desirable)

 A copy of the position description is available here.

Please contact us on (03) 9749 7720 if you wish to make a donation to WEstjustice.

Donations over $2.00 are tax deductable.

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Unfortunately, WEstjustice does not currently have any vacancies.

WEstjustice relies heavily on the work of legal and non-legal volunteers. Volunteer roles include:

• Policy volunteers (at capacity)
• Administrative volunteers (at capacity)
• Paralegal volunteers (at capacity)
• Solicitor volunteers (at capacity)

Skills we require of all of our volunteers include:

• Excellent communication skills
• High attention to detail
• Ability to work as part of a team and independently
• Reliability and punctuality

We ask that volunteers give us a minimum commitment of twelve months.

Demand for volunteer positions may vary.

If there is a position available and you are a suitable candidate, we will contact you. 

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WEstjustice has partnered with Victoria University to offer internships to law students of Victoria University. Our Victoria University internship program offers law students practical experience in working with vulnerable clients with complex needs. Contact WEstjustice on (03) 9749 7720 or admin@westjustice.org.au.

"I am extremely grateful for the knowledge and experience I have gained at WEstjustice Sunshine. I am not only interning alongside fellow VU classmates but we are supervised by lawyers who are passionate about giving youth a voice in the legal system." Clinton, Intern, Sunshine Youth Office, appearing at Melbourne Magistrates Court.

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