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 mission is to service the legal needs in the West in a way that addresses the systemic nature of disadvantage
Program Manager - Employment and Equality Law Program
- Rare opportunity for a senior employment lawyer to lead the delivery of critical legal services in the Western suburbs, in an ongoing role
- Develop and maintain innovative programs that seek to address systemic disadvantage and unmet legal need
- Be part of a well-regarded specialist service providing free employment and discrimination law advice to communities experiencing disadvantage
BENEFITS AND CULTURE
- Competitive salary with generous salary packaging
- Up to 5 hours study leave per week
- Flexible working conditions
- Full or part time work
- Based in Footscray with outreach work at other sites
THE ROLE
This is an exciting ongoing opportunity for an experienced senior employment lawyer keen to work in an innovative community justice environment with clients experiencing disadvantage, and to be involved in addressing the systemic issues that contribute to workplace exploitation.
Reporting to the Legal Director, Employment and Equality Law Program (EELP), you will use your employment and discrimination law experience to improve the lives of workers by managing the delivery of legal advice, casework, advocacy, information, education, and community engagement activities.
You will undertake and supervise work with a range of clients including young people, people from newly arrived communities, international students, and women experiencing family violence. Our program assists with a wide range of employment matters including underpayment of wages and entitlements, sham contracting, unfair dismissals and general protections, unsafe work practices and employment-related discrimination and sexual harassment.
In addition to direct service delivery, you take a lead role within the team in coordinating and developing its outreach services and systemic impact advocacy, including proactively identifying law reform or policy issues and opportunities to make submissions and delivering those projects. You will contribute to organisational best practice, maintain relationships with a range of stakeholders that support our services, including pro-bono partners, volunteers, and interns, and represent the EELP at external forums and working groups.
The Program Manager will be primarily based at our Footscray office but may be required to work at our other offices (located in the western suburbs of Melbourne including Sunshine and Werribee, or the CBD) and/or partner organisation sites, depending on program need.
Generous salary packaging is available (including access to Accommodation and Meal Entertainment packaging).
SKILLS REQUIRED
You will be qualified in law and hold an unrestricted Victorian practicing certificate or be eligible for one.
You will also have:
- a minimum of five years post admission experience
- significant legal practice experience in employment and equality law, including supervising junior staff
- demonstrated systemic advocacy experience, including leading and coordinating highly effective systemic impact work or campaigns.
The full key selection criteria are contained in the position description available here.
Please apply by midnight 7 April 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. Alternatively, please call Jennifer Jones, Legal Director, EELP, on 03 9749 7720 for a confidential discussion.
The successful applicant will require a current Working with Children’s Check and a Police Check or be prepared to apply for both.
Applicants must possess the right to work in Australia.
TARGET ZER0 Program Manager (CMY300) and Community Engagement Worker (CMY301)
TARGET ZER0 is an innovative collective impact approach to eliminate the overrepresentation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander youth, multicultural youth and youth in out of home residential care from Brimbank, Melton and Wyndham in Victoria’s criminal justice system.
Supported by an extensive coalition of organisations working in Melbourne’s West, WestJustice (WJ) and the Centre for Multicultural Youth (CMY) are working to reshape the collaboration between community, governments, service providers, and other organisations to create and deliver TARGET ZER0’s vision.
As the Backbone Leads, WJ and CMY are now actively seeking to recruit a Program Manager and a Community Engagement Worker; two key positions that will consolidate and build the foundations for TARGET ZER0, including embedding partnerships across the community, young people, agencies and government departments and other stakeholders.
Program Manager (CMY300)
The Program Manager will be employed by WestJustice and will work to coordinate TARGET ZER0’s activities, engage with and support project partners and key stakeholders and promote and grow TARGET ZER0’s reach and profile. There is a requirement to work regionally with some overnight travel. Duties and responsibilities include;
- Provide support and specialist advice to the TARGET ZER0 backbone partnership to further develop TARGET ZER0;
- Provide guidance and advice to the TARGET ZER0 governance groups, including the Leadership Table and sub-committees;
- Work closely and collaboratively with Backbone leads and the community engagement worker at CMY to achieve TARGET ZER0 goals;
- Develop and implement effective partnerships and strategies to assist relevant agencies, government departments and impacted communities to engage with TARGET ZER0 and contribute to its work;
- Proactively seek new partnerships that strengthen the reach of TARGET ZER0;
- Support Backbone Leads by contributing to identifying funding opportunities and/or leading funding proposals designed to enhance and grow TARGET ZER0 and its impact;
- Prepare reports, briefs and papers of behalf of the Backbone Leads for various audiences including but not limited to WJ/CMY, the Leadership Table and funding and other partners.
You will have:
- Tertiary qualifications in related field (i.e. youth or social work, community development, education, youth justice) and/or at least 3 years of relevant experience in equivalent roles.
- Demonstrated knowledge of Victoria’s criminal justice or intersecting systems;
- Strategic thinker with proven highly developed relationship management and influencing skills that enables effective collaboration with both internal and external stakeholders;
- Proven Project management skills and the ability to adapt to changing circumstances while achieving quality outcomes;
- Strong consulting skills and excellent communication, interpersonal skills including written communication (work plans, reports, funding submissions/tenders and business cases);
- Hours: 38 hours per week 1.0 FTE, Full Time
- Fixed Term: until 30 June 2024
- Base Salary: SCHADS Level 7: $104,866 per annum plus Super and access to Salary Packaging
- Location: WestJustice Offices, Sunshine
- Applications Close: : 12pm, Friday,26 May 2023
- Interviews: to be held in the week beginning Monday, 29 May 2023
Community Engagement Worker (CMY301)
The Community Engagement Worker will be employed by the Centre for Multicultural Youth and will work to empower young people and the impacted communities of Brimbank, Wyndham and Melton to facilitate their active participation in TARGET ZER0. With the support of the Program Manager (based at WestJustice), the worker will design and lead community engagement activities including running workshops, meetings and other activities focused on identifying and responding to the priorities of impacted young people and communities to inform the development of the TARGET ZER0 concept and its implementation. Duties and responsibilities include;
- Contribute to the development of community engagement plans and strategies to facilitate youth and community participation in TARGET ZER0;
- Collaborate with the Program Manager, TARGET ZER0 in building a strategy for engagement with specific communities;
- Recruit, support and supervise youth and community facilitators and other junior staff as delegated from time to time;
- Take a lead role in convening TARGET ZER0 community engagement advisory groups in collaboration with the Program Manager;
- Develop, organise and deliver youth and community engagement activities that are effective in reaching young people and the communities of Brimbank, Wyndham and Melton impacted by youth justice overrepresentation;
- Play an active role in CMY’s Youth Justice leadership team, being flexible and responsive as needs arise within the program area.
You will have
- Tertiary qualification or demonstrated significant experience in youth or social work, community development, education, youth justice or closely related discipline;
- Project delivery experience, with the ability to scope, plan and implement projects within required timeframes and budgets;
- Experience working with young people from refugee and migrant backgrounds and an understanding of issues affecting multicultural young people, with an ability to use a holistic and strengths-based approaches;
- Strong communication skills with the ability to engage and communicate with diverse stakeholders including with young people, other agencies, government departments, community groups and organisations;
- Strong organisational and time management skills including well-developed organisational and analytical skills, and the ability to plan and manage an effective work program and meet deadlines;
- Hours: 38 hours per week (1.0FTE), Full Time
- Fixed Term: until 30 June 2024
- Base Salary (SCHADS Level 6: $96,962 per annum plus Super and access to Salary Packaging
- Location: CMY Offices Sunshine and Carlton
- Applications Close: 12pm, Friday 26th May 2023
- Interviews: to be held in the week beginning 29 May 2023
For more information
How to Apply
- Provide your updated resume / CV
- Provide a document outlining examples/a response addressing each of the key selection criteria outlined in the position description. This can be included in your cover letter or a separate document.
- Documents must be in MS Word or PDF format
- For guidelines on how to apply for a job at CMY please read here
- For tips on how to respond to Key Selection Criteria, please read here : Careers Vic Gov - Guide
- Email the above documents to jobs@cmy.net.au using the subject line:
For Program Manager: <insert your name> CMY300
For Community Engagement Officer: <insert your name> CMY301
CMY takes Child Safety seriously and short listed candidates are subject to child safety screening and assessment against child safety standards as part of our thorough recruitment process.
Applicants must have the right to work in Australia.
Lawyer or Senior Lawyer
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.
We believe in a just and fair society where the law and its processes do not discriminate against people or cause them vulnerability. 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 salary packaging
- Up to 5 hours study leave per week
- Flexible working conditions
- Based in Werribee with outreach work at other sites
- Passionate, professional and dedicated team
- Focus on career development
The Role
WEstjustice is seeking to employ a full time Lawyer or Senior Lawyer on a 12 month, fixed term contract (with potential for a longer-term contract depending on availability of funding) to join our growing Economic Justice team.
Working with a multidisciplinary team, you will provide legal advice, assistance and advocacy with a primary focus on consumer and debt matters which may also include tenancy, fines and other generalist civil matters.
The person we are seeking will be admitted to practice and have the proven ability to engage with and provide holistic legal assistance to at risk and/or disadvantaged clients.
The Lawyer will be primarily based at our Werribee office but will be required to work at our other offices and/or clinic sites, as need arises.
Remuneration
Salary range will commensurate based on experience, ranging from – $79,911.52 - $99,878.69 per annum, 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).
For more information about WEstjustice, please visit our website (www.westjustice.org.au)
How to apply
Please apply by 5pm, 4 June 2023 by sending your resume together with a cover letter responding to the key selection criteria in the Position Description to joe@westjustice.org.au. Alternatively, please call Joseph Nunweek, Legal Director, Economic Justice on 03 9749 7720 for a confidential discussion.
Late applications will not be considered.
For a copy of the position description, please click here.
The successful applicant will require a current Working with Children’s Check and a Police Check or be prepared to apply for both. Applicants must possess the right to work in Australia.
WEstjustice is committed to building a diverse workforce. We strongly encourage applications from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, people living with a disability, people from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds, mature age workers and LGBTIQ-identifying people.
Legal Administrator
Would you like to work for a courageous organisation that continuously strives to respect its people, advocate and make a real impact on the lives of people experiencing gender-based family violence? Then we may have the role for you!
Benefits and Culture
- Competitive salary with salary packaging
- Up to 5 hours study leave per week
- Flexible working conditions
- Based in Sunshine with outreach work at other sites
- Passionate, professional and dedicated team
- Focus on career development
About WEstjustice:
WEstjustice is seeking to employ Legal Administrator to join our Family Violence and Family Law Program on a 12 month fixed-term contract and is employed on full time basis. (requests to work part time iswelcome). There is also potential for a longer-term employment subject to funding.
WEstjustice is a multidisciplinary, community-based legal centre committed to improving justice outcomes for the people of western Melbourne, and especially the most vulnerable in our community. It was formed in July 2015 through the amalgamation of the Footscray, Wyndham and Western Suburbs Community Legal Centres, which brought a long and proud history and experience to the new organisation
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.
The Role
This role will support a team of lawyers who represent 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.
The successful applicant will provide a wide range of legal administrative support services including but not limited to conducting legal intake, word processing, data entry, generating and preparing legal correspondence/court documents/briefs to counsel, photocopying, calendar management, processing applications for grants of legal assistance, booking interpreters, file management and where required, reception services
You will be primarily based at our Footscray office but may be required to work across our other offices in the Western suburbs (Sunshine and Werribee) and other service sites such as the Magistrates Court where you may assist as the lawyers clerk.
Our ideal candidate has administrative experience in the legal sector and thrives in a fast-paced working environment and is proficient with Microsoft 365 suite in particularly Outlook, Sharepoint, Excel and Teams.
Remuneration:
Salary range - $69,278.56 - $74,288.40 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 enquires, please call Cleona Feuerring, Legal Director, Family Violence and Family Law Program, on 03 9749 7720 for a confidential discussion.
Please send your resume together with a cover letter addressing the key selection criteria in the Position Description via this portal or by emailing it to recruitment@Westjustice.org.au by no later than close of business on Monday 5 June 2023.
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.
Applicants must possess the right to work in Australia.
Administrative Assistant
- Legal service providing free services to the Melbourne West community
- 6 month contract opportunity
- Work with a small dedicated team
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 people experiencing vulnerability. 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.
Our purpose is to service the legal needs in the West in a way that addresses the systemic nature of disadvantage
Benefits and Culture
- Passionate, professional and dedicated team
- Salary packaging benefits
- Western suburbs location (Werribee, Sunshine and Footscray Offices)
The Role
WEstjustice has a great opportunity for an administrative role in a legal environment. We are seeking a full time Administrative Assistant on a 6 months fixed term contract. The Administrative Assistant will join our team to ensure effective service delivery through the provision of reception and administrative support for the Centre. This role will be a shared resource between operations and the relevant Legal Team.
The position will be based primarily in our Werribee Office, however you may be required to work across the other WEstjustice offices – Sunshine and Footscray (depending on the Centre’s needs).
The Administrative Assistant will be employed as a member of the WEstjustice Operations team and will work closely with our various legal teams including:
- Economic Justice Program
- Employment and Equality Law Program
- Family Violence and Family Law Program
- Youth Law Program
The role is varied and is suitable for someone looking to join a fast-paced work environment.
Skills Required
You will have:
- Relevant experience in an administrative role
- Exceptional interpersonal skills and professional telephone manner
- Sound organisational, time management and planning skills
- Highly developed active listening and communication skills including the ability to empathise and manage sometimes challenging clients
- A commitment to WEstjustice values and working with their clients and communities
Experience in a fast-paced legal environment not-for-profit community organisation is desirable.
A copy of the position description is available here.
For more information about WEstjustice, please visit our website (www.westjustice.org.au)
Remuneration
Salary range - of $69,000 - $74,000 per annum (depending on experience), 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).
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 Mrs Theresa Mai, Senior HR Officer, by COB on 11 June 2023. Please use the subject line: Admin Assistant [your name] application
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.
WEstjustice is committed to building a diverse workforce. We strongly encourage applications from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, people living with a disability, people from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds, mature age workers and LGBTIQ-identifying people.
Applicants must possess the right to work in Australia.
Program Manager – Financial Counselling, Mortgage Stress Victoria
- Be part of the development of a high-impact specialist service supporting Victorians in mortgage stress
- Join a cohesive team of innovative and experienced lawyers, social workers and financial counsellors
- Work in a best-practice environment where staff development and opportunities are prioritised
- Use your skills and experience to prevent homelessness and housing insecurity for thousands of Victorian families
The Organisation
WEstjustice is a leading community legal centre providing free services to people experiencing vulnerability and disadvantage. From our offices in Footscray, Werribee and Sunshine and through our outreach services we provide advice, representation and education on a broad range of issues including employment, discrimination, consumer disputes, tenancy, credit and debt, family disputes, family violence, criminal law, infringements, children’s law and more.
WEstjustice believes in a just and fair society where the law and its processes do not discriminate against people experiencing vulnerability. 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.
Our purpose is to service the legal needs in the West in a way that addresses the systemic nature of disadvantage.
Mortgage Stress Victoria
Over 5 years, WEstjustice successfully operated a multidisciplinary service, providing intensive legal, financial counselling and social worker support to people in Melbourne’s west experiencing mortgage stress. We recently received funding to expand this small, high-impact service into a state-wide organisation.
Mortgage stress and household debt is at concerning, record-high levels across Victoria, and we are facing uncertain economic times. We have an incredibly important role in developing a service that can offer effective support to Victorians in mortgage stress, and scale our impact on the complex drivers and consequences of mortgage stress.
This is an exciting time to join Mortgage Stress Victoria. Be part of the team that builds a high-impact organisation delivering best practice services and working on systemic reform of a complex, widespread issue. Everyone in our small cohesive team will have exposure and input into strategy, service design, impact evaluation and complex service delivery.
Benefits and Culture
- Competitive salary with salary packaging
- Flexible working conditions
- Passionate, professional and dedicated team
- Focus on career development
- Werribee-based location
- Part time or full time option
The Role
Working with the Director of Operations + Strategy and Legal Director, Mortgage Stress Victoria, you will manage the financial counselling practice and facilitate best practice to create opportunities to be at the forefront of new and improved ways in which we can work with clients to improve service delivery models and advocate for real and effective change.
The Mortgage Stress Victoria team is based at WEstjustice’s Werribee office (travel to outreach and stakeholder locations may also be required). You will manage a well-regarded team of financial counsellors to provide information, options, negotiation and advocacy services to a range of clients experiencing mortgage stress.
In addition to direct service delivery, you will assist with the team’s financial counselling-related reform agenda to promote systemic change and improve accessibility, laws and processes for people experiencing mortgage stress. You will also manage relationships with a range of stakeholders that includes partners, industry, government and potential funders.
Working closely with the Directors, you will collaborate and contribute to the wider WEstjustice and Mortgage Stress Victoria organisational strategies to ensure best practice, accountability and impact.
We are therefore looking for a person who is ready to help WEstjustice reform, change and, at times, disrupt the current systems to create better life outcomes for our communities in the West and greater Victoria.
Skills Required
You will be qualified in financial counselling and have experience managing financial counselling staff. Your background may come from private or public health or community services.
You will also have:
- Practice experience, including managing all aspects of casework and case management to a very high standard and/or demonstrated financial counselling advocacy experience including developing and coordinating highly effective strategic impact work.
- Leadership and management skills, including:
- Experience leading a team, including management and supervision of staff (senior and junior financial counsellors, volunteers, and students).
- Ability to handle and resolve challenging situations or issues.
- Ability to lead and mentor staff in systemic impact work.
- Aptitude to make reasoned, strategic decisions in a collaborative manner, including competing priorities in a busy workplace.
- Capability to work autonomously with limited direction from management.
- Strong commitment to social justice, community education and engagement, including a demonstrated understanding of the social context of law and the issues faced by communities experiencing vulnerability and the ability to contribute to WEstjustice’s systemic impact work.
- Ability to think and act strategically and with high integrity to meet clients’ needs.
- Ability to work effectively and engage with relevant external agencies and stakeholders.
- Community education experience (training or teaching) including the ability to prepare and deliver presentations.
- Excellent written and oral communication skills.
- Understanding of and commitment to WEstjustice’s Vision, Purpose, Strategic Plan and Impact Areas.
If you want to use your financial counselling and management skills to assist people experiencing mortgage stress, please send your resume together with a cover letter responding to each of the key selection criteria in the Position Description addressed to Matthew Martin, Legal Director at matthew@westjustice.org.au. If you have any queries about the role, contact Matthew on (03) 9997 3100.
A copy of the position description is available here.
Applications close on 25 June 2023. Late applicationed will not be accepted.
