Senior Legal Counsel (Employment and Safety Law)

Build your career and Australia’s future.

Not many people can say they are working on building Australia’s future. With us you’ll be doing just that, leaving a legacy for all Australians. Plus, there’s equal employment, great training, and true flexible working arrangements.

We have an exciting opportunity at nbn for a Senior Legal Counsel to join our Legal Team.

A bit about your role

You’ll support the General Counsel – People, Safety & Integrity (Acting), focusing on employment, safety & IR law matters impacting our 4,200+ field and non-field workforces. Collaborating with a supportive small team of other employment and safety lawyers, you’ll tackle engaging and challenging work and partner with senior stakeholders across the business to find innovative commercial solutions to new challenges every day.

Operating at a senior and largely autonomous level, this role requires an individual who, is pro-active, can operate independently, is able to confidently influence senior stakeholders and understands the importance of commercially focused advice. You will be responsible for advising and representing nbn in relation to a range of issues including:

• Managing employment, IR and workers’ compensation focused litigation in various courts and tribunals across Australia.
• workplace investigations.
• workplace grievances.
• policy and contract reviews.
• enterprise agreement interpretation and disputes.
• workforce transformation.
• safety regulator communications.
• internal safety investigations and responding to safety incidents and near misses; and
• employment, IR, and safety reform.

In addition to employment, safety and IR, you will also be responsible for supporting nbn’s Whistleblower Protection Officers in relation to whistleblower and NACC compliance.

You’ll benefit from “on the job” technical training about nbn’s business. You will also have access to our bespoke learning and professional development programs and have easy access to in-house CLE sessions. In addition, nbn offers a range of flexible working arrangements and leave entitlements.

A bit about you

To be successful in this role, you will be legally qualified, hold a current Australian practicing certificate, and have at least 8 years’ post qualification experience. You will have specialist experience in an employment, IR and safety law team at a top or mid-tier law firm in Australia and ideally also have in-house experience. Relevant experience with whistleblowing and NACC compliance is also highly regarded but not essential.

You will be a team player with excellent relationship building and problem-solving skills, ensuring proactive involvement in decision-making processes. You will be able to think on your feet while providing high quality, practical, commercially and strategically astute independent legal advice.

You will be open to learning new skills and adapting to meet new business and professional challenges.

Life at nbn

To be part of nbn is to be part of something bigger. There’s so much more from here. Our pioneering spirit drives us forward every day. Together, we help lift the digital capability of the nation by building and connecting Australia’s best fibre infrastructure into homes and businesses, plus places and things, everywhere. We’re continuing to create Australia’s network—a network made for more. Not just a way for everyone to do the things they love but transforming the way they do them.

A more inclusive working world

nbn is committed to an inclusive, flexible, and supportive workplace where everyone can feel heard, valued, and respected. We believe diverse perspectives are the key to unlocking greater outcomes and encourage applications from people of all ages, nationalities, abilities, and cultures. That's why we have a Reconciliation Action Plan, Accessibility & Inclusion Plan, offer 18 weeks of paid parental leave, are a Pride in Diversity Gold Employer for three years running, and have active employee-led diversity pillars. Click here to see our list of employee benefits and why we're recognised as a WORK180 Endorsed Employer for Women, and their Employer of Choice for 2025.

Equal Opportunities for All 

We champion equal opportunities for all employees. If you have any accessibility requirements and would like to discuss adjustments for the recruitment process, please don’t hesitate to contact us by emailing [email protected] or calling our Recruitment Accessibility Enquiry Line at +61 2 8918 9990. Please note, this line is dedicated to accessibility-related enquiries for the purposes of recruitment, and only enquiries related to accessibility adjustments will be answered. For other matters, please visit our Contact Us page on our website.

Where to from here?

If you think this role might be for you, we want to hear from you. Please apply by following the links and sending in your resume only. We do not require a cover letter or any selection criteria to be addressed.

Please note that this role is a 12-month maximum term opportunity and applications will close at midnight on Tuesday, 26th August 2025.

To be eligible for this role, you must have full working rights in Australia.