Overview
The Executive Advisor will be assisting the CEO of the organisation with effective time management and provide a high level of support with day to day activities and projects as required.
You will be working independently and in a team environment, and you will be required to be flexible and pro-active in your approach. In this position you will be undertaking a key role involved with stakeholders internally and externally and also interactions with VALS staff and its subsidiaries.

Key Performance Indicators, Duties & Responsibilities
Support for Chief Executive Officer
1. Prepare correspondence and reports, co-ordinate meetings, events, travel and accommodation for the CEO.
2. Monitor, manage and amend the CEO’s diary to ensure it remains current and up-to-date.
3. Be the first point of contact for CEO telephone enquiries, ensuring calls are appropriately screened, and any action items for the CEO are followed up.
4. Assist the CEO in maintaining clear and regular communication with the VALS team members, the Board and its Committees.
5. Assist the CEO with the preparation of materials (e.g. Power Point presentations, publications, reports, handouts etc), maintaining regular communication with stakeholders.
6. Liaise with Executive team members to coordinate briefings on program and general service delivery as required/requested.
7. Liaise with community and other stakeholders to promote the commitments and work of the organisation and establish systems and processes to ensure effective internal and external communication occurs.
8. Initiate, develop and maintain effective working relationships with key interest groups, major stakeholders and partners of the organisation to advance our work and strategic directions
9. Position is primarily based at the VALS Preston office however, you may be required to travel throughout Victoria and Interstate upon request of the CEO.
10. Other duties as directed

Secretariat Support for Board and Committees
11. Assist the Board and its Committees through agenda preparation, the coordination and attendance of meetings, accurate recording and timely distribution of minutes.
12. Ensure Board action items for meetings are monitored and completed within proposed time frames.
13. Ensure action items that need to be addressed by VALS CEO, CFO and Directors are communicated in a timely manner.
14. Coordinating administrative processes for appointments to the Board and subcommittees
15. Develop and implement correspondence and records management systems.
16. Provision of timely advice and the preparation of correspondence reports and briefings.
17. Maintain up to date records of Board and Committee members.
18. Attend Board and Committee meetings on a monthly basis.

Coordination of Executive Management Team
19. Provide meeting coordination between CEO and Executive Team members,
20. Provide support and coordination to the Executive Team group meetings through agenda preparation, the coordination and attendance of meetings, accurate recording and timely distribution of minutes.
21. Ensure Executive Team group action items for meetings are monitored and completed within proposed time frames.
22. In instances of meeting delegation from CEO to an Executive member, ensure all meeting details, supporting material or briefing papers are provided in a timely manner.
23. Provide support as required to the Corporate and Executive Services division with regards to general office coordination.

Other
1. Comply with all VALS policies and procedures.
2. Maintain strict confidentiality and privacy in all matters
3. Fulfil other tasks that your manager/s may reasonably ask you to perform.
4. Ensure behaviour during all work interactions is aligned to our values of being professional, ethical, team oriented and collaborative.
5. Exceptional verbal and written communication and interpersonal skills.

Key Selection Criteria
1. Comprehensive understanding of the issues confronting Aboriginal people in relation to the delivery of legal services and associated issues.
2. Demonstrate cultural sensitivity and a commitment to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, access to justice principles and human rights standards.
3. Extensive professional experience in management/executive and corporate services with an understanding of law.
4. Demonstrated achievements in and a thorough understanding of best practice standards of governance and the planning and provision of support to governance committees and management.
5. Capacity to liaise with Government and non-government organisations on legal and associated issues relevant to the Organisation.
6. Capacity to represent the organisation at a range of forums relevant to organisation at local, regional, state, national and international levels.
7. Demonstrated capacity to work in an environment of continuous improvement, innovation and change.
8. Excellent written, verbal and interpersonal skills.
9. Demonstrated ability to work as part of an executive team and develop strong working relationships within a multi-skilled and multi-discipline working environment.
10. Demonstrated experience providing executive assistance to Senior Management.
11. Advanced computer and word-processing skills

Application process
To apply for this opportunity, please provide:
• a covering letter outlining who you are and why you are suited to this position
• a statement addressing each of the key selection criteria – applications submitted without a statement addressing the key selection criteria will not be accepted. Please note the key selection criteria is found within the position description.
• your resume detailing your education and professional experience and two referees.

Please submit your application to jobs@vals.org.au using the subject line: Executive Advisor

Please apply by 5pm Tuesday 18th August 2020

Please click on the link below for the position description
Position Description – Executive Advisor Aug 2020

Overview

The Senior Legal Secretary provides high quality secretarial and support services to the legal staff and supervision of the legal secretaries in the provision of criminal, family and civil law assistance of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community in Victoria.

Key Performance Indicators, Duties & Responsibility

1. Provide supervision, training and support to the secretarial staff

2. Manage workload distribution to secretarial staff including when staff are sick or on leave.

3. Rostering of reception coverage when required.

4. Provide training to solicitors on secretarial processes as part of solicitor induction program.

5. Undertake all word processing tasks and associated file management tasks as provided by solicitors in relation to the ongoing file management of clients of the Service in areas of Criminal, Civil and Family law.

6. Prepare documentation for briefing Counsel or other professionals as directed, including photocopying, collating and arranging delivery.

7. Receive phone calls on behalf of individual solicitors and follow up enquiries or record messages for action by solicitor.

8. Assist in arranging appointments for clients or making contact with clients directly.

9. Undertake filing of reports and other documentation on behalf of clients.

10. Update data base and electronic files as required.

11. Lodge and maintain Victoria Legal Aid grant applications within the ATLAS system as required.

12. Undertake relief work on reception, as rostered and participate in duties associated there.

13. Participate in the processing of ingoing and outgoing mail for the organisation.

14. Keep up to date with relevant procedures by attending professional education programs and maintain an understanding of issues impacting the justice system and members of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Community.

15. As directed, undertake other duties which are incidental and peripheral to the main tasks, provided that such duties are reasonably within the employee’s skills, competence and training

Key Selection Criteria

1. Demonstrated ability and at least 3 years’ experience as a legal secretary.

2. Word proficient to 100 words per minute

3. Demonstrated ability to manage and supervise staff in accordance with organisational values.

4. Advanced skills in the use of MS Office Software (particularly MS Word, Excel, E-mail) to a legal practice and the capacity to quickly acquire competency in the use of VALS’ client data base.

5. A commitment to the legal issues faced by members of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Community in Victoria.

6. The ability to work collaboratively with others and to foster a co-operative and supportive team environment.

7. Professional and courteous phone manner and interpersonal skills and the capacity to communicate effectively with members of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community and acknowledge their diverse backgrounds, personalities and varying needs and the unique cultural ways in which they may be expressed.

Application process
To apply for this opportunity, please provide:

• a covering letter outlining who you are and why you are suited to this position
• a statement addressing each of the key selection criteria – applications submitted without a statement addressing the key selection criteria will not be accepted. Please note the key selection criteria is found within the position description.
• your resume detailing your education and professional experience and two referees.

Please submit your application to jobs@vals.org.au using the subject line: Senior Secretary

Please apply by 5pm Sunday 5th August 2020

To obtain a copy of the position description please click here Position Description – Senior Legal Secretary – June 2020

Overview

VALS provides legal advice to a significant and growing number of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people charged with Criminal Offences and who may have experienced misconduct by members of Victoria Police, Correctional Services staff, and other Government employees

The Senior In-House Counsel will be focused primarily on appearing as Counsel in matters with sufficient merit for litigation and complex criminal proceedings requiring a high level of skill and expertise.

The role will provide guidance to VALS’ staff members’ awareness about the relevant claims that may be available for people who have been mistreated by police or other government employees, with the aim being to increase the number of clients with potential claims who are referred to the specialist lawyer for triage, referral or follow up casework where appropriate. The Senior In-House Counsel will also be briefed in relation to criminal law case work and advocacy.

This role will also work closely with the policy and communications team to build awareness, create submissions and proposals but also assist in seeking future funding for the continued conduct of the work.

As this is a new area of operation for VALS as an organisation, the role will also need to work collaboratively and seamlessly with a number of internal VALS staff and external stakeholders who will be important in ensuring the new initiative is as impactful as possible.

Key Performance Indicators, Duties & Responsibility

Senior In-House Counsel –Specialist Legal and Litigation Practice, will:

• Improve service delivery by ensuring consistency in internal VALS representation and advocacy in complex matters requiring specialist knowledge and skills in criminal law and civil litigation involving misconduct

• Reduce financial impacts to the organisational budget by reducing external briefing and appearing in matters of complexity including contested hearings, committals, trials, appeals, pleas, bail applications, sentencing hearings, youth crime matters, judicial review, mental impairment and offences involving violence and sexual assault, applications for sex offenders register, coronial inquests and litigation

• Raise awareness of the issues relating to the misconduct of police, correctional staff and other government agencies to drive and influence change

• Provide guidance and advice in both written and oral form to the criminal law practice and Specialist Legal and Litigation practice

• Contribute to a more sustainable workforce through building capacity and our internal skills base through VALS lawyers working collegiately with the Senior In-house Counsel

• Achieve results through court advocacy at a level that requires highly developed legal skills and expertise in both adversarial and inquisitorial proceedings as the organisational criminal law and litigation subject matter expert

• Increase professional development outcomes through internal training and development opportunities working together with the relevant legal teams and stakeholders

• Contribute at a high level to legal advocacy and policy priorities representing the organisation in law reform activities and driving systemic change

• Develop internal guidelines and standard operating procedures relevant to the operation aspects of the Senior In-House Counsel

• Contribute to, and participate in, the collaborative relationship between Victoria Legal Aid, Aboriginal community controlled organisations, Community Legal Centres and other community organisations with whom VALS interacts

• Develop and foster positive working relationships with a number of key internal staff to ensure the referral of clients in relation to criminal law and litigation

Key Selection Criteria

1. In depth knowledge of legislation pertaining to criminal law and litigation with an ability to analyse complex situations and adapt accordingly in a fast paced and changing environment.

2. High level advocacy and legal skills with demonstrated experience in appearing on behalf of relevant parties in the Coroners, Magistrates and Higher Court jurisdictions in all stages of the legal proceedings in criminal law and litigation relating to misconduct by members of Victoria Police, Corrections Victoria and other relevant Government Departments.

3. Demonstrated high level conceptual skills, analytical and negotiation skills to achieve desired results.

4. Highly developed interpersonal skills with an ability to develop positive relationships with both internal and external stakeholders including members of the Aboriginal Community, Courts, Judiciary, Support services and Government Departments.

5. Ability to provide independent, strategic specialist legal advice and guidance to VALS lawyers and Community Justice teams on complex legal matters and or policy issues impacting the rights of Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islander people.

6. Represent VALS at various forums and stakeholder engagement activitives, influence change working collaboratively with Policy and Communication team on relevant priorities.

7. Knowledge and understanding of the social, legal and justice issues including abuse and systemic racism faced by Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people in Victoria

8. A commitment to the principles and values of the organisation and proven record of ethical behaviour pursuant to the Legal Profession Uniform Law.

9. Accredited by the Law Institute of Victoria as a Specialist in Criminal and/or Personal Injury law

Application process
To apply for this opportunity, please provide:

• a covering letter outlining who you are and why you are suited to this position
• a statement addressing each of the key selection criteria – applications submitted without a statement addressing the key selection criteria will not be accepted. Please note the key selection criteria is found within the position description.
• your resume detailing your education and professional experience and two referees.

Please submit your application to jobs@vals.org.au using the subject line: In-house Counsel

Please apply by 5pm Sunday 5th July 2020

To obtain a copy of the position description please click here PD – Senior In-House Counsel. June 2020