Job Description

Lawyer - Workplace Relations, Employment and Safety

We are seeking a talented Lawyer with 2 - 3 years' post-admission experience to join Russell Kennedy's Workplace Relations, Employment and Safety team in Sydney.

Working closely with Mandy Xu, Partner, this role offers an excellent opportunity to build your career within a highly regarded and growing practice. You will work on a broad range of employment, workplace relations and safety matters for clients across a variety of industries and sectors, gaining exposure to both advisory and disputes work while developing strong technical and commercial skills.

This is an ideal opportunity for a lawyer looking to broaden their experience, deepen their expertise and take the next step in their career within a supportive and collaborative team environment. You will benefit from meaningful client engagement, hands-on responsibility, quality mentoring and structured professional development.

The ideal candidate will be intellectually curious, commercially minded and committed to delivering practical, high-quality advice. You will enjoy working closely with clients, building strong professional relationships and contributing positively to a team culture that values excellence, collaboration and continuous learning.

We are looking for a talented Lawyer with 2-3 years' experience to join our growing Workplace Relations, Employment and Safety team. You will work on a diverse range of employment and workplace matters, enjoy meaningful client engagement, and benefit from ongoing mentoring and professional development in a friendly team environment.

Primary Duties and Responsibilities

• Providing strategic employment and workplace relations advice to clients across a broad range of industries and sectors, including:
• recruitment, onboarding and workforce planning;
• terms and conditions of employment, remuneration, benefits and incentive arrangements;
• performance management, conduct concerns and workplace investigations;
• long term absentees, psychosocial hazards and other workplace matters;
• restructures, redundancies, resignations and termination of employment;
• equal opportunity, bullying, discrimination, harassment and sexual harassment;
• work health and safety obligations and incident management;
• independent contractors arrangements and workforce classification issues; and
• executive employment, restraints of trade, and protection of confidential information and intellectual property.
• Drafting, reviewing and negotiating contracts of employment, executive services agreements, contractor agreements, workplace policies and procedures, incentive arrangements, Deeds, and other workplace-related documentation.
• Advising clients about award coverage and the interpretation of enterprise agreements, and compliance with employment, industrial relations, anti-discrimination and work health and safety legislation.
• Negotiating, preparing and lodging enterprise agreements.
• Advise on employment aspects of corporate transactions, including due diligence, transfers of business, outsourcing arrangements and post-acquisition integration matters.
• Supporting the team in representing and advising clients in employment, industrial and regulatory disputes and investigations, including proceedings before the Fair Work Commission, state and federal courts and tribunals, and regulatory bodies including:
• claims in the Fair Work Commission including unfair dismissal, General Protections, anti-bullying order and industrial action;
• discrimination and General Protections claims in State tribunals, AHRC, Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia and Federal Court; and
• other claims in the Industrial Court of NSW, Supreme Court or Federal jurisdictions including restrictive covenants and breach of contract claims.
• Prepare correspondence, pleadings, witness statements, submissions and legal advice, including prospects assessments, litigation strategy and dispute resolution advice.
• Conduct workplace investigations and provide recommendations regarding legal risks, compliance obligations and organisational responses.
• Liaise with clients, counsel, regulators, unions and opposing representatives in relation to advisory, transactional and litigious matters.
• Deliver workplace training and education programs to clients on employment and workplace compliance issues.
• Assisting with preparing documentation and advice in relation to employee and executive incentive schemes.
• Undertaking legal research and monitoring developments in employment, workplace relations and safety law to support the delivery of timely, practical and commercially focused advice to clients.
• Contributing to the growth of the practice by preparing client alerts and articles, presenting at seminars, participating in networking opportunities and building strong client relationships.
• Maintaining accurate and timely file management, time recording and billing practices in accordance with firm requirements.
• Contributing to the Learning and Development programs at Russell Kennedy, including creating and presenting CPD sessions for others at the firm.

Skills/Knowledge

• Excellent drafting, analytical and legal research skills, with strong attention to detail.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to build effective relationships with clients and colleagues.
• Commercially minded, with an ability to provide practical and solutions-focused advice across a broad range of employment, workplace relations and safety matters.
• Demonstrated initiative and sound judgment, with the ability to think critically and manage competing priorities.
• Effective matter management, organisational and time management skills, with the ability to meet deadlines and manage multiple tasks simultaneously.
• Developing business and commercial awareness, including an understanding of client service, and financial management.
• Strong client focus, with a proactive approach to building and maintaining client relationships.

Experience

• 2 - 3 years’ post admission experience in Workplace Relations law.

Further Information

Any questions regarding the vacancy can be directed to Heidi Connell on (03) 9609 1517 or hconnell@rk.com.au. For further information or to submit your application for this position please visit the careers page on our website. Please note any offer of employment made by Russell Kennedy to the successful candidate will be subject to a police check. We are currently accepting applications from direct applicants only. No agency referrals will be accepted at this stage.

Our Firm and Culture

Russell Kennedy is a commercial law firm with more than 380 people in Melbourne and Sydney. We are committed to providing exceptional legal strategies and solutions to our clients, guided by market-leading expertise across our key sectors of focus.

As part of our team, you’ll receive hands-on experience, quality mentoring and access to valuable learning opportunities. We encourage a professional and committed work ethic, while recognising the importance of an enjoyable working environment and balanced lifestyle. We believe we have a culture where individuals of all backgrounds and abilities feel included and confident in bringing their whole selves to work, and where your talents are fostered, empowering you to contribute to the success of the firm.

Russell Kennedy is proud to be an equal opportunity employer and is certified as a WGEA Employer of Choice for Gender Equality, as well as being certified as a gold employer in the Australian Workplace Equality Index for employers with 500 or less employees. We respect and celebrate the things that make each of us different. The firm supports and promotes a range of initiatives to create an environment that is characterised by equal access and respected participation of all groups and individuals. There is a particular focus and emphasis on gender equality, inclusion of First Nations peoples, accessibility for people with disability, LGBTQIA+ inclusion, and cultural diversity. Russell Kennedy is recognised by Australian Disability Network as a Disability Confident Recruiter employer.

Russell Kennedy is committed to attracting and retaining the best talent available. We acknowledge the importance of work-life balance, all current and prospective employees have access to flexible work options and workplace adjustments including alternate accessible formats, where required. If you require an adjustment during the recruitment process please contact Leanda Nissen on 03 9609 1523.

Russell Kennedy Lawyers acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of the lands on which we meet and work. Our offices are situated on the unceded lands of the Wurundjeri and Gadigal peoples. We pay our respects to their Elders, past and present, to their emerging leaders and to the resilience, creativity and vitality of their cultures including their laws and systems of governance.