Job Description

Register of Interest Details

JOB TITLE - Register of Interest - Team Leader/Senior Principal Lawyer - Commercial and Governance Law Team

LOCATION - ACT

AFP BAND & SALARY - Band 08 ($132,185.00 - $143,883.00) plus additional remuneration of $14,000 per annum

JOB REFERENCE NUMBER - 15881

CONTACT OFFICER - Anna MacFarlane, anna.macfarlane@afp.gov.au

APPLICATIONS CLOSE - 11:59pm (AEST) 22/09/2026

Did you know?

The mission of the Australian Federal Police is to provide dynamic and effective law enforcement to the people of Australia. It provides policing throughout Australia in relation to the prevention and detection of crimes against the Commonwealth, its laws and integrity, and community police services to the Community of the ACT.

Working for the AFP provides you with a diverse and rewarding career. Whether you immerse yourself in a position on the frontline, or provide critical operational or professional support, the work you do makes a big impact on the people of Australia.

We’re committed to looking after you, with some of the best benefits and conditions in the industry – including (but not limited to):

• Six weeks (30 days) of paid annual leave per year + additional paid Christmas stand down
• 4 extra days of mandatory rest leave per year
• 18 days of paid personal leave per year
• Generous superannuation of 15.4%
• 18 weeks paid Parental Leave for Primary Caregiver (and 14 weeks for Secondary Caregiver) + additional unpaid leave entitlements for up until 24 months from the child’s date of birth or placement
• Generous salaries and incremental salary progression governed by the AFP Enterprise Agreement
• Flexible and hybrid working arrangements that support work-life balance
• Health & wellbeing services – with a focus on early intervention, education and prevention
• Access to ongoing training and professional development opportunities

This Register of Interest is for upcoming opportunities in AFP Legal Corporate - Legal Command. Applicants may be contacted as opportunities arise if they are considered suitable. No correspondence or outcome will be provided to applicants who are not considered for the opportunity.

Chief Counsel Portfolio

The AFP’s Chief Counsel Portfolio (CCP) is a dynamic, professional, diverse and interesting legal practice, underpinned by our commitment to AFP values and desire to foster a positive and inclusive workplace culture.

The CCP is comprised of:

• The Chief Counsel Office;
• AFP Legal (which is AFP Legal Corporate Team and AFP Legal Operations Team ); and
• Criminal Assets Litigation (CAL) (which is CAL North Team and CAL South Team).

The Portfolio is managed by the Chief Counsel and each legal team is managed by a General Counsel.

AFP Legal Corporate

The AFP Legal Corporate team provides timely and accurate legal advice to support the AFP.

AFP Legal Corporate provides high quality, cost effective in-house professional legal services in commercial, information, administrative and employment law to the AFP. It also provides litigation legal services to support the AFP to respond to civil litigation.

As the Commercial Law Team Leader you also play a pivotal role in developing people (including to support their growth as high performing lawyers), managing change and influencing behaviours that lead to a supportive culture that respects the perspectives, talents and value of each individual. Consistent with the AFP values, AFP leadership philosophy, organisational reform agendas, AFP corporate business plans and your Performance Development Agreement, the expectation is that you will deliver on the core responsibilities and meet any requirements of the position as outlined below.

What will you do?

The role of Commercial and Governance Principal Lawyer and Legal Team Leader in AFP Legal requires strong legal technical expertise and leadership skills. You will lead a team of 5 to 10 high performing lawyers to provide timely, well-written and accurate legal advice across a range of diverse and interesting commercial and governance legal matters. This includes advising on significant and cutting edge ICT projects, procurement of operational capabilities and equipment, property and leasing deals, intellectual property issues and delegations and governance arrangements and the Legal Services Directions.

The Legal Team Leader Corporate – Commercial and Governance is expected to:

• conduct, and/or supervise complex matters with minimal supervision;
• represent the AFP in high level discussions and negotiations with external stakeholders and work closely with business areas to foster strong collaboration and ensure legal support is tailored to operational needs;
• lead and supervise a diverse team of seven high performing lawyers with varying levels of experience, including by setting clear expectations, coordinating advice requests, monitoring progress and second-counselling legal work to meet the required priorities;
• proactively manage the team’s workflow and priorities to align with Chief Counsel Portfolio (CCP), AFP Legal and AFP priorities;
• foster a culture of continuous improvement and growth to strive for excellence; and
• collaborate with Deputy General Counsels, General Counsels, Chief Counsel and the AFP legal practice management team to achieve CCP objectives and support the broader organisation strategic direction.

The Commercial and Governance Legal Team Leader role salary is $146,185.00 - $159,883.00) salary, plus 15.4% superannuation.

Desirable Skills

Essential Requirements

• You must be an Australian Citizen at the time of application.
• A Negative Vetting 1 (Secret) security clearance or the ability to obtain one.
• All applicants must hold a current practising certificate.
• Demonstrated deep experience in commercial and/or governance law.
• Demonstrated ability to lead a team of lawyers.

Desirable Requirements

The following skills and/or experience would be highly regarded:

• • Minimum AFP Band level 7 (equivalent to APS EL1).
  • Minimum of 5 years post admission experience

Selection Criteria

• Achieve results
• Communicates with influence
• Contributes to strategic thinking
• Cultivates productive working relationships
• Shows personal drive and integrity
• Legal Technical knowledge and skills

Application

As part of your Register of Interest you will be required to submit the following documents:

• Resume/CV – Please outline your current knowledge and qualifications along with previous experiences. Please include your work history, responsibilities and achievements.
• Applicant pitch (maximum two pages). Please tells us why you are the best fit for the role, with examples that demonstrate your suitability addressing the selection criteria and requirements for the role.

This is a Register of Interest only and not a merit based process. Applicants will not receive any feedback or outcome regarding their application. You may be contacted by the AFP should we wish to discuss any upcoming opportunities.

Employment Suitability

Should you successfully progress from the application stage all applicants must:

• Complete an Employment Suitability Questionnaire (ESQ) and provide a traffic history check and proof of Australian citizenship. This aids in the assessment of your character and your ability to comply with the AFP's professional standards both in an official and private capacity. Please review our AFP Character Standards to ensure that you meet our requirements before you submit your application. Applicants will not receive feedback if they are unsuccessful at this gateway.
• Have your fingerprints taken if an offer of employment is made.
• Undertake mandatory drug testing for illicit drugs. This sample could include; urine, saliva or hair.
• Satisfactorily undertake a security clearance to the level specified for the position.

Commitment to Diversity & Inclusion

We're all individuals and we love that. At the AFP we value the different perspectives, approaches and lived experiences of our people, and recognise that our collective intelligence and diversity is what makes us stronger. As such, we encourage applications from people from all walks of life, including people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, First Nations people, women, the LGBTQIA+ community and people with disability.