Co-Director, Children and Young People’s Rights Program

The Organisation

Westjustice is a community organisation that provides free legal help to people in the Western suburbs of Melbourne.

Westjustice can help with a broad range of everyday legal problems including consumer disputes, credit and debt, family law and family violence, fines, motor vehicle accidents, tenancy, youth criminal law and more.

Westjustice’s purpose is to deliver targeted services and drive meaningful change to achieve fairness, safety and justice for Melbourne’s West. 

Benefits and Culture

• Be a part of an organisation that 98% of our team are proud to work for
• We pay 3% above the SCHADs award
• Not for profit salary packaging up to $15,900 per annum
• Flexible working conditions
• 5% annual leave loading
• Passionate, professional and dedicated team
• Gifted additional paid leave over the Christmas holiday period
• Strong focus on collaboration, wellbeing, inclusion and diversity

The Role

Due to the growth of our Children’s and Young People’s Rights (CYPR) program, Westjustice is seeking to employ a full-time Co-Director on a 12 month maximum term contract to join our Senior Leadership Team.

The Co-Director, Children and Young People’s Rights is responsible for:

• Leading the delivery of CYPR Program and Services

• Managing CYPRP’s legal and integrated practice, including providing Civil and Criminal Law Expertise.

• Provide strategic, expert legal and practice management advice to the CEO and Senior Leadership Team in collaboration with the Co-Director.

• Collaborating with the Co-Director to integrate TARGET ZER0 and Smart Justice for Young People (SJ4YP) related work into the CYPR programs and services.

Role Requirements:

• Qualified lawyer with a current (or eligible to hold a) principal practicing certificate.

• 10 years+ legal practice expertise in Civil and Criminal Law and representing children and young people.

• Experienced leader with a demonstrated ability to work collaboratively and confidently to engage with a diverse range of stakeholders and to build strong partnerships and effectively lead change through influence

• Ability to set and deliver high quality work outcomes.

• Strong commitment to social justice

• This position will work from our offices in Sunshine and Werribee. 

For a copy of the position description, please click here - Position Description

Please click on the link apply: Co-Director, Children and Young People’s Rights Program Job at Westjustice

For further information or a confidential discussion, please call Ellen on 0419 617 754. Apply by sending your cover letter and resume to ellen@westjustice.org.au by no later than close of business Friday 5 September. Please note, applications will be shortlisted for interview as they are received. For further information, please call Caitlin Caruana 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.

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 LGBTIQA+-identifying people.   People with lived experience of the justice system are encouraged to apply. A police check result does not automatically disqualify an application but will be individually assessed for the relevant role.

Please ensure that you let us know, in advance, of any reasonable adjustment you may require during any part of the recruitment process including application and interview by contacting Ellen via ellen@westjustice.org.au  Any information disclosed will be held in the strictest of confidence.

Financial Counsellor, Economic and Housing Rights Program

Westjustice is a community organisation that provides free legal help to people in the Western suburbs of Melbourne.

We help with a broad range of everyday legal problems including consumer disputes, credit and debt, family law and family violence, fines, motor vehicle accidents, tenancy, youth criminal law and more.

Westjustice’s purpose is to deliver targeted services and drive meaningful change. 

Benefits and Culture

• Be a part of an organisation that 98% of our team are proud to work for
• We pay 3% above the SCHADS Industry Award
• Salary packaging
• Up to 5 hours study leave per week
• Flexible working conditions
• 5% annual leave loading
• Passionate, professional and dedicated team
• Gifted additional paid leave over the summer holiday period
• Strong focus on wellbeing
• Ongoing commitment to being a diverse and inclusive organisation
• With 90% of our team recommending Westjustice as a great place to work we can provide a culture of a values driven, inclusive, feedback oriented workplace

The Role

Westjustice is seeking to employ a full-time Financial Counsellor on a 12-month maximum term contract (with potential for a longer-term contract depending on availability of funding) to join our Economic and Housing Rights team.

The Financial Counsellor will play a key role in the Restoring Financial Safety and Tenancy Safety Victoria program within the Economic and Housing Rights team. These projects are aimed at assisting family violence victim-survivors experiencing economic abuse, and/or people living in rental stress and at risk of homelessness.

This position will be primarily based at our Werribee office but may be required to work from our Sunshine office and our partner sites.

Skills Required

You will hold a Diploma of Financial Counselling (or equivalent).

You will also have:

• Experience in credit and debt issues
• Ability to work autonomously and with a small team
• Ability to engage and communicate complex information to vulnerable clients
• Ability to engage a diverse range of stakeholders and industry
• A commitment to Westjustice values and working with their clients and communities

For a copy of the position description, please click here - position description.

Please click on the link apply: Financial Counsellor Job at Westjustice

We welcome applications from financial counsellors who are new to the industry as well as more experienced financial counsellors for this position.

If you want to use your experience to improve life outcomes of people experiencing family violence, economic abuse and intersecting disadvantage, please send your resume together with a cover letter responding to the key selection criteria to joe@westjustice.org.au by COB 12 September 2025.

Alternatively, please call Ellen Flint on 0419617754 if you have any questions in relation to the role.

The successful applicant will require a Diploma of Financial Counselling (or equivalent allowing membership of Financial Counselling Victoria).

Please Note: This position involves out-reach at a partner site/sites which hold an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) exemption. This exemption permits that only women workers may work onsite with women and child clients.

The successful applicant will require a current Working with Children’s Check and a Police Check or be prepared to apply for both. People with lived experience of the justice system are encouraged to apply. A police check result does not automatically disqualify an application which in each case will be individually assessed for the relevant role.  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 LGBTIQA+-identifying people.   People with lived experience of the justice system are encouraged to apply. A police check result does not automatically disqualify an application which in each case will be individually assessed for the relevant role.

If you require any adjustments throughout the application or recruitment process please contact recruitment@westjustice.org.au 

Please ensure that you let us know, in advance, of any reasonable adjustment you may require during any part of the recruitment process including application and interview by contacting recruitment@westjustice.org.au. Information disclosed will be held in the strictest of confidence.

Please contact us on (03) 9749 7720 if you wish to make a donation to WEstjustice.

Donations over $2.00 are tax deductable.

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Please check 'careers' for any current volunteer positions. 

WEstjustice relies heavily on the work of legal and non-legal volunteers. Volunteer roles include:

• Policy volunteers 
• Administrative volunteers 
• Paralegal volunteers 
• Solicitor volunteers 

Skills we require of all of our volunteers include:

• Excellent communication skills
• High attention to detail
• Ability to work as part of a team and independently
• Reliability and punctuality

We ask that volunteers give us a minimum commitment of twelve months.

Demand for volunteer positions may vary.

If there is a position available and you are a suitable candidate, we will contact you. 

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Westjustice has several current PLT opportunity, please see here for more details.