Senior Program Manager – Criminal Law

The Organisation

Westjustice is a rights-based Community Legal Centre servicing Melbourne’s West on the lands of the Bunurong and Wurundjeri peoples and including the LGAs of Wyndham, Maribyrnong, Hobsons Bay, Melton and Brimbank, a population of over a million people. Melbourne’s Western Suburbs are the thriving backbone of the state, and home to Australia’s most diverse and fastest-growing population. 

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

We work to uphold peoples’ rights by providing free legal, social work, financial counselling services, community engagement, and advocacy for systemic reform across the five impact areas of Workers’ Rights, Children and Young People’s Rights, Women and Gender Diverse people’s Rights, Economic and Housing Rights, and Our Team. We provide place-based, multi-disciplinary programs, and partner with values-aligned organisations to focus on servicing those most impacted by these issues, and to ensure people have access to the services they need where they need them.

Through our work, we consistently see complex legal issues and the cyclical impact they have on longer term justice, economic, health, and life outcomes. This is why our services and programs focus on prevention and early intervention in the cycle of economic precarity, criminalisation, violence and housing insecurity. It is also why we advocate for legal, social and policy reform to ensure the people of Melbourne’s West have access to services and the best version of justice.

Benefits and Culture

• Be a part of an organisation that 98% of our employees 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

Westjustice is seeking to employ a full-time Senior Program Manager on an ongoing basis, to join our growing criminal law practice and Youth Crime Intervention Program (YCPEIP).

The Youth Crime Intervention Program (YCPEIP) is a flexible and innovative model that aims to reduce the rate of offending and re-offending amongst children and young people in the Wyndham and Brimbank Police Service Areas. It aims to do this by increasing the rate of cautions, warnings and diversions for children and young people aged 12-24 years old across Melbourne’s Western suburbs including Brimbank, Wyndham and Melton.

The role is responsible for:

• Leading a team of high performing, kind, passionate and dedicated lawyers representing our Criminal law practice and Youth Crime Prevention and Early Intervention Program (YCPEIP)

• Undertaking complex criminal law casework and advocacy

• Providing oversight as the Responsible Person for criminal law supervision and sign off for legal advice, casework, reviewing closed files, and working with the Legal Director to review operational practice and identifying trends and issues

• Contributing to legal practice to secure a better outcome for our youth clients

Role requirements:

• Significant legal practice experience and subject matter expertise in criminal law, including experience in complex advocacy, casework and litigation

• Demonstrated ability to successfully manage competing priorities effectively across legal supervision, team management, project work, law reform initiatives, grant applications, funding proposals ad budget oversight under the guidance of the Legal Director

• Dedicated interest and commitment to social justice legal practice and improving outcomes for clients experiencing trauma and disadvantage

• Demonstrated ability to develop and maintain stakeholder engagement and relationship management skills and represent the criminal law practice at external networks, working groups and steering committees.

• A law degree and an unrestricted Practising Certificate which entitles you to practice law in Victoria. In addition, a Principal practising certificate (or willingness to achieve a certificate).

This position is primarily based in Sunshine and may also be required to undertake outreach at other key partner locations in the West. From time to time, you may also be required to work at our other offices and/or partner organisation sites, depending on program needs.

For more information about Westjustice, please visit our website (www.westjustice.org.au) or call Elicia Savvas, Legal Director, on 03 9749 7720 for a confidential discussion.

Please apply by 5pm Thursday 16 April by clicking here.

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

Late applications will not be considered.

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 which in each case 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 Theresa via theresa@Westjustice.org.au.  Any 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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• We do not have any volunteer opportunities available at this time. 

• We do not offer placements for high school for work experience.

Please check 'careers' for any current employment opportunities. 

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