About us

For over 40 years Women’s Legal Service Victoria (Women’s Legal) has championed women’s rights to live free from violence. We are a dedicated team with a passion for working with women and non-binary people to live free from violence and discrimination by:

Providing high quality integrated legal services for Victorian women and non-binary people who are victim-survivors of family violence and disadvantaged or marginalised by structural and systemic barriers.
Building the capacity of professionals who work with women and non-binary people, to better understand the law and navigate the legal system safely.
Advancing gender equality by challenging unsafe and discriminatory policies and laws and informing and advocating for legal and policy initiatives that respect and promote the rights of women and non-binary people.

About the role

The Policy and Advocacy Manager will collaborate within the Policy, Advocacy & Communications team to harness Women's Legal's evidence and expertise, monitor and develop legal policy, and lead advocacy strategies.

They will provide timely and critical legal analysis of laws and policies related to Women’s Legal practice areas such as family violence, child protection, family law, migration, and sexual violence. With a strong focus on engagement and collaboration, they will work with external stakeholders in Victoria and nationally to drive systems change and improve outcomes for women, their children, and the community.

Produce high-quality legal policy and advocacy materials, including but not limited to policy briefs and submissions, budget submissions, campaign messaging, articles and other materials, as needed, that target key decision-makers and audiences.
Monitor and identify systemic issues in law and policy through research and collaboration.
Develop and implement advocacy campaign strategies to respond to systemic law and policy reform issues, applying an understanding of the points of leverage and engagement.
Coordinate and contribute to research and evidence-building, translating this into good practice across policy, service delivery and training.

About you

You will have knowledge and understanding of legal assistance or family violence-related services and equity issues affecting women and the justice system. You will be able to think laterally and identify and analyse problems and develop appropriate solutions.

Key to your success is your:

Working knowledge and understanding of legal assistance or family violence-related services and equity issues affecting women and the legal system
Demonstrated ability to produce high quality submissions and other documents that are compelling, evidence-driven and credible
Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the capability to describe complex issues in plain language
Excellent interpersonal and conflict resolution skills, capable of working collaboratively with a wide range of stakeholders
Highly organised, with experience in project management

You will

Have a minimum of five years' experience in a similar policy and advocacy role; and
Hold a degree in a relevant discipline

Why Women's Legal?

In return for your dedication, we offer:

Competitive remuneration
5 weeks annual leave, plus bonus leave between Christmas and New Year!
Paid parental leave and reproductive health leave
Cultural leave
A strong commitment to your professional development, personal development, and wellbeing
A hybrid working model and a flexible working environment that supports work/non-work balance
NFP salary packaging benefits (up to $15,900 in tax-free pay every year) plus meal and entertainment benefits (up to $2,650 tax-free pay per year)
Fresh fruit available in the office
Access to our Employee Assistance Program

To apply

Submit a resume and covering letter to tell us how you are the right candidate for this role. Please ensure the cover letter addresses how you personally align to Women’s Legal values as described in the attached position description.

Please note, non-lawyers employed by Women’s Legal Service Victoria are required to comply with Section 121 of the Legal Profession Uniform Law.

All successful candidates will be required to produce a national criminal history check prior to the commencement of their employment.

Enquiries

Enquiries can be emailed to Ruth McKendrick, HR Officer at hr@womenslegal.org.au using the subject line: Policy and Advocacy Manager enquiry via EthicalJobs.

Equal opportunity employer

We recognise our work benefits greatly from the unique knowledge, skills and expertise of individuals with diverse experiences, including those with lived experience of family violence, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, women with disability and women from migrant, refugee or non-English speaking backgrounds. If this is you, we strongly encourage you to apply.

Women's Legal relies on an exception under the Equal Opportunity Act to employ women only.

Women's Legal Service Victoria

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Policy and Advocacy Manager