Senior Associate / Special Counsel - Public Sector (Defence)

The Role Our team is recruiting an experienced Senior Associate / Special Counsel to join our Canberra based Defence team. Working closely with Partner Steve Power, you will get exposure to some of the largest, most challenging and high profile procurements undertaken by the Commonwealth government. As a senior member of the team, you will have autonomy in the management of matters and the ability to develop your own practice. We are looking for an enthusiastic, motivated and genuine person to play a key role in the team and to help mentor and grow our younger lawyers. Key responsibilities This role will see you have the opportunity to: work on a broad range of matters including: complex major capital equipment acquisition and sustainment projects complex services delivery arrangements advising on the settlement of contract disputes provide strategic advice on structuring procurements and contracting arrangements draft a variety of contracts develop your client relationship skills through opportunities to work closely with clients provide advice under the guidance of industry-leading practitioners Skills & Experience To be successful in this role, the following attributes will be required: reached Senior Associate level in private practice or equivalent level in-house or in government (5+ years PQE) proven experience as a commercial lawyer, with expertise in procurement and contracting a demonstrated ability to draft clearly and concisely; the ability to think strategically and commercially and develop an understanding of the client’s business strong negotiation skills a sense of purpose, ambition and a proactive approach to your work strong people skills; the ability to communicate and build a rapport with our clients effective written and verbal communication skills The Public Sector team Our national Public Sector group is widely regarded to be the premier private government practice in Australia and has a wealth of industry-leading practitioners. Our Public Sector (Corporate) team advises a wide range of government agencies on some of their most complex and sensitive programs, from project inception through to contract management. We use our skills to solve complex legal problems, assist with the development and implementation of program strategy, and inform policy development. For further information on our national Public Sector team, please visit our Public Sector showcase page on LinkedIn. At Clayton Utz, you will also discover that flexibility is an absolute priority for diversity and inclusion and that all our team members utilise varied formal and informal flexible arrangements. Our lawyers are encouraged and supported to utilise these arrangements to best balance their life and career commitments. Clayton Utz also enjoys a collaborative internal team culture, which values professional and personal growth. How to Apply? We prefer to work directly with candidates, if you are interested in this role, please click the ‘Apply’ button or contact the consultant, details below, for more information. Clayton Utz is an inclusive employer that supports flexible work arrangements, please feel free to discuss your flexibility needs with the recruiter for this role. Consultant Contact Details Carissa Bartels, (02) 9353 4635 Accessibility and Inclusion We are committed to making reasonable adjustments to provide a positive, barrier-free recruitment process. Do you require any support or reasonable adjustments to complete your application? If so, please contact the recruiter via the above telephone number or via email to recruitmentsupport@claytonutz.com. For more information on Clayton Utz, please visit www.claytonutz.com or follow us on LinkedIn here. Agency submissions Clayton Utz does not accept agency submissions unless the agency is specifically contacted by a member of the Clayton Utz Recruitment Team. Please do not forward candidate profiles or resumes to Clayton Utz partners, hiring managers or other employees - this will not constitute as an introduction to the firm and Clayton Utz will not be liable for a fee.