Jobs
Assistant Parliamentary Counsel Grade 2 – Office of Parliamentary Counsel
📌 Vacancy Fact Sheet
- Reference Number: VN-0770469
- Agency: Office of Parliamentary Counsel
- Job Title: Assistant Parliamentary Counsel Grade 2
- Position Number: Several
- Classification: Executive Level 1
- Closing Date: Sunday 19 July 2026
- Job Type: Full-Time, Ongoing;Non-Ongoing
- Location: Canberra ACT
- Future Merit Locations: Various locations – ACT
- Salary: $127,126 – $154,363
- Office Arrangement: Flexible (Hybrid)
About Office of Parliamentary Counsel
The Office of Parliamentary Counsel (OPC) is a small Commonwealth government agency which provides clear, effective and
accessible Commonwealth law for all Australians. We do this by drafting Bills for the Commonwealth government, and a significant
proportion of Commonwealth legislative instruments. We also provide comprehensive, free access to Commonwealth legislation
through the Federal Register of Legislation website, preparing compilations of Commonwealth legislation, and registering
Commonwealth Acts and instruments on behalf of more than 70 agencies.
Duties
- In this role, you will:
- (a) Develop legislative problem solving, drafting, interpersonal, supervisory and project leadership
- skills, and judgment, through on-the-job training and also via participation in formal training
- (courses, seminars etc).
- (b) Assist the Senior Executive Service team leader and, under their general oversight, assume
- progressively higher levels of independent responsibility for carrying out the following tasks:
- providing legislative drafting services;
- organising planning and logistics of legislative projects;
- maintaining effective working relations with members of the drafting team, instructors, other
- OPC staff and other relevant parts of the government, parliament and public service.
- (c) Carry out or participate in such product development (e.g. plain English) or operations support
- (e.g. IT development, participation in office committees and reviews, Legislation Process Course
- presentations) as may be assigned, or such other duties relevant to the service provided by OPC
- as may be assigned.
- Key Capabilities:
- 1. Development potential
- A combination of learning skills (including willingness to learn), other skills, attributes and
- knowledge that demonstrates a strong potential to progress to the Assistant Parliamentary
- Counsel Grade 3 level in a relatively short period of time.
- Note: It is expected that people would be ready to progress to the APC 3 level within 2 to 3 years.
- 2. Analytical skills
- Well-developed analytical skills that would enable a person to assist in providing legislative
- drafting services.
- 3. Creativity and problem-solving skills
- The ability to suggest ideas and approaches to problems by which a drafter is able to assist in the
- provision of legislative drafting services.
- 4. Communication skills
- (a) Written
- (i) Well developed written communication skills that would enable a person to assist in providing
- legislative drafting services.
- (ii) Attention to detail that includes a sound knowledge of English grammar, usage, spelling and
- punctuation, and that limits the number of formal errors in documents.
- (b) Other
- Well-developed oral communication skills. A mix of empathy, assertiveness, enthusiasm and
- interest by which a drafter is able to sustain effective working relations with other people.
- 5. Judgment
- Demonstrated ability to use sound judgment and to employ good technique in deciding or acting.
- 6. Team and project skills
- Good organisational skills and the ability to work to agreed deadlines. A mix of well-directed
- energy and willingness to work in a participatory role by which a drafter is able to assist the Senior
- Executive Service (SES) team leader in legislative projects and contribute to team outcomes.
- 7. Drafting experience and legal knowledge
- Either:
- Experience in drafting legislation; or
- Experience providing advice on, instructing on, or working with, Commonwealth or State or
- Territory legislation, and the development potential to take some responsibility for the
- drafting of legislative projects.
- Good knowledge of constitutional law, or the ability to quickly acquire good knowledge of
- constitutional law, and other areas of law relevant to the drafting of legislation.
- 8. Legal qualifications
- Either:
- admission as a legal practitioner of the High Court or the Supreme Court of an Australian
- State or Territory; or
- a degree in laws from an Australian tertiary institution (or a comparable overseas
- qualification which, in the opinion of First Parliamentary Counsel, is appropriate to the duties
- of the position).
- Note that if you are not admitted, we will require you to become admitted within a reasonable
- period.
Eligibility / Notes
- To be eligible for the role, you must:
- be an Australian Citizen;
- be able to obtain and maintain an Australian Government Security Vetting Agency (AGSVA)
- clearance to Baseline status.
- hold a degree in law from an Australian tertiary institution or a recognised overseas
- qualification. To advance in OPC you must be admitted as a practitioner (however
- described) of the High Court or the Supreme Court of an Australian State or Territory.
How to Apply
Position Contact Meredith Leigh, First Parliamentary Counsel, 0261201421
Agency Recruitment Site https://www.opc.gov.au/careers
Applicants to vacancies notified in all formats of the electronic Public Service Gazette should be aware:
that the names of successful applicants will also be notified in all formats of the electronic Public Service Gazette
applicants found suitable may be offered similar employment opportunities by other Australian Public Service agencies
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