- Location
- Darwin, Australia
- Sector
- Legal
- Salary
- $164,268.14 to $192,264.23 per annum
Managing Civil Lawyer
Darwin | Senior Management Position
Full-time, 37.5 hours per week
Lead a civil law practice that protects rights, challenges injustice and responds to the priorities of Aboriginal communities right across the Northern Territory.
- Shape the direction of NAAJA’s civil law services across the Northern Territory.
- Lead and develop a diverse team, with opportunities to drive strategic litigation and law reform.
- Access six weeks’ annual leave, salary packaging and relocation assistance.
Leadership with purpose
Civil legal problems can affect a person’s home, family, safety and ability to exercise their rights. As NAAJA’s Managing Civil Lawyer, you will lead a practice working to address those problems while pursuing change in the systems behind them.
NAAJA is an Aboriginal community-controlled organisation providing legal assistance and justice services across the Northern Territory. Our work combines legal representation, community engagement, education and advocacy to advance dignity, respect and justice for Aboriginal people.
Based in Darwin and reporting to the Principal Legal Officer, you will join NAAJA’s Senior Management team and contribute to organisational strategy alongside responsibility for the civil practice.
Your opportunity to make an impact
You will provide strategic direction, professional oversight and people leadership across a geographically dispersed team of lawyers and administrative staff. Working with Aboriginal communities and colleagues across NAAJA, you will help ensure services are culturally safe, trauma-informed and responsive to community priorities.
Your role will include:
- Leading the civil practice, setting priorities and maintaining high standards of legal service delivery, ethics and accountability.
- Developing and supporting your team, with a focus on supervision, learning, cultural safety and effective workload management.
- Advancing strategic litigation and law reform, identifying opportunities to address systemic issues alongside NAAJA’s Strategic Policy team.
- Strengthening relationships and influence, representing NAAJA and working with communities, courts, government and the legal assistance sector.
- Contributing to organisational leadership, advising the Principal Legal Officer and CEO, briefing the Board as required, and collaborating across NAAJA’s programs.
What you will bring
You are an experienced senior manager in the area of civil law who combines sound legal judgement with thoughtful, practical leadership. You can support colleagues through complex work, build trusted relationships and translate strategic priorities into effective services.
You will bring:
- Admission, or eligibility for admission, as a legal practitioner in the Northern Territory, with a minimum of five years’ post-admission experience in civil law.
- Demonstrated leadership and people management skills.
- Experience providing legal services to Aboriginal clients, including cultural competency and trauma-informed practice.
- Significant expertise in one or more areas such as discrimination, child protection, tenancy, administrative law, coronial inquests or torts.
- Strong communication, advocacy and strategic planning skills, knowledge of civil justice issues affecting Aboriginal people in the NT, and a commitment to social justice and community-led services.
The role includes travel to regional and remote communities as required.
Benefits of working at NAAJA
- Six weeks’ annual leave with 17.5% leave loading.
- Three weeks’ personal leave.
- Five days’ cultural leave, plus an additional two days for Aboriginal staff on request.
- $800 per year for personal wellbeing.
- $3,400 per annum remote area allowance.
- Up to $4,000 relocation assistance.
- Up to 12 weeks’ paid parental leave.
- Up to $18,500 in tax-free salary packaging, plus remote area salary packaging benefits through SMART Salary Packaging.
Benefits are subject to applicable eligibility requirements and employment conditions. Salary packaging benefits depend on individual circumstances.
Apply now
Download the application pack (attached below) or obtain a copy from peopleandcapability@naaja.org.au.
Submit your resume along with a cover letter outlining your relevant experience and responses to the screening questions in the application pack.
For a confidential conversation about the opportunity, contact Anna Gill on (08) 7936 8304 or anna.gill@naaja.org.au.
Early applications are encouraged. We will review applications on receipt. Applications close on Wednesday 02 December 2026.