In-House Legal Counsel – Australia & New Zealand in Sydney

In-House Legal Counsel – Australia & New Zealand

Location

Sydney or Melbourne, Australia

Coverage

• Australia & New Zealand
• Mandarin Language Capability Highly Advantageous

Professional working proficiency in Mandarin is highly advantageous for this position, due to regular communication with Mandarin-speaking regional stakeholders and the need to work with Chinese-language business and legal materials.

The Opportunity

• Our client is seeking an experienced
• In-House Legal Counsel to support our growing operations across

Australia and New Zealand (ANZ) .

Reporting to the Regional Legal Lead, you will act as a key legal business partner to commercial and operational teams, providing practical legal advice across commercial contracts, regulatory compliance, corporate governance, risk management and dispute resolution.

This is an excellent opportunity for a commercially minded lawyer who enjoys working in a fast-paced, international business environment and partnering with stakeholders across multiple jurisdictions.

Key Responsibilities

• Commercial Contracts & Transactional Support
• Draft, review and negotiate a broad range of commercial and logistics agreements across Australia and New Zealand, including:
• Domestic and international transportation agreements
• Warehousing and logistics service agreements
• Supplier and procurement agreements
• Service Level Agreements (SLAs)
• Sales and purchasing agreements
• Other commercial contracts
• Advise on contractual risks, liability, indemnities, insurance, termination provisions and other key commercial terms.
• Support compliance with relevant Australian and New Zealand legislation, including applicable transport and commercial laws.
• Regulatory Compliance & Legal Advisory

Provide practical legal and compliance advice to ANZ business operations across areas such as:

• Employment & Workplace Matters
• including the Fair Work Act, modern awards, contractor arrangements and Work Health and Safety requirements.
• Privacy & Data Protection
• including the Australian Privacy Act, Australian Privacy Principles (APPs), New Zealand Privacy Act and general data governance.
• Trade Compliance & Anti-Bribery
• including export controls, sanctions, anti-bribery and anti-corruption requirements.
• ESG & Regulatory Matters
• including environmental compliance, sustainability reporting and other industry-specific regulatory requirements.
• Support market-entry activities, licence applications, regulatory filings and interactions with relevant authorities.
• Coordinate with external legal counsel where specialist advice or local representation is required.
• Assess legal risks associated with new and evolving business models, including last-mile delivery and cross-border e-commerce operations.
• Corporate Governance & Legal Operations
• Support and continuously improve legal policies, governance frameworks and internal controls for ANZ entities.
• Manage corporate compliance requirements, including statutory records, annual filings, subsidiary governance and post-acquisition integration.
• Support corporate authorisation processes, including director appointments, powers of attorney and signing authority frameworks.
• Develop and enhance contract review and approval processes.
• Provide practical legal and compliance training to sales, operations, finance and other business teams.
• Risk Management & Dispute Resolution
• Identify and assess legal and operational risks and recommend commercially practical mitigation strategies.
• Advise on matters involving limitation of liability, indemnification and insurance coverage.
• Develop and maintain legal risk-control and dispute-resolution frameworks.
• Manage commercial claims and disputes and coordinate arbitration or litigation matters where required.
• Work with external counsel and provide strategic legal recommendations to senior management.
• What We Are Looking For
• Qualified lawyer who is admitted, or eligible for admission, to practise law in an Australian jurisdiction .
• Ability to hold or obtain the appropriate practising certificate required for an in-house legal role in the relevant Australian jurisdiction.

• Demonstrated commercial legal experience, ideally gained within

• Logistics or transportation
• Supply chain
• International trade
• E-commerce
• A multinational corporation
• A commercial law firm advising corporate clients
• Strong commercial contracting experience with the ability to independently draft, review and negotiate agreements.

• Practical knowledge in one or more of the following areas

• Commercial and transport law
• Corporate governance
• Trade compliance
• Privacy and data protection
• Regulatory compliance
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to communicate complex legal issues clearly and provide practical, commercially focused advice to business stakeholders.
• Ability to work effectively with stakeholders across different countries, functions and cultures.
• Highly Advantageous

Professional working proficiency in Mandarin , particularly the ability to communicate effectively with Mandarin-speaking business stakeholders and understand Chinese-language business or legal materials.

• Previous experience within the logistics, transportation, supply chain or international trade sectors.
• Experience working within a multinational or cross-border business environment.
• Strong commercial awareness and the ability to balance legal risk management with business objectives.

We are committed to providing an inclusive and equitable recruitment process.

Applicants will be assessed based on their qualifications, experience, skills and ability to perform the requirements of the role, without unlawful discrimination.

Applicants from diverse backgrounds are encouraged to apply.

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