Senior In-house Solicitor – Recoveries Litigation

Pioneer is an Australian financial services business that acquires and services portfolios of non-performing loans from established financial institutions. We do not operate in payday lending. We work constructively with our customers to find practical and sustainable repayment solutions. Litigation is used selectively and proportionately, generally where efforts to resolve an account have been exhausted and a customer has the capacity to pay but is unwilling to meet their obligations.

We are seeking an experienced and commercially minded solicitor to take legal ownership of our recoveries litigation work. This is a hands-on legal leadership role. You will lead the legal work and provide direction on litigation strategy, standards and risk, but you will not have direct responsibility for managing the team’s people. You will work closely with experienced paralegals and operational leaders who manage the day-to-day workflow and team performance.

About the role:

• Oversee and manage a portfolio of debt recovery litigation and related disputes across multiple Australian jurisdictions.
• Be the principal legal escalation point for the litigation function and exercise independent judgment about proceedings, enforcement, settlement and risk.
• Responsibilities include:
• Taking carriage of contested, complex and escalated litigation matters.
• Determining litigation, enforcement and settlement strategy.
• Providing legal oversight and guidance on recoveries matters managed by the team.
• Reviewing pleadings, affidavits, submissions, correspondence and other court documents.
• Appearing in court, mediations, pre-trial conferences and settlement discussions.
• Advising the business on prospects, evidence, procedure, risk and commercially appropriate outcomes.
• Instructing and managing external counsel or specialist firms when required.
• Maintaining consistent legal standards, precedents and litigation processes.
• Supporting the professional development of paralegals through technical guidance and feedback, without direct people-management responsibility.
• Working with operational, risk and compliance stakeholders to achieve fair, lawful and commercially sensible outcomes.

About you:

• You are a practical litigation solicitor who is comfortable making decisions and taking responsibility for matters.
• You combine sound legal judgment with commercial awareness.
• You will ideally have:
• Admission as an Australian legal practitioner and a current practising certificate, or eligibility to obtain one in Western Australia.
• Approximately four or more years’ post-admission experience, although we will consider an exceptional candidate with different experience.
• Strong civil litigation, recoveries, insolvency or commercial dispute-resolution experience.
• Demonstrated ability to manage matters independently from commencement through judgment and enforcement.
• Court advocacy and procedural experience.
• Excellent legal drafting and attention to detail.
• Sound judgment concerning evidence, prospects, settlement and costs.
• The confidence to provide legal direction while working collaboratively with operational leaders and paralegals.
• High professional standards, integrity and discretion.

Experience in consumer credit, financial services or debt recovery would be highly regarded but is not essential.

Why join Pioneer?

• Genuine ownership of an in-house litigation practice.
• Regular court and advocacy work.
• The opportunity to shape litigation strategy, precedents and standards.
• Experienced operational and paralegal support.
• Direct access to senior decision-makers.
• Commercially meaningful work with visible outcomes.
• Professional development and external advocacy opportunities.
• Modern offices in the Perth CBD.

Most importantly, you will join a business that expects strong commercial outcomes while treating customers fairly and respectfully. We work hard, support each other and value sound judgment over unnecessary formality.

Pioneer Credit is an Australian-based business with a dedication to doing good. We've made it our mission to put an end to debt stress and our team is proud to carry this common goal into all customer interactions. We have a passion for providing affordable solutions and authentic support. This dedication drives our customer service approach based on genuine care. We're listed on the Australian Stock Exchange (ASX) and we're one of the largest investors in impaired retail credit in Australia, with our caring approach leading to lasting positive benefits.