Senior Program Manager, Criminal Law

Senior Program Manager Criminal Law

Westjustice is a rights-based Community Legal Centre servicing Melbournes West on the lands of the Bunurong and Wurundjeri peoples and including the LGAs of Wyndham Maribyrnong Hobsons Bay Melton and Brimbank a population of over a million people. Melbournes Western Suburbs are the thriving backbone of the state and home to Australias most diverse and fastest-growing population.

Westjustices purpose is to deliver targeted services and drive meaningful change to achieve fairness safety and justice for Melbournes West.

We work to uphold peoples rights by providing free legal social work financial counselling services community engagement and advocacy for systemic reform across the five impact areas of Workers Rights Children and Young Peoples Rights Women and Gender Diverse peoples Rights Economic and Housing Rights and Our Team. We provide place-based multi-disciplinary programs and partner with values-aligned organisations to focus on servicing those most impacted by these issues and to ensure people have access to the services they need where they need them.

Through our work we consistently see complex legal issues and the cyclical impact they have on longer term justice economic health and life outcomes. This is why our services and programs focus on prevention and early intervention in the cycle of economic precarity criminalisation violence and housing insecurity. It is also why we advocate for legal social and policy reform to ensure the people of Melbournes West have access to services and the best version of justice.

Benefits & Culture

Be a part of an organisation that 98% of our employees are proud to work for

We pay 3% above the SCHADs award

Not for profit salary packaging up to $15900 per annum

Flexible working conditions

17.5% annual leave loading

Passionate professional and dedicated team

Gifted additional paid leave over the Christmas holiday period

Strong focus on collaboration wellbeing inclusion and diversity

The Role

Westjustice is seeking to employ a full-time (or potentially part-time) Senior Program Manager Criminal Law to:

a) lead the Children and Young Peoples Rights Program of legal and other services

b) lead the ongoing development and expansion of Westjustices Youth Crime Prevention and Early Intervention Program (YCPEIP) across the state and

c) collaborate with stakeholders across the organisation to meet client needs and achieve our strategic objectives.

This position will be primarily based at our Sunshine office and will be required to travel and work from other sites.

Skills and Experience Required

1. A law degree and an unrestricted Practising Certificate which entitles you to practise law in addition a Principal practising certificate (or willingness to achieve the certificate).

2. Significant legal practiceexperience and subjectmatter expertise in criminal law including experience in complex advocacy casework and litigation.

3. Demonstrated understanding of high-quality legal practice management including legal operations and risk management. An ability to think strategically and with integrity to meet clients and practice management needs.

planning project management change management and stakeholder engagement skills to enable the successful achievement of the expansion of the YCPIEProgram.

people management skills to lead and develop a high performing team.

6. Demonstrated ability to develop and coordinate systemicimpact work such as drafting policy or law reform submissions legal projects and programs with strategic impact

7. Ability to work autonomously take initiative to progress program priorities including legal supervision team management project work grant applications funding proposals program budgets and make sound judgements with limited direction of the Legal Director.

8. Excellent written and oral communication skills including the ability to engage with stakeholders and clients experiencing trauma and/or disadvantage.

9. Strong commitment to social justice community education and engagement

If you want to use your experience to improve life outcomes for people in the community experiencing significant disadvantage please apply by COB 28 August 2026. Please note Westjustice reserves the right to interview candidates as their applications are received. The position may close earlier than the 28 August 2026 should we receive sufficient quality applications.

Please call Ellen Howard onif you have any questions in relation to the role.

The successful applicant will require a current Working with Childrens Check and a Police Check or be prepared to apply for both. People with lived experience of the justice system are encouraged to apply. A police check result does not automatically disqualify an application which in each case will be individually assessed for the relevant role. Applicants must possess the right to work in Australia.

Westjustice is committed to building a diverse workforce. We strongly encourage applications from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people people living with a disability people from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds mature age workers and LGBTIQA-identifying with lived experience of the justice system are encouraged to apply. A police check result does not automatically disqualify an application which in each case will be individually assessed for the relevant role.

If you require any adjustments throughout the application or recruitment process please contact Ellen Flint at disclosed will be held in the strictest of confidence.