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ACTING POLICY DIRECTOR

The EDO is a community legal centre specialising in public interest advocacy regarding environmental law and policy. We are seeking an Acting Policy Director to lead the Office's policy and law reform activities.

This is a maternity leave position and is expected to be for 12 months.

Selection Criteria

Essential

• An undergraduate degree in law
• 3 – 5 years experience in environmental policy development processes at a high level
• Experience in managing and supervising people and projects
• Excellent written and oral communication skills, including an ability to communicate clearly in plain English
• Excellent research skills
• An excellent understanding of NSW, national and international environmental legal issues
• The ability to work with minimal supervision and to tight deadlines
• Commitment to the protection of the environment and public interest environmental law

Desirable

• A NSW practising certificate, or eligibility for admission to legal practice in NSW and other relevant tertiary qualifications

Salary range $65,630 - $71,597, plus superannuation.

For further information contact Jeff Smith on 02 9262 6989.

Applications close Friday 15th August 2008.

Duty Statement

The EDO 's policy and law reform role falls into four related areas:

• submissions on government proposals
• provision of advice to environment groups (regarding, for example, Bills that are before Parliament and specific amendments to legislation).
• proactive policy initiatives
• key stakeholder role

Management

The Acting Policy Director is a management position within the EDO which reports directly to the Director. The Acting Policy Director will be responsible for:

• the provision of policy services within the EDO
• the integration of these services with the other functions of the Office
• supervising and co-ordinating the work and ongoing professional development of other Policy Officers
• representing the EDO as required
• developing and maintaining effective links with environmental and community groups
• actively participating in management meetings and decisions
• providing financial and budgetary information to the Director and Treasurer, as required

Policy and law reform

• developing and implementing the EDO's policy direction (as part of the EDO 's strategic plan)
• responding to State and federal government policy and legislative proposals on public interest environmental and planning law issues
• preparing written submissions and discussion papers, and appearing at parliamentary inquiries
• preparing drafting instructions for legislation and legislative amendments
• developing policy positions on specific public interest environmental and planning law issues
• undertaking consultancy work on behalf of conservation groups
• ensuring the Office takes a lead role in the policy work of the Australian Network of EDOs
• liaising, and attending meetings, with relevant stakeholders, including ELO meetings
• identifying opportunities for policy consultancies and income
• reviewing the policy work of the Scientific Advisory Service for inclusion in policy submissions
• consulting with the Northern Rivers office to ensure appropriate regional input in policy submissions.

Community Education

Community education duties include:

• ensuring that the policy functions of the EDO are properly integrated into the Office's community education work
• participating in conference and education work generally
• preparing and presenting papers and workshops
• writing plain English educational materials
• preparing articles for EDO publications
• responding to requests for assistance from the media

Legal advice

Duties include:

• providing written and telephone advice to the public on a wide range of public interest environmental and planning law issues (under supervision if required)

Administration

These duties include:

• assisting with office administration, such as library, computer and precedent systems
• maintaining appropriate records
• word-processing of own work

General

All staff have a responsibility to:

• develop and maintain a good knowledge of the role and policies of the EDO
• represent the EDO in a positive and effective manner
• implement EEO, OHS and cultural diversity practices
• attend, and contribute actively and constructively at, Staff and Operations meetings
• seek opportunities for personal and professional development, particularly related to the specific areas of responsibility detailed below
• assist in organising and supervising volunteers
• respond to requests by clients and fellow staff in a knowledgeable, professional, constructive and polite manner
• provide accurate and timely data on activities for the information of funding bodies including the Legal Aid Commission

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EDO Volunteer Program

The EDO runs a volunteer program at our Sydney office and at our Northern Rivers branch office in Lismore.

Our office relies greatly on the commitment of students and professionals who volunteer their skills at the EDO. 

The Office has two streams of “legal volunteers”: law students who work one day per week assisting the EDO's lawyers with research and litigation support, and graduate interns, who work full time as junior lawyers.

In the past two years, the EDO has also hosted interns across its various functions, including para-legals, public affairs, science, and policy. Our interns have come from as far afield as Germany, the USA and the Netherlands.

Lawyers and law students who have studied environmental law are encouraged to join our volunteer program, either by working at the EDO in Sydney or Lismore or providing pro bono services.

Qualified environmental scientists are encouraged to join our expert register.

• Lawyers and law students need to have studied NSW environmental law or have experience in environmental law practice.
• Applicants will be interviewed before being accepted as a volunteer.
• We ask our volunteers to make a commitment to work one day per week for at least two months.

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