Freedom Of Information & Legal Support Officer

Full Time Permanent Position

Band 6 - Salary Range $95,073 to $103,531 per annum + 11.5% Super + ADO

Salary offered will depend on level of skills and experience.

About Melton City Council

The City of Melton is a community where everyone belongs. Ours is a vibrant and diverse municipality - one of the fastest developing in Australia. Our organisation strives to provide our community with state-of-the-art amenity and facilities, engaging health and wellbeing options, and support to become active members of our Lifelong Learning City.

We invest in innovation, offering professional and personal development, and generous leave and flexibility to staff, while also fostering a collaborative and inclusive culture. You’ll be able to work close to home in a dynamic setting featuring cafes and retail options set amongst heritage buildings and open green spaces.

The Opportunity

We are seeking a Freedom of Information and Legal Support Officer to join our dedicated Legal and Property Team, reporting to the Senior Lawyer and Property Advisor. Come and contribute to the specialist administration of Council’s legal team, manage Freedom of Information requests, requests for information, subpoenas, and provide legal support to the Lawyer and Senior Lawyer and Property Advisor in a fast paced, exciting environment. 

Key Responsibilities

• Provide advice to Council Officers on FOI and privacy matters.
• Be the key liaison with the Office of the Victorian Information Commissioner.
• Manage Council’s Freedom of Information request as the primary FOI Officer to ensure compliance with the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (Vic).
• Manage Privacy Impact Assessments across Council.
• Coordinate privacy complaint reviews.

To view the Position Description, click here.

About you

To be successful in this role you will have the following:

• Tertiary qualification in legal administration or substantial experience in a similar role highly desirable.
• Demonstrated knowledge, understanding and experience in the Freedom of Information Act 1982 including the use of FOI software.
• Interpret legislation (with assistance if required) and perform legal research, in both existing and emerging areas of law.
• Well-developed written and oral communication skills, with strong attention to detail.
• Demonstrated ability to build strong, effective relationships with a broad range of stakeholders from community members to corporate partners, while delivering high-quality customer service with a respectful, culturally aware, and customer-focused approach.

Culture and Values

Our vision for our community is to be: "A vibrant, safe and liveable city accessible to all" and that means there’s a place here for you too. Our organisational values represent us as an established growth Council and the values are reflected in everything we do; our decision-making, our actions and our service provision to the community. Council has a diverse and vibrant organisation and we’d love to have you join us to help shape a city for the future.

We are Vibrant MELTON. Our values are:

• Motivate
• Empower
• Lead
• Trust
• Open
• Nurture 

Benefits

There are a number of great reasons why our people love working at Melton City Council: 

Staff Benefits | Melton City Council

• 13 ADO's (Accrued Day Off) per year
• 5 weeks annual leave
• Flexible Working Hours
• Extensive Career Development & Leadership Programs
• 16 weeks Paid Parental Leave (Super is paid during parental leave) 
• 3 weeks Paid Secondary Carer Leave
• Family Room available including Breastfeeding Facilities - Australian Breastfeeding Association
• Wellbeing initiatives
• Subsidised Uniforms

How To Apply

If you require further information about the position, please contact Sian Rainford at *****@melton.vic.gov.au.

Applications must include a Resume and address the Key Selection Criteria outlining your suitability to the role. To address the Key Selection Criteria, you will need to write short statements explaining how you meet the criteria, or how you demonstrate the capability. We encourage you to keep your responses concise. 

To be eligible for employment at Melton City Council you must be legally entitled to work in Australia.

All successful applicants will need to undertake pre-employment requirements including but not limited to a satisfactory criminal history record check. Successful applicants must be able to comply with any COVID-19 Public Health Orders applicable to Local Government employees.

We strongly encourage job applications from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, people with disabilities, LGBTIQA+ and people from culturally diverse backgrounds. If selected for an interview and you require any additional support or adjustments regarding interview arrangements, please advise the contact listed above in advance.

Melton City Council is committed to being a child safe organisation and has Zero tolerance for child abuse. Melton City Council is committed to creating and maintaining a child safe organisation where protecting children and preventing and responding to child abuse is at the centre of our everyday thinking and service delivery.