Work Type/s:

Permanent: 3-5 days/week. Flexibility availability. Please specify your preference when applying.

Salary:

$120K-140K + super depending on experience [pro rata if part time]

Location:

any Australian location, working from home in Australia, ideally on east coast time; or Sydney or Canberra office.

Applications close:

Midday AEDT on Wednesday 29th November.

Role:

ACCR is seeking an experienced, Australian qualified lawyer to lead the legal strategy side of ACCR’s advocacy using the rights of shareholders to impel listed companies to decarbonise in line with climate science. This role will provide strategic legal advice, as well as occasional training and coaching of other staff on legal matters. The role will also involve managing ACCR’s relationship with lawyers for strategic purposes and acting as a bridge between those lawyers and ACCR staff, leading the conduct of strategic litigation as a professional client within ACCR, and ensuring any legal advice for strategic purposes is implemented e.g. in filing shareholder resolutions with companies listed in Australia, Europe and Asia. The role would not be expected to cover the wider range of legal matters impacting ACCR more operationally e.g. employment law.

You’ll love this job if:

• You get a buzz thinking about how to use the law for real world change on issues that really matter to you such as climate. 

• You enjoy turning your mind to different legal areas and giving advice that finds a path forward, taking into account the law and strategic goals. You have an extensive track record in doing this.

• You would love to join a dynamic multidisciplinary, multi-jurisdictional team seeking to address the role listed companies play. You have the flexibility to work outside of standard office hours where necessary to do this.

Responsibilities

The role will include the following types of tasks:

• Identify appropriate legal strategies in ACCR's strategic work, within the context of the strategic goals set by the Company Strategy team

• Take carriage of the legal aspects of ACCR's advocacy work, including advising, briefing external advisors if necessary, and training ACCR staff on legal and regulatory requirements in various jurisdictions globally

• Lead ACCR's strategic litigation and other strategic legal processes, including briefing external lawyers, considering legal advice, developing strategy, engaging relevant ACCR staff, briefing the Executive Director and board on progress, managing indemnities, coordinating and overseeing the legal processes impacting ACCR e.g. discovery

• In cooperation with the Chief Operations Officer, play a hands-on role in ensuring the legal and procedural aspects of ACCR’s strategic work (e.g. filing shareholder proposals) are correctly executed in the jurisdictions where we work

Criteria

We’re looking for someone with these types of skills and experience in the following areas:

• Australian legal qualifications, admitted to practice, with ability to hold a current practising certificate an advantage

• Extensive experience using the law for strategic purposes, including in strategic litigation

• Expertise in corporate, defamation and / or consumer law, and an interest and aptitude to pick up new areas and explore new angles 

• Ability to providing practical real-time advice 

• Experience with climate-related litigation and/or with companies in the oil & gas, mining and metals, or utilities sectors would be a strong advantage

• Exposure to corporate law (ideally shareholder rights-related law) in other jurisdictions (preferably the UK, Europe, the USA, Japan and/or South Korea) would be a bonus

• Excellent legal management and interpersonal skills

• Commitment to ACCR’s mission and values

If you don’t meet every point above, please still apply if you can see your skills well used in this role. 

Accountable to:

Company Strategy Lead

Key Relationships:

Executive Director, Chief Operations Officer, Communications Lead

Background:

ACCR is a non-profit shareholder advocacy and research organisation founded in 2012. We use shareholder strategy to enable investors to escalate engagements with heavy-emitting companies in their portfolios, and provide research and analysis for institutional capital seeking long term value in a zero-emissions economy. Thanks to a heightened awareness of the importance of our work, and the urgency to act on climate change, we are growing rapidly. More information about our latest work can be found in our FY23 Annual Review. In 2023, ACCR won ESG engagement initiative of the year - Asia at Environmental Finance’s Sustainable Investment Awards.

ACCR has a dynamic team of over 30 driven and experienced staff, mostly based in Australia, working globally. Our growing team has a wide range of relevant expertise - climate science, communications, engineering, law, equities analysis, finance, investor relations, IT and more. Due to our high levels of staff satisfaction and engagement, ACCR won one of Voice Project’s Best Workplace Awards for 2021.

What we offer:  

• We enjoy flexible work hours and supportive home-based working for those who want it. 

• Personal leave is double the statutory requirement, plus additional paid leave from Christmas to New Year. Option to purchase additional leave.

• We value peer learning and each of us has a professional development budget. 

• Our Employee Assistance Program also includes our employees’ households. 

• ACCR offices are accessible and further detail can be provided.

Application Guidelines

We use Applied as our recruitment platform, helping us reduce the risk of unconscious bias in our hiring process.

The application will require answering  3 short questions so give yourself time to complete it. Once started, you can save and return to your application before submitting. For example;

•  Without naming specific employers or parties, explain how your work history has given you relevant experience for a strategic legal role in a non-profit, ethical investment, climate-focused organisation. In your answer, give at least one example of work you have led that you consider to be using the law strategically. Why do you want to do that type of role at ACCR? [Word limit is 250 words]

• Please note, for this role, ACCR is only able to employ those who have the pre-existing legal right to work in Australia.

• We value diversity, equity and inclusion in our workplace. ACCR encourages applications from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and people of all cultures, abilities, sex and genders. 

• ACCR is committed to improving accessibility to enable the full participation of a diverse workforce. If there are any alterations to this recruitment process that would assist you in applying, please let us know.