Lead Counsel - Workers Compensation Independent Review Service

• $184,475.00 per annum + 12% superannuation
• Full-Time, ongoing opportunity
• Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung/Melbourne CBD location  

About the opportunity

The Workers Compensation Independent Review Service (WCIRS) provides a non-statutory review framework for decisions made by claims agents under the Workplace Injury Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 2013 and Accident Compensation Act 1985 on behalf of WorkSafe. The primary purpose of WCIRS is to review disputed decisions relating to workers’ compensation claims and entitlements in a manner that ensures fair, reasonable and sustainable decision-making outcomes that assist WorkSafe to encourage, promote and support workers through their recovery and provide effective occupational rehabilitation and early return to work through suitable employment opportunities.

Independent Review supports WorkSafe’s work in the Victorian community and aims to be connected, persistent and dynamic.

Key accountabilities

• Lead a team that investigates and determines applications for review of disputed WorkSafe agent decisions and other WorkSafe decisions in a manner that supports fair, reasonable and timely decision-making practices.
• Responsible for staff management including training, performance management, task allocation and recruitment.
• Build and maintain collaborative working relationships with internal stakeholders and provide support and learning opportunities relating to or arising out of a non-statutory review.
• In a continuous improvement dynamic – provide guidance to WorkSafe staff and agents on matters relating to the review process, including trends, issues or feedback identified during reviews that support fair, reasonable, consistent and sustainable decision-making objective; and continuously review and, where necessary, revise and update procedures, processes and policies within the independent review team.
• Review, supervise and train the team in the writing of clear and logical review findings setting out the basis for the findings, relevant findings of fact and the material on which those findings were based.
• Communicate outcomes of reviews and the reasons for those outcomes to workers, agents or other authorised decision-makers and relevant WorkSafe staff in a timely and professional manner.

Please ensure you look at the Position Description here for additional information on accountabilities for this role.

Skills and experience

• Demonstrated experience in leading a professional team or project of work as a technical expert or a complex specialist as a legal advocate or policy specialist in the Victorian workers’ compensation framework.
• Highly developed and demonstrated knowledge of the Workplace Injury Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 2013 and Accident Compensation Act 1985 and the Victorian workers’ compensation statutory framework.
• Highly developed alternative dispute resolution, conflict resolution and facilitation skills.
• Demonstrated ability to provide solutions for defined functional objectives to improve current practices.
• Demonstrated capacity to deal with a wide range of stakeholders effectively, empathetically and tactfully in the review context, including workers, employers, decision-makers, the legal profession and other external stakeholder representatives.
• Demonstrated ability to assess competing and complex evidence and to reach logical and sustainable conclusions based on relevant material.
• Demonstrated ability to write sound logical and sustainable decisions capable of withstanding internal and external review, including scrutiny by Courts and Tribunals.

Qualifications 

• A tertiary undergraduate degree in law or equivalent.
• Minimum post-legal admission experience of 10 years in Victorian workers’ compensation litigation and/or administrative review.

Desired Qualifications 

• Law Institute of Victoria accreditation specialisation in Personal Injury.

Working with Us

At WorkSafe, we aspire for every employee to feel connected, safe and valued in their team, for teams to feel valued in the workplace, and for WorkSafe to be valued in the community.

We believe that a diverse workforce is the key to delivering the best outcomes for the Victorian community and strongly encourage applications from all people, including First Nations people and people with disability, diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds, sexualities and genders. 

What’s next?

Applications close 11:00pm on Friday 8th May 2026. Click the link to apply and join us in making a difference to Victorian lives.

Only applications submitted via the WorkSafe Careers website will be considered.

Preferred candidates will be required to satisfactorily complete a Nationally Coordinated Criminal History Check and/or other checks as required for the position as part of the recruitment process.

Eligibility for ongoing employment with WorkSafe Victoria requires Australian or New Zealand citizenship or permanent residency.

Due to the volume of applications received, individualised feedback will only be provided to candidates who progress to interview stage.

To ensure a fair and open recruitment process, we request that you complete your written application and any online interviews without the use of AI tools. We want to understand your professional skills, experience and capabilities. We acknowledge that candidates may choose to use AI as part of background research.

For further enquiries please contact Rebecca McPherson via email rebecca_mcpherson@worksafe.vic.gov.au