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About the Company 

SA Water is a successful, modern water utility wholly owned by the Government of South Australia. We employ more than 1,700 people across a broad range of disciplines who operate more than $14 billion worth of infrastructure to deliver essential water and sewerage services to more than 1.8 million South Australians.

We operate in a geographically and climatically diverse service area, with sites and locations from Ceduna through to Port Augusta, the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (APY) Lands, across to the Riverland, down to Mount Gambier, and most places in between.

Our strength and expertise have been shaped by our history. For more than 165 years, South Australians have depended on us to innovate and deliver efficient and sustainable water services. With nationally and internationally recognised industry expertise, we’re focused on understanding and meeting our customers’ expectations.

As well as safely delivering smart and reliable services for our customers of today, we innovate to shape the water solutions of the future that will support thriving economies and healthy communities.

We are driven by our values; we value our people, we do work that matters, we keep it real, we know that our work has impact and we are future focussed. Staying true to our values ensures that we consistently deliver positive outcomes for all South Australians.

About the job  

As a Senior In-house Lawyer at SA Water, you will play a critical role in providing high-quality legal advice, case management and strategic guidance across SA Water. You will support the organisations operations, Board and leadership team by delivering practical and commercially sound legal advice.

This position will enable you to step into a role that offers true variety, influence and visibility across the entire organisation. From day one, you will be working across a diverse portfolio of complex legal matters, spanning commercial, regulatory, operations and strategic issues.

You’ll partner closely with the General Counsel, General Managers, Senior Managers and all leaders across the business, placing you at the centre of key decisions and initiatives. This is a role where your advice won’t sit on the sidelines, it will actively shape outcomes, guide direction and support the delivery of essential services to the community.

In addition to advising on negotiating key commercial agreements, you will lead the provision of legal advice on high value property deals dispute resolution and ensuring accurate interpretation and application of relevant laws.

This is a dynamic and highly influential position that requires strong technical expertise, the ability to build trusted relationships and a commitment to safeguarding the organisations legal and commercial interests. 

Requirements for this role will include a Bachelor of Laws and admission as a legal practitioner of the Supreme Court of South Australia (unrestricted.

This position is a full-time ongoing role and reports directly to the General Counsel.

About the Person

We are seeking a highly skilled and motivated legal professional with demonstrated experience in providing clear, practical and commercially focused legal advice with a complex environment. The ideal candidate will have strong technical expertise across commercial law, contract law, litigation (desirable), corporate governance and regulatory compliance, with the ability to manage complex legal issues and negotiate successful outcomes.

You will bring excellent communication and influencing skills, enabling you to build trusted relationships with executives, project teams and leaders across SA Water.

In addition, your responsibilities will include: 

Fostering trust with our people, customers and community by providing expert advice and service that ensure we effectively communicate and engage audiences with our business strategy and its delivery across South Australia, every day. 

You will: 

• Provide appropriate legal advice, legal case management and legal drafting services, to SA Water business areas including the Board and CE or obtain external services i.e. Crown Solicitors Office to deliver when required.
• If required, act in the role of General Counsel (Senior Manager, Legal, Compliance and Insurance) and/or Company Secretary therefore, requiring a reasonable knowledge of SA Water Board secretariat matters, claims and insurance and stay abreast of key risks and processes in the respective areas.
• Through partnering with the business, proactively identify key legal risks and ensure that the business is aware of these while supporting mitigation strategies.
• Contribute to the ongoing development and implementation of business processes that assist SA Water’s management of its legal obligations.
• Assist the SA Ombudsman or the South Australian Civil and Administrative Tribunal conduct external reviews of SA Water FOI determinations.

Your success in this role will come from: 

• Law degree and admitted as legal practitioner of the Supreme Court of South Australia (+ 8 years PAE)
• Unrestricted practising certificate in South Australia
• Demonstrated relevant experience in legal practice or as an in-house solicitor
• Experience in advising on legislative and compliance issues
• Highly developed communication skills
• Experience in public sector and/or good working knowledge of government
• Demonstrated ability to analyse legal problems and determine and implement effective, practical, timely resolutions
• Experience in Freedom of Information

Further information can be found in the attached candidate pack – Candidate pack - Senior In-house Lawyer

To apply, click 'Apply'. Please submit and complete the application form, upload a cover letter and current resume.

For enquiries, please contact Steph Haines - Talent Acquisition Partner from the Talent Acquisition team steph.haines@sawater.com.au.

Applications close 11:55pm, Wednesday 13 May 2026.

A great customer experience is best achieved by having a diverse and inclusive team that reflects the community we serve. Applications are encouraged from everyone, including people living with disability, job seekers of all ages, members of the LGBTIQA+ community, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, and people from culturally diverse backgrounds. 

Our Industry is like no other. Dive into the wonderful world of water and explore the boundless opportunities. Learn more about the water industry at careersinwater.com.au.

Please note: We request that recruitment agencies do not submit candidates for this position, as they will not be accepted.