Lead Counsel

At Ampol, we believe in the Power of Us - the extraordinary power of people to connect, act, and make a difference.  

As a leading energy company operating across Australia, New Zealand, Singapore and from the United States, our work spans fuel supply, energy solutions, convenience retail, infrastructure, trading and shipping. Every role at Ampol plays a part in something bigger - powering progress for our customers, communities, and people.  

Your career here is yours to shape. We back our people with real opportunities, the tools to grow, and a culture that rewards ownership and initiative. Whether you’re deepening your expertise or taking on something new, we’ll support you to power a career that works for you.  

We’re building a workplace where everyone feels welcome, respected, and valued - because when people are free to be themselves, powerful things happen.

About Corporate

Our Corporate teams enable the broader business to perform - providing strategic, financial, legal, people and governance expertise. With roles across Australia, Singapore and the US, we’re critical partners to the business and help shape Ampol’s future.

We work across borders, collaborate widely, and lead with purpose - always looking for ways to improve how we operate, support our people, and deliver results.

About the role

The Lead Counsel role provides legal advice to the Ampol Group of Companies (the Group) in order to assist the Group to meet its commercial objectives and effectively manage legal risk associated with the Group’s business activities. We are looking in particular for a candidate who has the necessary skill set to work autonomously with our Technology, Digital and Data Team as well as more broadly across the Group.  This is a permanent, full-time role based in Ampol’s headquarters in Alexandria offering a hybrid working arrangement.

Key responsibilities

• Legal Advice: The provision of legal advice which:
  • demonstrates a good understanding of Ampol's commercial objectives and key drivers, and a "whole of group" approach;
  • is fit for purpose;
  • is commercial, practical and solutions-oriented and delivered within agreed timeframes; and
  • is clear and assists the business to understand the key legal and compliance risks and the likelihood of those risks occurring.

• Business Focus: The development of an effective relationship with the business by:
  • taking the initiative to understand business plans/objectives/key drivers through regular communication;
  • proactively seeking ways to help the business manage key legal risks in their business areas;
  • proactively provide legal assistance which meets their requirements;
  • sharing learnings from other parts of the Group.
• Workload Management: Efficient management of workload by:
  • prioritising critical and strategic work;
  • effective planning and management of business expectations and priorities;
  • sharing information and learnings.    
• Contract Negotiation:  Support the business in commercial transactions by drafting, reviewing and negotiating a variety of agreements for all levels of the business.
• Regulatory Compliance: The effective management of:
  • Ampol’s risk framework for core compliance areas, including drafting and reviewing policies and procedures and designing and delivering training;
  • exposure to breach of Australian laws and regulations, including competition and consumer laws and in particular Data and Privacy laws.
• Management of Disputes and investigations: The effective management of:
  • complaints and pre-litigation disputes;
  • investigations or incidents involving loss of or third party access to personal information held by or on behalf of Ampol;
  • litigious matters by managing the delivery of legal services by the external lawyers to ensure that the advice is fit for purpose and aligned with the business objectives and monitoring and managing legal costs.

Qualifications & Experience

• Tertiary qualification in law with current legal practising certificate.
• 3-10 years’ post qualification experience (PQE) in practice, ideally in a top-tier law firm or as a corporate lawyer for a medium-sized or large business.
• Previous experience in advising on drafting/negotiating a broad range of commercial agreements and advising on disputes and litigation.
• In-house experience (whether through direct employment or secondment) is highly desirable.
• Ability to gain the trust and respect of the business, especially senior management, through effective partnering.
• Very good communication skills (both oral and written) including an ability to communicate effectively at the highest levels of the organisation.
• Sound analytical skills and problem-solving ability with strong drafting skills.
• Ability to manage competing priorities and meet tight deadlines.

Our Benefits
Our total remuneration is competitive. This is across base salary, a performance incentive, employee share offers and a 25% discount on Fuel for two privately used cars! 

• We are flexible. Many of our teams have embraced hybrid work, balancing time spent remote working, with time spent at an office to connect and work together where it adds value. 
• Remote Working. Support for up to 3 months remote international working (conditional to 5 days paid leave for every 30 days of remote work). 
• We value recognition.  We have an internal recognition platform amplifying the achievements of those who do great work and demonstrate our capabilities and values. 
• Career development and learning opportunities.  These include LinkedIn Learning and other tailored training solutions. 
• Paid Parental Leave. Up to 12 weeks paid Parental leave, and up to a year off (unpaid). In addition to the 12 months of unpaid parental leave, employees may apply for a further 12 months of unpaid parental leave (a total of 24 months for each birth) 
• BabyCare Package. Financial and flexible support for parents transitioning back to work. 
• Need some wheels? Novated Lease options are available. 
• Share Scheme. Invest in your future with the Employee Share Scheme 
• Leave Options.  Up to 6 weeks annual leave and additional Wellbeing leave days. 
• Care for your Community Spend one paid day a year volunteering with one of our Ampol Foundation partners.   

Want to take your career to the next level? Apply today.  

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 We’re an equal opportunity workplace. We not only embrace diversity and inclusion; we celebrate what makes you unique. We welcome applications from people of all ages, cultural backgrounds, and diverse sexualities and genders (including if you identify as transgender). We also highly encourage Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to apply for roles with Ampol.