The Australian Human Rights Commission (the Commission) is Australia's national human rights institution, dedicated to fostering a society where human rights are upheld, protected, and celebrated. We envision an Australia where every individual is valued equally in dignity and rights. Our mission involves promoting and safeguarding the human rights of all Australians by: Advising all levels of government and various public and private organisations. Strengthening laws, policies, and practices while providing accessible investigation and conciliation services. Engaging inclusively with civil society, communities, and the private sector. Raising awareness about human rights and offering educational resources. Collaborating with partners to cultivate a culture of respect for human rights across the nation. Our Legal Division is a small, dynamic team that provides the services of in-house counsel to the Commission. The Positive Duty Team is a multi-disciplinary team that sits within Legal Services and is responsible for the regulation of the positive duty (section 47C of the Sex Discrimination Act 1984 (Cth) (SDA)) and related functions. The Senior Director, Positive Duty reports to the General Counsel. We are looking for an experienced strategic leader to lead the Commission's regulatory functions under the positive duty provisions of the SDA. In this pivotal role, you will oversee compliance monitoring, enforcement activities, and stakeholder engagement and drive the strategic implementation of the Commission's positive duty mandate. You will manage a multi-disciplinary team to deliver impactful regulatory outcomes that align with the Commission's corporate plan and broader strategic objectives. This full-time ongoing position offers a competitive negotiable EL2 base salary with additional 15.4% superannuation. Part time options will be considered for the right candidate. We offer flexible, hybrid and remote work options. The key duties of the position include What You'll Do: Develop and implement strategic approaches to regulate compliance with the positive duty under the SDA, ensuring effective monitoring, assessment and enforcement activities. Oversee the conduct of inquiries into compliance with the positive duty, including systemic inquiries, and coordinate enforcement actions including compliance notices and enforceable undertakings. Work with Legal Services to direct litigation strategies in Federal Courts to enforce Commission decisions and ensure regulatory compliance across relevant sectors. Lead and develop a multi-disciplinary team of compliance officers, analysts, legal professionals and support staff in a complex regulatory environment. Build and maintain productive relationships with key stakeholders including government agencies, industry bodies, business leaders, legal practitioners and civil society organisations. Represent the Commission at high-level forums, consultations and public events to promote understanding and compliance with the positive duty requirements. Collaborate with Senior Executives and cross-Commission teams to integrate positive duty activities with broader Commission strategic objectives and regulatory functions. Analyse emerging trends, risks and opportunities in positive duty compliance to inform strategic planning and resource allocation decisions. Provide expert advice to the President, General Counsel and Senior Management on complex regulatory matters, enforcement strategies and policy development. Oversee development and publication of guidelines, research and educational materials to promote understanding and compliance with the positive duty. Lead initiatives to build organisational capability and public awareness of positive duty requirements across different sectors and industries.
