Overview
Head of Legal and Risk Jobs in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia at Australian Institute of Company Directors
Title: Head of Legal and Risk
Company: Australian Institute of Company Directors
Location: Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Job Type: Permanent – Full Time
Location: Sydney, NSW
Job Category: Legal
About Us
The Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD) is committed to strengthening society through world-class governance. We aim to be the independent and trusted voice of governance, building the capability of a community of leaders for the benefit of society. Our membership of more than 50,000 includes directors and senior leaders from business, government and the not-for-profit sectors.
Job Description
The AICD is seeking an experienced Head of Legal and Risk to lead its legal, risk and compliance functions.
This key leadership role, with direct exposure to the Board and Executive, will see you balance risk, compliance, and commercial decision making. You will also shape how risk and legal strategy support organisational priorities and enable strong governance outcomes.
About The Role
Reporting to the Chief Financial Officer and Company Secretary, you will:
- Provide trusted legal advice to the Executive and Board
- Lead the organisation’s legal, risk and compliance frameworks
- Guide strategic decisions through practical legal and risk insight
- Oversee audit, insurance and regulatory matters
- Lead and develop a high-performing team
Desired Skills And Experience
About you
You are a senior legal leader with strong commercial judgement and a practical, solutions-focused approach and will champion our values of Accountability, Respect, Excellence, and Collaboration.
You Will Bring
- Admission as a solicitor in New South Wales with a current practising certificate
- Significant commercial law experience across private practice and in-house
- Strong background in risk, compliance or audit environments
- Experience advising Boards and senior executives
- Proven ability to lead and develop teams
- Excellent communication and stakeholder engagement skills
Why join AICD
You will join a respected national organisation that influences governance practice across Australia. This role offers meaningful impact, senior stakeholder engagement and the opportunity to shape enterprise risk and legal strategy.
Our Values
Accountability, Respect, Excellence and Collaboration
There are many benefits of joining the AICD, but the following are examples of what you can expect:
- Enjoy true flexibility with hybrid working arrangements that support balance and productivity.
- Maximise your benefits with access to salary sacrificing and salary continuance (income protection) insurance.
- Feel supported with a comprehensive employee assistance program available to you and your immediate family.
- Join a collaborative, solutions‑focused team that genuinely lives a ‘One Team’ culture.
- Grow your career with confidence through our capability framework, ongoing professional development programs, and access to the AICD education platform—including training courses, webinars, professional coaching, and external study support.
- Have an impact in an organisation recognised as the gold standard in governance, policy, and leadership across Australia.
