Senior Associate - Environment and Land Access

Piper Alderman is seeking a Senior Associate - Environment and Land Access in Perth, WA. The role requires expertise in natural resources regulation, project planning, and land use conflict resolution. Candidates should have at least 5 years of relevant experience, including negotiating with traditional owners. This position offers career progression opportunities and involves working within a collaborative legal team focused on environmental compliance and sustainable development.
We are seeking an experienced and highly skilled Senior Associate with experience in natural resources use and regulation to work on the full life cycle of projects across sectors including energy, resources, agribusiness, water supply and manufacturing.

The ideal candidate will have a strong background in environmental regulation and resolving land, water and other resource use conflicts, including rehabilitation and remediation and sequential land use. Experience negotiating agreements with traditional owners will be highly regarded.

This is a rare and exciting opportunity for a successful candidate to work with a leading partner to contribute to the strategic growth of our practice in Western Australia and across Australia. There is a strong career progression opportunity for the right candidate.

Key Responsibilities:
• Advise on project planning, development, operational compliance, and closure, rehabilitation and remediation of contamination
• Advise on the rapidly evolving regulatory regimes promoting sustainable development and responding to climate change
• Draft, review, and negotiate documents to secure project tenure and manage competing land uses, and associated documents
• Assist clients to obtain and maintain project tenure and regulatory approvals
• Advise on environmental and operational regulatory compliance

To succeed in this role, you will ideally have:
• Minimum of 5 years’ experience working with environment, natural resources and Crown land regulatory regimes in Western Australia
• Experience negotiating and drafting agreements with traditional owners including ILUAs will be highly regarded
• A commitment to excellence and delivery of high-quality practical written advice to clients
• Proven track record in handling complex document negotiation and drafting to achieve strategic solutions
• Ability to effectively manage your own time, managing competing tasks and at time working to tight deadlines
• Ability to work effectively in a team-oriented environment with junior lawyers
• Exceptional written communication and interpersonal skills

About the Team

This is a key role in our rapidly developing Projects team in Perth, primarily reporting to Katie Winterbourne, Partner. Katie is an established commercial lawyer, who has extensive experience working with complex land and resources allocation issues and environmental regulation throughout Australia and in Canada. Katie has been consistently recognised by Best Lawyers in Australia for Planning and Environmental Law, Mining Law, Natural Resources Law and Water Law and by Doyle’s Guide as a Leading Planning and Environmental Lawyer.

Our team is a recognised and integrated team of lawyers who provide practical and commercial advice on how to navigate the increasingly complex regulatory and policy requirements associated with the full life-cycle of land use and resources projects.

About us

Piper Alderman is a premier commercial law firm with offices in Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth and Melbourne. We work with clients across Australia and internationally to achieve practical commercial outcomes, innovation in service delivery and deep engagement across multiple industries. Piper Alderman prides itself on being a collaborative law firm where high achieving ambitious team members can succeed in achieving their career goals whilst performing challenging and rewarding tasks and contributing to thought leadership.

At Piper Alderman we promote a culture of excellence, collaboration and teamwork. We recognise and support individuals and invest in their continued professional development.

Our perks

We have a variety of employee benefits aimed at supporting our people including, but not limited to:
• A variety of health and wellbeing initiatives including our Thrive@PiperAlderman Wellbeing Program.
• Learning and development opportunities to support career growth including generous study support options.
• An attractive Parental Leave policy offering up to 26 weeks paid leave.
• Automatic acceptance into the group Salary Continuance insurance plan
• Purchased annual leave options.
• Employee-led Diversity & Inclusion and Reconciliation Committees and the opportunity to participate in pro-bono work

Apply today

Piper Alderman is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive workplace. We aim to attract and retain the best people and provide an environment where those people can be their authentic selves. We value diversity of thought and experience and aim to ensure all our people are valued and respected.

Please submit an application by clicking the relevant link in this job advertisement. Please note, no applications will be accepted directly via email.

If you have questions or would like further information about this opportunity, please careers@piperalderman.com.au