Legal Counsel | Property Focused | AustralianSuper

AustralianSuper is the largest superannuation (pension) fund in Australia and one of the 25 largest pension funds globally. We invest the retirement savings of our 2.6 million members to help them achieve their best possible retirement outcome.

The Fund is experiencing significant growth and is expanding its investment capabilities in London and New York.

Working with a wide range of stakeholders, we create meaningful value for members and our communities through our diverse workforce of highly competent and highly motivated employees.

• High performing & dynamic Investments team
• Flexible and inclusive work environment
• Exciting growth plans, both locally and internationally

Your new team:

With a team of 4 in the Legal Investments department here in London already, we are now looking to grow further, creating a new seat for a Property focused Legal Counsel this summer.

Our local teams, focus within the real asset space, and this will continue to grow further in the next few years, across our international offices (London and New York).

The office in Kings Cross is just over 50 people now, and growing, with Investment Teams, Legal and Tax, Finance & Operations, Risk & Compliance, People & Culture, and Technology.

International Fund Team:

To support the ongoing growth of the Fund, we established a permanent team in London. This enables the Fund to expand its global investment portfolio and build our international profile by having a permanent presence in Europe and hiring local specialists who will deepen our international relationships and support implementing local best practice based on local experience.

In a small scale office environment, you will be exposed to professionals across all of our Investment Asset classes, as well as other functions required to support them, giving you the chance to build broad relationships, gain a deeper understanding of how each of these areas operate and get involved in activities outside of your immediate role or team.

Our office is based at 2 Pancras Square in the Kings Cross which is part of the Kings Cross redevelopment project which is one of the core assets of our investment portfolio.

You will join a group of dedicated and talented individuals in an environment underpinned by trust and respect. You will feel enabled to have both an interesting career and a fulfilling life because at AustralianSuper every role is flexible.

Your new role

What makes this role unique is that you are an integral part of supporting our Investments team and ensuring that the assets we are investing in deliver great returns for our members. You are at the heart of the transaction alongside the commercial team to deliver excellent outcomes and your voice is valued and highly respected.

Reporting to Managing Legal Counsel in London you will be responsible for ensuring that from a legal perspective the commercial elements regarding the Fund's investments are effectively identified, negotiated, and documented at the outset, and continuously monitored.

Some of your key responsibilities in this role will be:

• Autonomously manage the legal and related due diligence required in respect of assets in which the Fund is planning to invest, with a particular focus on the Fund's direct investments in property, and also infrastructure and debt.
• Lead the identification, escalation, allocation, and mitigation of legal risks associated with the Fund's investment activities as part of the legal work stream.
• Own the relationship with external legal due diligence providers to ensure all material legal risks are identified and addressed to the Fund's satisfaction.
• Manage and provide advice on legal documentation and commercial terms relating to both the Fund's direct investment activity.
• Take ownership for the development and implementation of appropriate control processes, precedents, and checklists for the ongoing review of investments in listed and unlisted assets.
• Input into the broader transaction management for the Fund's direct acquisitions across the asset class teams and portfolio operations.

You'll need:

You will be a dynamic individual, enjoy engaging with a range of stakeholders and thrive on being hands on with the work that you do.

• At least 7/8 years PQE working within private practice at a large law firm or an in-house legal function within an institutional investing organisation
• Strong expertise in private M&A and joint ventures with a specialist in the property sector
• A good understanding of either/or debt, infrastructure, private equity transactional law
• Desire to be hands on with the transaction team, and very close to all elements of the investment(s)
• Extensive experience working on large-scale corporate/commercial/property transactions, and managing projects with several parties and service providers
• Experience in conducting negotiations, drafting contracts, preparing reports, analysing information, and drawing conclusions
• A strong track record of projects with several parties and service providers as part of a transaction
• Detailed comprehension of legal due diligence principles in relation to investments
• Exceptional communication and stakeholder management skills
• Relevant Law Degree and/or Legal qualification

What you will get in return:

Joining our team in London presents you with a unique opportunity to be a part of establishing the London operations. You will be responsible for helping to identify new opportunities for the Fund, while developing and embedding best practices that will enable continued growth and the success of the Fund outside of Australia. You will be relied upon to share your knowledge and experience that will enable us to continue to successfully grow the Fund and provide the best possible retirement outcomes for our members.

You will also have plenty of interaction with your colleagues in Australia, but this does at times mean you will need to be flexible in your working hours, as they do the same to be able to accommodate schedules and time differences. There may also be opportunities to travel to our international offices for learning and development purposes.

Furthermore, will you have the chance to work for a growing, dynamic, and authentic business that values integrity and puts its members first, but you get a whole host of other benefits. A competitive salary is on offer and your benefits include genuine flexible working arrangements, insurances, and generous leave entitlements to name a few.

We put members first in everything we do and are committed to the recruitment, development and support of a diverse workforce that share our values of Energy, Integrity, Generosity of Spirit and Excellent Outcomes.

What next

If you would like the opportunity to work in a challenging, growing and rapidly evolving team to deliver outstanding results, please apply now!

We are committed to the recruitment, development, and support of a diverse workforce into an environment which is inclusive, embraces diversity in all its forms and is a place where you can be you. All roles can flex at AustralianSuper and we're happy to discuss what this can look like for you.

Agencies please note, this vacancy is being managed directly by AustralianSuper's Recruitment team. We will contact our preferred agency partners should we require additional support. Thank you.