Legal Counsel at Shift (Sydney, Australia)
Shift· Sydney, Australia·
Role details
Job description
Who is Shift?
Shift provides business finance to small, established and corporate sized businesses in Australia, including Business Overdraft, Equipment Line, Asset Finance, Term Loan and Trade Account. Founded in 2014, Shift has funded more than 30,000 Australian businesses. At Shift, our unique approach to product innovation combined with our collaborative culture means you can build your career in a supportive environment. You’ll be joining a diverse team of over 300 people who are always looking to deliver better outcomes for Australian businesses. About the Role: Join Shift's in house legal team for a dynamic, hands-on role where your work truly makes an impact. As Legal Counsel, you'll split your time between broad commercial contracts and advisory work, and our specialist recoveries practice covering collections, workouts, caveats, and debt recovery. The recoveries work is a niche skill set – and we’ll provide comprehensive training. Enjoy the benefits of working in a small, collaborative team with opportunities for continuous learning.
What You’ll Do:
- Draft, review and negotiate commercial agreements, including supplier and merchant contracts
- Manage collections, workout, caveat and debt recovery matters
- Support loan, security and trade finance documentation
- Advise on HR matters and AFCA complaints
- Give practical, timely legal advice across the business
What You’ll Bring:
- 3 to 5 years’ PQE from a mid to top tier firm or financial services
- A current Australian practising certificate
- Strong drafting and negotiation skills
- Banking, lending or insolvency exposure highly regarded
- A commercial mindset and a willingness to learn a specialist area
Key benefits:
- Hybrid working: we’re headquartered in North Sydney with state-based workplaces and offer a hybrid work policy. Our offices have spaces for collaboration, socialising and focused work.
- Parental leave: up to 26 weeks paid.
- Strategy Week: twice a year the whole team comes together to hear the business strategy and product and technology roadmap first-hand, with fortnightly all-company business updates in between.
- Flat structure: everyone can learn from each other and senior leaders across the business.
- Wellbeing: benefits supporting your physical, psychological and financial wellbeing, from a day off on your birthday to end of trip facilities.
Additional information: If you don’t meet all the qualifications or skills but think you’d be a great fit, please apply anyway. Learn more about working at Shift at shift.com.au/careers.
#LI-Hybrid
Why work at Shift
- Culture: Values include “We solve problems,” “We deliver value,” “We are straightforward,” “Time is precious,” and “Shared success, shared learnings.” The company emphasises no fiefdoms, no politics, no egos—a single-team mentality.
- Work policy: “Shift flex” embraces hybrid and remote working, recognising that there’s no one-size-fits-all approach. Some roles are on-site at the North Sydney HQ, while others offer flexibility.
- Parental leave: 26 weeks paid leave for the primary carer and 6 weeks for secondary carers, regardless of gender.
- Office perks: Premium office space in North Sydney with an in-building café, end-of-trip facilities, and a reflection room. Mix of meeting rooms and booths for collaboration.
- Compensation: Competitive salaries and bonus schemes, plus a generous employee referral program.
- Engineering culture: The tech stack includes React, .NET, and modern cloud infrastructure. Open roles include Full Stack Engineer, Senior Software Engineer, and Software Engineer (.NET/React.js), indicating a strong focus on building internal platforms.