General Counsel

FirstCape; Wellington; On-site; NZD 90,000 - 144,000; Part time

Benefits offered by this job

Wellbeing support

Volunteer days

Great company culture

Job summary

FirstCape invites an experienced General Counsel to join in a part-time, 0.6 FTE capacity to provide focused legal and governance support across the FirstCape Group. This senior role reports to the Director, Head of Corporate Development and Strategy and will advise the CEO, Chair and Board on governance, corporate transactions and strategic legal matters.

As a part-time role, you will prioritise high-impact governance work, oversee governance documentation and support post-completion actions.

Qualifications

• Senior legal adviser with board governance and corporate transaction experience.
• Experience drafting board and shareholder resolutions and delegated authority documents.
• Understanding NZ company law and financial services regulatory context.

Responsibilities

• Provide practical, commercially balanced legal advice to the Group CEO, Chair, Board and senior leadership on governance, corporate structure and strategic transactions.
• Support mergers and acquisitions and other corporate activity, including due diligence and post-completion matters.
• Prepare and coordinate board and shareholder resolutions and delegated authority approvals.
• Provide governance input for Board committees and ensure effective governance services.
• Coordinate with subsidiary Heads of Legal, Risk and Compliance on Group-level matters.
• Identify material legal and governance risks and provide mitigation recommendations.
• Manage external legal advisers to keep advice targeted and cost-effective.
• Support corporate procurement activities from a legal perspective.
• Maintain confidentiality, integrity and professional judgement across matters.

Job description

FirstCape – Wellington Central, North Island

FirstCape is one of New Zealand’s largest and best resourced wealth advisory and asset management business, creating an enhanced and broadened product offering to help our clients achieve their goals at whatever stage of their investment life cycle. Here at FirstCape, we believe that our people are our greatest asset. Our success is dependent on the collective talent, expertise, and dedication of each and every one of our team members. We are committed to creating an environment where everyone can thrive, grow, and contribute to their fullest potential.

About the opportunity | Mo te whai waahi

We’re looking for an experienced General Counsel to join FirstCape in a part-time, 0.6 FTE capacity. This senior role provides focused legal and governance support across FirstCape Group. We will consider strong applicants form all domestic locations.

Reporting to the Director, Head of Corporate Development and Strategy, you’ll act as a trusted adviser to the Group CEO, Chair, Board and senior leadership. Your work will focus on high-impact Group matters such as Board governance, corporate transactions, mergers and acquisitions, strategic legal advice and corporate procurement.

As this is a part-time role, you’ll use your judgement to prioritise matters with the greatest strategic or governance significance. The role is focused on FirstCape Group legal and governance matters and does not replace the day-to-day legal, risk, compliance or company secretariat accountabilities of FirstCape’s subsidiary businesses.

• Provide practical, commercially balanced legal advice to the Group CEO, Chair, Board and senior leadership on corporate structure, governance, mergers and acquisitions, strategic transactions and material Group legal risks.
• Support mergers and acquisitions and other corporate activity (such as debt or equity financing), including due diligence, transaction structuring, negotiations, legal documentation, completion requirements and relevant post-completion matters.
• Prepare, review and coordinate Board and shareholder resolutions, written resolutions, delegated authority approvals and other formal governance documentation.
• Provide legal and governance input into matters requiring Board or Board Committee consideration.
• Oversee the Company Secretary and the delivery of effective governance services to the Board, Board Committees, Chair, CEO and executive leadership team.
• Coordinate with subsidiary Heads of Legal, Risk and Compliance on Group-level matters while respecting the operating responsibilities of each subsidiary.
• Identify and escalation material legal and governance risks, providing clear recommendations on mitigation and decision pathways.
• Manage external legal advisers, ensuring advice is targeted, commercially practical and cost-effective.
• Provide legal support for corporate procurement activities.
• Maintain high standards of confidentiality, integrity and professional judgement across all legal and governance matters.

What you will bring to the role | He aha ka kawea e koe ki te mahi

You’ll be a senior and trusted legal adviser with the confidence to work closely with Chairs, Directors, executive leaders and external advisers. Pragmatic and commercially minded, you’ll be comfortable balancing legal risk and governance obligations with strategic business outcomes.

You’ll also bring:

• Strong corporate, commercial and governance legal capability, particularly in Board governance, corporate transactions and mergers and acquisitions.
• Experience preparing and reviewing Board and shareholder resolutions, governance papers, delegated authority documentation and transaction approvals.
• The ability to support due diligence, transaction documentation, completion processes and post-completion legal actions.
• Excellent legal drafting and review skills, with the ability to create clear, precise and Board-ready documentation.
• An understanding of New Zealand company law, governance obligations and the financial services regulatory context relevant to a Group parent company.
• Experience managing external legal advisers and translating specialist advice into practical business actions.
• Strong organisation and prioritisation skills, with the judgement to focus on high-impact matters.
• A clear and concise communication style, with the ability to distil complex issues into practical recommendations.
• A collaborative approach when working with subsidiary legal, risk and compliance teams.
• Sound judgement, discretion and integrity when handling confidential, sensitive and Board-level matters.

Why work at FirstCape? | He aha mahi i te FirstCape?

We offer a competitive compensation package commensurate with experience.

Additional benefits include wellbeing support, volunteer days and a great company culture.

• wellbeing support
• volunteer days
• a great company culture

  We are an inclusive employer and want our workforce to reflect a rich and diverse way of thinking and working.

  We know people are more than a single identity and the qualities that make each one of us unique need to be valued and embraced. So regardless of your gender, age, background or how you choose to identify, there's room for you to realise your potential here. And importantly, there's room to be yourself.

  We’re also committed to providing equal opportunities to all candidates.

  Let us know if you have any accessibility requirements so we can work with you to make adjustments where possible to support your application. Alternatively, if you don’t meet all the requirements of the role but think you would be a great candidate, please apply explaining why you want the role, how you think your skills or background are transferable, and how you plan to upskill where needed (we will support you with this, but want to know you have thought about this too).

  To be eligible to apply, you must have the right to work in New Zealand. Please note candidate screening and interviews may be conducted prior to the closing date of the job advert.