Principal Judicial Advisor

Ministry of Justice - New Zealand; Wellington; On-site; NZD 130,000 - 179,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

22 days holiday

Flexible hours

Online professional development

Inclusive networks

Job summary

Ministry of Justice - New Zealand, Wellington-based, seeks a Principal Judicial Advisor, Te Au Reka, to facilitate the judiciary's engagement in the Te Au Reka programme, modernising the digital case management system for Aotearoa New Zealand courts and tribunals.

You will advise the Manager, Judicial and Legal Profession Engagement, collaborate with the Te Au Reka judicial lead and representatives, and support engagement, change readiness, and informed decision-making across the judiciary.

Qualifications

• Experience in a court environment with understanding of court processes.
• Experience working with the judiciary and senior managers.
• Ability to communicate with a wide range of audiences on complex issues.
• Experience working on technology or digital transformation projects.
• Workshop facilitation or design thinking facilitation skills.

Responsibilities

• Facilitate the judiciary's participation in Te Au Reka and advise on engagement.
• Collaborate with the Te Au Reka team and Office of the Chief Justice on judiciary engagement.
• Support change readiness activities and prepare materials for judiciary engagements.

Skills

Court processes

Judiciary engagement

Stakeholder communication

Digital transformation

Workshop facilitation

Job description

Principal Judicial Advisor, Te Au Reka

Fixed Term Full Time / Secondment opportunity (end date 1 September 2029)

Wellington Based

Te Au Reka – Improving access to justice for all New Zealanders

Te Au Reka represents the opportunity to make a profound difference to those who work in, and interact with, courts and tribunals. This new digital case management system will help modernise the administration of justice in Aotearoa New Zealand. It will replace highly manual, time‑consuming, paper‑based processes, transforming the way people access and experience justice in New Zealand.

Te Au Reka is a large, complex and unique programme, spanning courts and tribunals nationwide. In delivering Te Au Reka we're challenging traditional norms in search of more innovative ways of working. We explore, learn and adapt to overcome hurdles and take advantage of opportunities. We are a high functioning and collaborative team working in a fast‑paced environment, motivated by the significance of this work and supporting each other to get it done.

Te Haeata/The Opportunity

The Principal Judicial Advisor, Te Au Reka is responsible for facilitating the judiciary's effective participation in this major initiative to modernise the administration of justice through the courts and tribunals of Aotearoa New Zealand.

You will support and advise the Manager, Judicial and Legal Profession Engagement and will work with the Te Au Reka judicial lead and judicial representatives for the Te Au Reka programme to support effective consultation, collaboration, and decision‑making. You will also work closely with the Te Au Reka programme delivery team and Office of the Chief Justice, to support the judiciary on a broad range of topics and issues that relate to Te Au Reka.

You will focus on getting things done with and through others – knowing which key decisions you need to make, where to influence, when to collaborate, and when to delegate. You will welcome and value diversity and contribute to creating an inclusive work environment where differences are acknowledged and respected, fostering a strong team that delivers.

As the Principal Judicial Advisor, you will use your knowledge of the separation of powers and the implication this has for information management, and the Te Au Reka governance requirements, to ensure information has been accurately interpreted and captured from a judicial perspective and that the change has been considered from all angles. You will prepare materials to support engagements with the judiciary, will participate in workshops to understand the requirements of the judiciary, and will support change readiness activities for the judiciary.

The Principal Advisor reports to the Manager, Judicial and Legal Profession Engagement, Te Au Reka.

Ō Pūkenga/Skills And Experience

• Working in a court environment with an understanding of court processes
• Working with the judiciary and senior managers
• Communicating with a wide range of audiences on complex issues
• Experience working on technology or digital transformation projects
• Workshop facilitation or design thinking facilitation skills

Mō Mātou/About Us

At Te Tāhū o te Ture - the Ministry of Justice, we're committed to strengthening people's trust in the law of Aotearoa, New Zealand.

Joining Te Tāhū o te Ture means you will become part of an organisation that welcomes and supports people of all gender identities, ages, ethnicities, sexual orientations, disabilities and religions.

Ngā painga o tēnei wāhi mahi/What's great about working here

Benefits

• 22 days holiday leave
• flexible work hours where possible
• an online professional development portal
• access to a variety of inclusive and proactive networks

See our full range of benefits here.

With a wide range of jobs, you also get the chance to gain a variety of skills and experience while developing your career.

Utu ā-tau / Salary

The remuneration band for this role is $130,129 to $179,192 – while the appointing salary will be based on skills and experience, we are willing to pay higher in the band to attract strong candidates into this role.