Principal Legal Advisor | Permanent

New Zealand Government; Wellington; Sur place; NZD 153 000 - 216 000; Plein temps

Avantages offerts par ce poste

Flexible working arrangements

Résumé du poste

New Zealand Government, Social Investment Agency, Wellington, is seeking an experienced Principal Legal Advisor to provide high‑quality, commercially astute legal advice across commercial contracts, procurement, commissioning, privacy and public law. You will be the agency’s sole in‑house counsel, influencing decisions and shaping funding and service arrangements.

You will work with senior leaders, manage legal risk and oversee external advice, combining law, policy and social investment to

Qualifications

• At least 10 years' post‑qualification legal experience, including significant public, commercial or regulatory law.
• Strong experience in contracts, procurement, funding arrangements and commercial negotiations.
• Sound judgement and the confidence to provide clear, pragmatic and legally robust advice to senior leaders.

Responsabilités

• Provide strategic, practical legal advice across commercial contracts, procurement, commissioning, privacy and public law.
• Support design and negotiation of funding agreements and provider arrangements, ensuring legal considerations are addressed early.
• Strengthen legal risk management, governance and organisational capability, while overseeing external legal advice.
• Work at the intersection of law, policy and social investment to enable delivery and better outcomes.

Connaissances

Public law

Commercial contracting

Regulatory law

Procurement

Governance

Formation

Bachelor of Laws or equivalent

Barrister and Solicitor of the High Court of NZ

NZ practising certificate

Description du poste

Be our sole in-house legal advisor, providing trusted advice and influencing decisions across the agency.

• Work across complex commercial, contracting and public law matters in a dynamic environment.
• Help shape legal frameworks and commissioning arrangements that support better outcomes for New Zealanders.

Kōrero mō te tūranga | About the role

We are looking for an experienced Principal Legal Advisor to provide high‑quality, practical and commercially astute legal advice across the Social Investment Agency. As our sole in‑house legal advisor, you will work closely with senior leaders and teams across the agency, providing trusted advice that supports effective decision‑making, manages legal risk and enables delivery. This is a varied and influential role where you will:

• Provide strategic and practical legal advice across commercial contracts, procurement, commissioning, privacy, information sharing and public law.
• Support the design and negotiation of funding agreements, provider arrangements and social investment initiatives, ensuring legal considerations are addressed early.
• Strengthen legal risk management, governance and organisational capability, while overseeing the effective use of external legal advice.

You’ll work at the intersection of law, public policy and social investment, helping the agency navigate complex legal matters and develop practical solutions that support better outcomes for New Zealanders.

He kōrero mōu | About you

You’ll be an experienced legal professional who enjoys working across a broad range of matters, building trusted relationships and finding practical solutions to complex challenges. We’re looking for someone who brings:

• At least 10 years' post‑qualification legal experience, including significant expertise in public, commercial or regulatory law.
• Strong experience in contracts, procurement, funding arrangements and commercial negotiations.
• Sound judgement and the confidence to provide clear, pragmatic and legally robust advice to senior leaders.
• The ability to balance legal risk with organisational priorities, commercial considerations and public sector obligations.
• An understanding of the New Zealand public sector, Te Tiriti o Waitangi and effective Crown‑Māori relationships.

You hold a Bachelor of Laws or equivalent qualification, be admitted or eligible for admission as a Barrister and Solicitor of the High Court of New Zealand, and hold a current New Zealand practising certificate. Experience in social investment, commissioning, or working with iwi, Māori entities and community organisations would be an advantage. Above all, you’ll be someone who can work independently, build strong relationships and make complex legal advice accessible, constructive and solutions‑focused.

Utu ā‑tau | Salary

The salary range for this role is $153,344 - $216,485. Starting salaries reflect skills and experience relevant to the role, with offers generally made between $153,344 - $180,405. Please note that this is a permanent position. We welcome expressions of interest from employees seeking a secondment and are happy to discuss flexible working arrangements, including 0.8 FTE.

Ko wai mātou | About us

The Social Investment Agency is a central agency, set up to lead the social investment approach to improve people’s lives and to support the Government to achieve better outcomes from social service expenditure. Social investment involves using data to understand people’s needs and the best prevention points, implementing evidence‑based approaches to improving outcomes, and testing that they’ve been successful. The Agency has a particular focus on cross‑sector work to address the most pervasive social sector challenges.

We are committed to having a safe and inclusive workplace and value the diversity everyone brings. We welcome applications from everyone, regardless of gender identity, age, ethnicity, sexual orientation, disability or religion. If you have any support or access requirements, we encourage you to tell us when you apply so we can assist you through the recruitment process.

Applications close at 11.59pm, Sunday 08th of November.