Senior Advisor Employment Relations

Ministry of Justice - New Zealand; Wellington; On-site; NZD 99,000 - 136,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

4.4 weeks annual leave

Online professional development portal

Inclusive networks

Job summary

Ministry of Justice in Wellington is seeking a Senior Advisor Employment Relations for a permanent, full-time role. You will provide trusted advice on employment relations matters to senior leaders, balancing legislative requirements with organisational needs and employee relationships.

You will bring a strong grounding in NZ employment law, ER practice and collective bargaining, and engage with unions to foster constructive relationships while delivering high-quality policies and guidance

Qualifications

• Strong knowledge of New Zealand employment legislation, ER practice and collective agreements.
• Experience providing sound advice on complex ER issues, including conflict resolution.
• Experience supporting or delivering collective bargaining and implementing outcomes.
• Confidence working with unions and fostering constructive, positive relationships.
• Excellent written skills, with the ability to develop clear, high-quality policies and guidance.
• Strong communication and influencing skills, with the ability to engage effectively with a wide range of stakeholders.
• Experience contributing to projects and delivering quality outcomes to tight deadlines.
• The ability to apply sound judgement and provide pragmatic, solutions-focused advice in complex and sensitive situations.

Skills

NZ employment legislation knowledge

ER practice expertise

Collective bargaining experience

Union engagement

Policy writing

Stakeholder engagement

Project delivery under deadlines

Judgement & pragmatic advice

Job description

Senior Advisor Employment Relations – Permanent, full-time position available!

Te Whanganui-a-Tara/Wellington

Te Haeata/The Opportunity

Employment relations is one of the most interesting and rewarding areas of HR. Every day brings a new challenge, an opportunity to influence outcomes, and the chance to make a genuine difference for our people and leaders.

We're looking for someone who has a strong grounding in employment relations and enjoys using their expertise to solve complex problems. You'll be comfortable providing trusted advice to leaders, navigating sensitive issues, and balancing legislative requirements, organisational needs and positive employee relationships.

You’ll bring curiosity and sound judgement to your work, with the confidence to understand the “why” behind employment legislation and apply it in a practical way. You’ll enjoy building strong relationships, influencing outcomes and finding balanced solutions to complex people issues.

This is a role where your existing experience will be valued, while also giving you the opportunity to continue building your capability and broaden your employment relations expertise.

Ō Pūkenga/Skills And Experience

You'll Ideally Have

• Strong knowledge of New Zealand employment legislation, ER practice and collective agreements.


• Demonstrated experience providing sound advice on complex ER issues, including conflict resolution and mediation.


• Experience supporting or delivering collective bargaining and implementing outcomes.


• Confidence working with unions and fostering constructive, positive relationships.


• Excellent written skills, with the ability to develop clear, high-quality policies and guidance.


• Strong communication and influencing skills, with the ability to engage effectively with a wide range of stakeholders.


• Experience contributing to projects and delivering quality outcomes to tight deadlines.


• The ability to apply sound judgement and provide pragmatic, solutions-focused advice in complex and sensitive situations.

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

We offer you a range of benefits to support your wellbeing and help make the Ministry a great place to be. These include:

• 4.4 weeks annual leave


• an online professional development portal


• access to a variety of inclusive and proactive networks

See out full range of benefits here.

Utu ā-tau/

Salary

The remuneration band for this role is $99,208 to $135,539 – 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.

Applications close on Monday 31 August 2026; however, we will be reviewing CVs as they come in and inviting successful candidates to interview before the close date.

If you have any questions, please contact [e-mail]