Senior Lawyer

Tiaki Wai Limited; Wellington; Hybrid; NZD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible working from home

Professional development opportunities

Job summary

Tiaki Wai Limited in Wellington is seeking a commercially minded Senior Lawyer to join our in-house team during a pivotal transformation. As Wellington's new council-owned water organisation, we are building a trusted, sustainable utility focused on communities and customers.

Working closely with the General Counsel and senior leaders, you will provide pragmatic legal advice across a diverse portfolio, help manage risk and support strategic decision-making.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of post-qualification experience and a current NZ practising certificate.
• Strong expertise in property law, environmental law and the RMA, LGOIMA and privacy.
• Experience with litigation, insurance or dispute resolution.
• Practical, commercial approach to legal problem-solving.
• Ability to build trusted relationships and influence outcomes.

Responsibilities

• Provide pragmatic, solutions-focused legal advice across a diverse portfolio.
• Assist with risk management and strategic decision-making.
• Collaborate with the General Counsel and senior leaders.
• Support Tiaki Wai during transformation while defining longer-term resourcing.

Skills

5+ years PQE

NZ practising certificate

Property law

Environmental law

RMA

LGOIMA

Privacy

Litigation/insurance/dispute

Commercial approach

Relationship building

Job description

Jora New Zealand will close on 9th September 2026. Thank you for being with us, we are cheering you on as you continue your career journey.

Tiaki Wai Limited – Wellington, North Island

• Broad, interesting legal practice across a highly regulated sector
• Opportunity to help out while a new in-house legal function is being formed

This is a full time 40 hours per week, fixed term position for six months.

The opportunity

Tiaki Wai is seeking a commercially minded Senior Lawyer to join our in-house legal team during a pivotal period of transformation. As Wellington's new council-owned water organisation, we're building a trusted, sustainable utility that puts communities and customers at the centre of everything we do.

Working closely with the General Counsel and senior leaders, you'll provide pragmatic, solutions-focused legal advice across a diverse portfolio of matters, helping manage legal risk and support strategic decision-making across the organisation.

This fixed-term role will provide additional senior legal capability while Tiaki Wai's in-house legal function evolves and the organisation determines its longer-term legal resourcing requirements.

About you

If you're an experienced lawyer who enjoys variety, autonomy and helping organisations navigate complex legal challenges, we'd love to hear from you.

To be successful in this role you will bring the following:

• 5+ years' PQE and a current NZ practising certificate
• Strong expertise in one or more of the following:
  • Property law
  • Environmental law and the RMA
  • LGOIMA and Privacy
  • Litigation, insurance or dispute
• A practical, commercial approach to legal problem-solving
• The ability to build trusted relationships and influence outcomes

At Tiaki Wai, our purpose extends beyond delivering great water services for the region; we foster a thriving community, support a diverse workforce, and offer supportive development opportunities. We genuinely care about your safety and wellbeing.

Our benefits include:

• flexible working arrangements including up to two days working from home
• formal and informal professional development opportunities.

For a full list of our employee benefits click here.

About us

Tiaki Wai is a council-owned organisation responsible for managing the delivery of drinking water, wastewater, and stormwater services across Hutt Valley, Porirua, and Wellington.

We manage public-owned extensive water infrastructure and oversee the delivery of safe and reliable services for our communities. We focus on long‑term investment, asset management, maintenance, and delivering major infrastructure projects that support public health, environmental protection, and regional growth.

Water is a precious taonga. At Tiaki Wai, we put care into every drop and are guided by our values of Integrity, Care, and Leadership. We work directly with water consumers and in partnership with councils and mana whenua to deliver better water outcomes for current and future generations.

Applications close: Wednesday, 9 September 2026.

Applicants for safety sensitive roles will be required to undergo drug and alcohol testing prior to commencing employment with Tiaki Wai. You must also be legally entitled to work long‑term in New Zealand or eligible to obtain a working visa.