Senior Solicitor | Commercial

Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment; Wellington; On-site; NZD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

MBIE's Legal, Ethics and Privacy Branch seeks a Senior Solicitor to provide pragmatic commercial legal advice across funding, ICT and All of Government contracts. You will draft, review, and negotiate complex contracts while building strong client relationships and supporting government tendering processes.

With 7+ years' PQE, you will be adept at navigating public sector mechanisms, leading assignments, and mentoring colleagues, all while ensuring compliance and timely guidance.

Qualifications

• A tertiary qualification in law and a current practising certificate (or be eligible to obtain one).
• Seven-plus years' post-qualification experience.
• Experience in the provision of general commercial contract advice (funding and/or ICT experience; banking and finance experience desirable).
• Sound legal skills and understanding of government mechanisms or willingness to learn them.
• Pragmatic and solution-focussed way of working.
• Strong written and verbal communication, able to convey key messages clearly.
• Exceptional customer service with effective relationship management across levels.
• Ability to lead complex and novel assignments.
• Desire to coach and mentor team members.
• Legal right to live and work in New Zealand.

Responsibilities

• Provide pragmatic, solutions-focused commercial legal advice across a broad range of contracts and issues.
• Draft, review and negotiate contracts including funding and ICT related work.
• Advise on competitive tendering processes and government contracting risk.
• Collaborate with MBIE's LEAP team and stakeholders at all levels.
• Support development and on-the-job learning within the team.

Skills

Client interaction

Commercial contracts

Funding/ICT experience

Public sector knowledge

Pragmatic solution-focused

Communication skills

Stakeholder management

Leadership & mentoring

NZ work rights

Education

Law degree & practising certificate

Job description

Discover a career with purpose at MBIE Discover a career with purpose at MBIE Wellington CentralPermanent Role Commercial legal advisory and contracting experience Busy stimulating role with a high degree of client interaction and autonomy Provision of pragmatic, solutions-focussed commercial legal advice across a broad range of issues and contracts (including funding, ICT and All of Government arrangements) Strong client and stakeholder relationship skills and a genuine interest in understanding and supporting our clients

About the Role - Tēnei tūranga:

MBIE's Legal, Ethics and Privacy Branch (LEAP) is responsible for providing a centre of legal leadership and expertise for MBIE and is an exemplar of best practice for the public service. We are one of the largest in-house legal teams in the public sector, so if you are looking to enhance your legal skills and knowledge then this is a great opportunity to join our Commercial Legal team as a Senior Solicitor. Our Commercial Legal Team provides legal advice on a wide range of commercial transactions across all of MBIE's diverse portfolios. Our work includes preparing, reviewing and negotiating contracts; advising on competitive tendering processes; and providing legal support and advice on key legal risks. Like the rest of the LEAP branch, we pride ourselves on having a solution focussed and pragmatic approach and making an important contribution to MBIE's goal of growing New Zealand for all. To thrive in this role, you will be highly regarded for your expertise and ability to consistently provide timely, high quality, pragmatic and accurate advice on a range of commercial transactions and issues including funding, ICT and All of Government contracting. You will have a broad mix of commercial legal experience including advising on, drafting and negotiating a broad range of commercial contracts. You will enjoy collaborating with others and be capable of quickly establishing and maintaining strong working relationships with clients and other stakeholders at all levels. This role offers exposure to a wide-range of subject matter and challenging and interesting and often novel work. We will proactively support your development through on-the-job learning and training opportunities.

Ngă pukenga me năi wheako e hiahiatia ana - Skills and Experience Required

• A tertiary qualification in law and a current practising certificate (or be eligible to obtain one).
• Seven-plus years' post-qualification experience
• Experience in the provision of general commercial contract advice (ideally including funding and/or ICT experience, with some banking and finance experience being desirable but not essential)
• Sound legal technical skills and an understanding of the mechanisms of government or a desire to learn them.
• A pragmatic and solution-focussed way of working.
• Well-developed written and verbal communication skills which allow you to effectively convey key messages to people at all levels and to simplify complex issues as suitable to the audience.
• Exceptional customer service, with effective relationship management skills and the ability to work with stakeholders at all levels of seniority.
• The ability to lead often complex and novel assignments.
• A desire to work collaboratively across the team and to coach and mentor other team members.
• The legal right to live and work in New Zealand.

About MBIE - Ĕtahi kōdero mó MBIE:

MBIE's goal is to create a resilient and high-performing economy that delivers real and ongoing quality of life for all New Zealanders. We do this by working with others to create an environment that supports businesses to be more productive and internationally competitive, enables all New Zealanders to participate in the economy through improved job opportunities and by working to ensure quality housing is more affordable. People are at the heart of our mahi, our way of working is guided by our values which shape our behaviours. Mahi Tahi - Better Together Mari a—Bold and brave Pae Kahurangi - Build our Future Pono Me Te Tika - Own It Our aspirations are echoed in our Māori identity - Hikina Whakatutuki - which broadly means ‘lifting to make successful'. MBIE recognises the partnership founded under Te Tiriti o Waitangi between Māori and the Crown and is committed to giving effect to Te Tiriti o Waitangi. We will do this through enduring, meaningful and effective partnerships with iwi, Māori, other Māori groups/organisations and the Crown, as this is critical to enable economic and social development, both for Māori and for wider Aotearoa New Zealand. We are committed to continuing to partner with iwi in order to find new sustainable solutions to address long standing systemic and cross-cutting issues facing Māori and wider Aotearoa New Zealand and we are also committed to identifying opportunities for iwi to lead and creating an enabling environment for iwi to leverage these opportunities. E mŃoana ana a Hikina Whakatutuki i puea ake te kōtuinga I waenganui i a ngăi Māori me te Karauna i Te Tiriti o Waitangi, a, kei te whai ia ki te whaka“i ake i Te Tiriti o Waitangi. Ma te whai kiko o ngă kōtuinga ahunga roa o ngă iwi, o ngăi Māori, me ētahi atu rōpū Māori ki te Karauna, ka tutuki tēnei. He āhuatanga nui tēnei e āhei ai ngă mahi whanaketanga ā‑ohanga, ā‑pāpori hoki ki a ngă Māori me Aotearoa whānui. E whai tonu ana mātou ki te kōtui atu ki ngā iwi mō te rapu huarahi hou ki te whakaara i ngā kaupapa kua roa nei e tāmi ana i a ngă Māori me Aotearoa whānui, a, e whai ana hoki ki te tautohu i ngā āheinga kōkiritanga mā ngā iwi, me te tautoko i ngā iwi kia whai mana ake ai ēnei āheinga.