Senior Solicitor I Legislation

Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment; Wellington; On-site; NZD 132,000 - 160,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

KiwiSaver

Wellness Benefit

Job summary

MBIE in Wellington is seeking a Senior Solicitor I to join the Legislation Team within the Legal, Ethics and Privacy branch. The role focuses on advising on primary and secondary legislation across MBIE’s regulatory systems, working with in-house lawyers, policy analysts and the Parliamentary Counsel Office.

Ideal candidates have five or more years PQE, strong public law expertise, and the ability to support Ministers and Select Committees.

Qualifications

• Five+ years PQE and experience advising on primary and secondary legislation.
• Ability to advise on Cabinet and Parliamentary processes relevant to legislation.
• Strong public law expertise, including administrative law and statutory interpretation.
• Experience advising on regulatory and operational legal matters.
• Excellent written and verbal communication with a client service mindset.
• Eligible to work in NZ and hold a law degree with current practising certificate.

Responsibilities

• Provide legal advice on development and amendment of legislation across MBIE’s regulatory systems.
• Support Ministers and Select Committees to deliver MBIE’s legislation programme.
• Collaborate with in-house lawyers, policy analysts and Parliamentary Counsel Office.
• Advise on complex and high-profile legislative matters with autonomy in a collaborative team.
• Contribute to regulatory and operational governance as needed.

Skills

Public law expertise

Client service attitude

Written and verbal communication

Relationship management

Administrative law understanding

Education

Law degree

Five+ years PQE

Current practising certificate or eligibility

Job description

Discover a career with purpose at MBIE

Senior Solicitor I Legislation

• Secondment or Fixed Term until Sept 2027
• Wellington Central
• Salary range: $132,417 - $160,472 + KiwiSaver + Wellness Benefit

About the Role - Tēnei tūranga:

An exciting opportunity has arisen for an experienced Senior Solicitor to join the Legislation Team within the Legal, Ethics and Privacy branch.

Our Legislation team provides legal advice on the development and amendment of primary and secondary legislation across MBIE’s 17 regulatory systems. This creates opportunities for our lawyers to work on legislation across a range of different regulatory systems depending on their experience and interest.

We are looking for an enthusiastic and highly motivated Senior Solicitor with at least five+ years PQE to help support MBIE’s core purpose of growing New Zealand for all. In this role you will work with other in-house lawyers, policy analysts and the Parliamentary Counsel Office to support MBIE, as well as Ministers and Select Committees to deliver the Government’s legislation programme.

Strong public law skills are essential, as the role involves advising on the development and implementation of legislation within MBIE’s diverse regulatory systems. From time to time, you may also be asked to provide legal advice on regulatory and operational matters.

As a Senior Solicitor, you will work with autonomy in a collaborative and collegial team. You will provide support to colleagues of all experience levels and be capable of providing advice and support on some of MBIE’s most complex and high-profile legislative matters.

Ngā pukenga me ngā wheako e hiahiatia ana -

Skills And Experience Required

• At least five+ years PQE and experience in providing legal support to colleagues developing primary and secondary legislation, including the development of policy, instructing, and working with the Parliamentary Counsel Office.
• An ability to advise on and participate in the Cabinet and Parliamentary processes relevant to the development of primary and secondary legislation.
• Strong public law expertise, including a sound understanding of administrative law, statutory interpretation, and the machinery of government.
• Experience or interest in advising on regulatory and operational legal matters.
• Sound legal technical skills
• A client service attitude, with excellent relationship management skills
• Well-developed written and verbal communication abilities, which allow you to convey key ideas and issues in a way that is suitable to the audience
• The legal right to live and work in NZ
• A tertiary qualification in law and a current practising certificate (or eligibility to hold one)

About MBIE - Ētahi kōrero mō 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
• Māia – Bold and brave
• Pae Kahurangi – Build our Future
• Pono Me Te Tika – Own It

Our aspirations are echoed in our Māori identity – Hīkina 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 mōhio ana a Hīkina Whakatutuki i puea ake te kōtuinga I waenganui i a ngāi Māori me te Karauna i Te Tiriti o Waitangi, ā, kei te whai ia ki te whakaū ake i Te Tiriti o Waitangi. Mā te whai kiko o ngā kōtuinga ahunga roa o ngā iwi, o ngāi Māori, me ētahi atu rōpū Māori ki te Karauna, ka tutuki tēnei. He āhuatanga nui tēnei e āhei ai ngā mahi whanaketanga ā‑ohanga, ā‑pāpori hoki ki a ngāi 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 ngāi Māori me Aotearoa whānui, ā, 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.

Applications close on 14 October 2026