Kaiwhakahaere | Manager Legal / Litigation

Full job description
Wellington Based
Fixed Term / Secondment until June 2027
Mo te turanga mahi | About the role

As a Legal Manager, you will be part of the Ministry's legal leadership team, working alongside Principal Legal Advisors to guide and manage the delivery of legal services. You will lead a team of talented lawyers, ensuring clear, practical, and timely advice is provided to Ministers and key decision-makers.

This role has a particular focus on managing litigation, particularly in the Waitangi Tribunal, across the Ministry's portfolios, ensuring our legal work is well-coordinated and strategically aligned. You will also play a key role in coaching and developing our legal talent, fostering a culture of continuous learning and excellence through internal training programmes.

You will be part of the Business Transformation and Services Group, contributing to the Ministry's corporate leadership and helping shape the systems and frameworks that support our success. You will also manage the legal budget and contribute to cross-agency collaboration through the Government Legal Network, particularly within the natural resource sector.

Nga pukenga me nga wheako | Skills and experience

At least 10 years PQE
Strong public law experience
Strong, proven experience leading litigation, particularly in relation to the Waitangi Tribunal
Proven experience as a people leader, mentoring or coaching staff
Ability to lead through change and embrace charge
Empower others
Experience advising on climate change matters would be an advantage
Experience advising on resource management matters would be an advantage
Experience advising on te ao Maori and Te Tiriti issues
Ability to translate complicated issues and support problem-solving
Collaborative and collegial approach to leadership
Some experience leading in a hybrid working environment would be highly desirable
A law degree and a current NZLS practising certificate (or current eligibility to obtain one)
Whanuitanga Utu a-Tau | Salary range

Salary range for this role is $164,276 to $1++,444 pa. Appointment within this range will be based on skills and experience.

Nga hua ka puta i te mahi ki MfE | Benefits of working at MfE

a flexible working approach to embrace a healthy work-life blend
agile ways of working, allowing you variety and challenges across the organisation as we work as `One MfE'
active employee networks including Maori Ropu, Asian Network, Neurodivergent and Disability Networks, Women's Network, Tagata Moana (Pacific Peoples' Network), and Rainbow Network
opportunities for development and education.
Check out other benefits of joining us and hear what our people say about Working at MfE | Ministry for the Environment.

Tono inaianei | Apply now

Apply directly by completing the online application form and submit your CV and cover letter. Note: your cover letter will be a key part of our assessment process, so please highlight how your experience relates to the key skills required for this role.

If you require further information about this position please contact phirak.appleton@mfe.govt.nz. The position description is available via our careers centre www.mfe.govt.nz/jobs.

The location for this role is flexible which means you can work anywhere in New Zealand and there is an option to work from home. As a flexible friendly employer, we are happy to discuss solutions that may work for you and the business. We value and care about enabling our people to work in a way that means they can work at their best.

We are committed to providing equal opportunities and actively strive to be a diverse organisation with an inclusive culture. We actively encourage applicants from all backgrounds to apply. We are proud to be a Rainbow Tick and Gender Tick certified organisation and are committed to providing a safe and inclusive environment for everyone.

We want to ensure any accessibility needs you may have are well supported, so the recruitment process is fair and equitable for all. Therefore, please let us know if there are any adjustments or support we can offer to make the recruitment process more accessible to you. Please contact us at vacancy@mfe.govt.nz if you would like to discuss any accessibility needs you may have.

You must have the right to live and work in New Zealand to apply for this role.

Ra Katinga | Applications close: Thursday 26th June 2025

 
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