Senior Solicitor Employment Law

Mō tēnei tūranga mahi | About this role

Role Type: Permanent, full-time

Location: Wellington

Salary Band: $117,035 to $136,961 depending on skills and experience

Kōrero mō te Tūranga - About the Role

A vacancy has arisen in our Legal team for a Senior Solicitor – Employment Law.

This role is one of two employment lawyer roles at MPI. It is a highly autonomous role so we are looking for an experienced lawyer who can operate independently in giving legal advice, while working collaboratively with their colleague and people advisory staff.

Senior Solicitors - Employment Law are responsible for providing high quality, timely, and practical legal advice and representation to MPI in its role as an employer. MPI employs over 3,700 staff working in diverse roles around New Zealand, so the role is busy and interesting!

MPI is committed to recruiting, recognising, and creating opportunities for talented people to develop career paths within the organisation and beyond.

Your key responsibilities will include:

• Preparing and presenting well researched, contextualised, and high-quality legal advice on employment law matters
• Providing legal advice to senior managers within the Ministry, taking the Ministry's broader strategy into account
• Providing leadership and direction on employment law matters, including providing advice on the management of legal risks and on opportunities for operational improvements
• Work in collaboration with People Advisory and Management to develop strategies to resolve complex issues.
• Building and maintaining relationships with managers, the Crown Law Office, external legal providers, and other government departments and organisations
• Providing advice and acting as instructing solicitor in litigation involving the Ministry
• Contributing to the maintenance of accurate and up to date internal information management systems (e.g. contingent liability register, precedent filing system, wiki, time-recording, reporting).

Mōu - About You

In order to be considered for this role, you will need a tertiary qualification in law and a current New Zealand Law Society Practising Certificate (or the immediate ability to hold one). You will also need at least 7 years' post-qualification experience in employment law, including giving advice on policy and procedure, employment relations issues, and dispute resolution / litigation. You will need to have, or be able to quickly develop, knowledge of the context in which a large public service employer operates.

To be successful in this role, you will also need:

• Excellent written and oral communication skills, the ability to build and maintain effective relationships, and a collaborative work style.
• A proven track record in the delivery of well-researched, contextualised, and solution-focussed legal advice with options for managing any legal risk identified.
• Discretion, tact, and robust conflict of interest management appropriate to the type of work you will be doing.
• Experience advising senior managers.
• The ability to operate autonomously and manage your own workload.
• The ability to identify and make process improvements.
• The ability to handle a high workload and manage competing priorities.
• An understanding of the machinery of government, the Crown's obligations to Māori, and the role and work of the Ministry.
• The willingness to occasionally travel outside Wellington for work.

Mō tō mātou Rōpū - About the Team

This role sits within the Legal Services directorate. Legal Services covers a wide range of interesting work including commercial arrangements, public law operational advice, involvement in emergency responses for food, trade, and biosecurity, prosecutions, civil and public law litigation support, legal and organisational risk management, and legal training.

Mō te Manatū Ahu Matua - About MPI

We're passionate about growing prosperity in the sector while ensuring respect for Kaitiaki – guardianship of our natural resources.

To find out more about the Ministry and what we do please click here.

Ngā hua o te mahi i te Manatū Ahu Matua - Benefits of working at MPI

• Up to 3 additional MPI leave days
• Ability to purchase extra annual leave
• Bi-annual paid eye test and contribution to the costs of corrective lenses/frames

Wā Mahi Ngāwari - Flexible Working

We support flexible working arrangements and are happy to discuss these options with you.

Ngā Taki Whakahaumaru - Security checks

Low level Security Clearance

• most preferably a New Zealand citizen, who has resided continuously in New Zealand for at least the last five (5) years, OR
• is a citizen of, and/or has resided continuously in one or more of the following countries for the last five (5) years: either Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom (UK) or the United States of America (USA); and has a background history that is verifiable and can be assessed as appropriate by the New Zealand Security Intelligence Service (NZSIS) towards a recommendation of suitability for a security clearance at this level.
• click here to find out more about the national security vetting process and access the eligibility self-check tool.

If you do not meet these minimum criteria, we will not be able to accept your application.

Kua rite koe mō tēnei mahi whaitake? - Are you ready to make a difference?

We are committed to being a good partner under Te Tiriti o Waitangi which includes working closely with iwi, hapū, whanau and hāpori.

We aspire to reflect the diverse communities we serve, so we welcome applications from individuals of all backgrounds, and identities. As an organisation, we are committed to making Manatū Ahu Matua a great place to work for all.

In your cover letter we'd like to know about you, your values; your interest and motivations for this role; the abilities, strengths, personal attributes, and diverse perspectives you will bring to the role and this organisation, which may have also been gained outside of the workforce.

To view the position description and/or apply online, please click “APPLY FOR THIS JOB” or visit the MPI Careers Site. To apply, you must hold the right to work in New Zealand or be eligible to obtain it – click here to find out more about work visa eligibility and options.

Applications close at 11.59pm on 9 May

If you have any questions about the role, please email shane.gooch@mpi.govt.nz 

Whāia ngā tūhononga ki MPI i konei – Follow MPI here

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