Senior Solicitor Commercial

• Permanent full-time role, with options for flexible hours / location, allowing great work life balance!
• Based at our newly refurbished National Office, Wellington (but open to working arrangements from other locations)
• We encourage and promote flexible ways of working including secondments
• The salary range for this role is $96,557 to $136,316 per annum. Appointment and remuneration will reflect skills and experience relevant to the role.
• This is an opportunity to grow your career while working on some of the largest – and we think some of the most diverse and interesting – commercial matters you will find anywhere in New Zealand

Mō mātou | About us

Ara Poutama Aotearoa is a name that has been gifted to us and is our commitment to improving the oranga and safety of the people, whānau, and that of the communities we serve across the motu. 

As a values-led organisation, we use the principles of rangatira (leadership), manaaki (respect), wairua (spirituality), kaitiaki (guardianship) and whānau (relationships) to shape how we work and deliver the outcomes in our strategy - Hōkai Rangi (https://arapoutama.nz/hokairangi).

Mō te tūnga | About the role

Ara Poutama Aotearoa operates in an increasingly complex and challenging legal environment and deals with some of New Zealand's most interesting legal issues. 

In the role of Senior Solicitor Commercial, you will lead or support the delivery of high quality ‘fit for purpose' commercial legal advice in a timely, customer focused way.  Your proactive approach to stakeholder and relationship management is critical. You will ensure responsive engagement with internal and external stakeholders, particularly internal clients, suppliers, external advisers and other government agencies. 

Ara Poutama's commercial law area is incredibly diverse. Our work covers some of the most complex, high value / high risk and interesting contracts within Aotearoa. You will advise and support internal clients on a wide range of arrangements for goods and services, information and communications technology, property and construction. Our work also includes a wide range of Māori commercial legal matters, including advising on the commercial legal aspects of Ara Poutama's Hōkai Rangi strategy (e.g. related contracts, partnership and relationship agreements) and Treaty settlement matters. Work is high volume and fast paced.

You will play an active role in the Legal Services Unit, advising on complex projects in the Commercial Legal Team. You will work closely with the Legal Manager Commercial and Principal Solicitor Commercial and will contribute to team training, precedent development and peer review of the work of others. You will also work with external legal service providers as required to provide additional and/or expert legal support in the commercial area.

The Commercial Legal Team has five team members, including this role, and are a close-knit team that works collaboratively, but also has fun. Team catch ups, coffees and biscuits are important.

Ngā pūkenga e kimi ana mātou | Skills we are looking for

We are interested in hearing from qualified solicitors; you may already be working in the commercial area or be thinking about doing so. If you are currently working at a solicitor level and looking to take a step up to senior solicitor level we would also love to hear from you.

You will demonstrate the following in your application:

• A Bachelor of Laws and current eligibility for a NZ Law Society practising certificate.
• Awareness of and responsiveness to the operational, cultural, political and social environment in which Ara Poutama operates.
• Competence in developing reasoning for, and confidence to rigorously defend, legal opinions.
• A robust approach, with an ability to consistently and fairly apply legal requirements and ethical standards.
• Familiarity with the Treaty of Waitangi and its application to the work of government agencies.
• Strong cultural competency, including respect for Māori, Pacific peoples and ethnic minorities' values and beliefs, and values diversity and equity.
• Strong communication and relationship management skills – the ability to engage readily with people, to listen, and to adopt a customer service ethos.
• Thoroughness, accuracy and reliability in legal work – excellent drafting skills and an ability to identify risks and negotiate effective solutions.
• Strong organisation skills including an orderly and systematic approach to workload management.

This is a brilliant opportunity to join a collaborative and professional Commercial Legal Team who are committed and responsive to our Hōkai Rangi strategy and to the broader purpose of our work at Ara Poutama - ko te oranga o te iwi: the wellness and wellbeing of our people.

The salary range for this role is $96,557 to $136,316 per annum. Appointment and remuneration will reflect skills and experience relevant to the role.

Tono ināianei | Apply Now

To apply online, submit your CV and a tailored cover letter describing your motivation for applying and highlight your relevant skills, experience and personal qualities that are suitable for the role. 

Applications for this role will close at 9pm on 1 March 2022.  Interviews will take place at our Wellington National Office or via Microsoft Teams.

For any questions or a confidential conversation please contact Michael Gordon-Brown, Legal Manager – Commercial on 0275972569 or Michael.Gordon-Brown@corrections.govt.nz.

For reporting and transparency, it is important that all applications are submitted through our careers site.  If you want to find out more about a career with us, visit careers.corrections.govt.nz or email our team at careers@corrections.govt.nz