Kia mahi ngātahi mō Pōneke mō tōna āpōpō Working together for Wellington's future.

Our award-winning in-house legal team give trusted professional advice that our customers need in order to make informed decisions, deliver value, and enhance public trust and confidence.

We have an opportunity for a Principal Legal Counsel to lead and support our commercial / property legal team.

The role

In this role you'll support the General Counsel with high-risk issues - providing strategic legal responses - and leading/supporting your team to provide timely, high-quality and fit-for-purpose advice and legal services to Council employees.

You will be responsible for leading a high-performing team with a focus on building overall capability, and ensuring they remain engaged and motivated while delivering a high standard of customer service. This is a small team, so you'll be expected to pick up a range of work in a regulatory setting, as well as engage with external legal service providers where necessary.

What we're looking for

Our Council vision is 'Working together for Wellington's future' and being part of us mean that you will help make our capital city an even better place to live and work.

We're looking for people who have the ability to see the big picture, and understand the effects of their decisions and recommendations. You'll have a strong history of working with legislation relevant to the public sector/local government, and be able to draft, negotiate and review contracts in that environment with a solid understanding of commercial and organisational risks involved. Experience working in an ambiguous, complex environment, and being able to present solutions and advice in a practical, easy-to-understand, manner is key.

A natural orientation towards new ideas and continuous improvement is preferable.

What's in it for you?

You will be joining a high-performing, collaborative and supportive team of legal professionals. We recognise that there is always room to learn and develop regardless of where you are in your career. We offer a flexible working model with a commitment to work/life balance. After two years continuous service you'll get 5 weeks annual leave, too.

If you'd like to find out more about what we can offer you in this role, please see the position description, or email [email protected] to set up a confidential chat.

Applications close 31 August. All applications must be submitted online.