Principal Solicitor, Litigation
About us - Mō mātou
ACC exists to support people - we help prevent injuries and get New Zealanders and visitors back to everyday life if they've had an accident.
You can find more about ACC and the work we do here.
About the role - Mō te tūranga mahi
We have an opportunity for a Principal Solicitor to join the Litigation team on a fixed term or secondment for 12-months.
The litigation portfolio is varied and includes dispute resolution litigation under the Accident Compensation Act 2001, public, civil, commercial, criminal and coronial matters. The team is responsible for managing all litigation that ACC is a party to in courts, tribunals and inquiries. The team oversees the instruction and management of ACC litigation via a panel of external lawyers that represent ACC; team members are not required to appear in court themselves.
The Principal Solicitor - Litigation plays a critical role in managing and providing strategic advice on significant litigation, as well as leading on key litigation files across the team. The Principal Solicitor works closely with other colleagues in the Legal, Privacy and Ethics team providing subject matter expertise, collaborating on work crossing portfolio areas, and mentoring team members.
The base salary range for this role is $138,301 - $195,248 with appointment depending on skills and experience. ACC also offers 9% superannuation on top of base salary.
This is a Wellington or Auckland based temporary assignment for 12-months.
About you - Mōu
This role would suit a senior lawyer with significant litigation (or litigation management) experience across varied practice areas that may include public law, medico-legal, criminal, and coronial matters. You will have experience partnering and driving continuous improvement in complex and high-profile litigation environments. Your curious, collaborative and inclusive style will enable you to be a key contributor in the team and form partnerships across and external to ACC to enable the provision of high-quality trusted advice, and successful management of ACC's litigation case load.
We're looking for the following:
- Ten plus years post qualification experience and a current New Zealand practising certificate
- Proven litigation, public law, and legal advisory experience
- Knowledge of or ability to quickly come up to speed with ACC's legal framework
- Experience working in, or providing advice to, large and complex public sector organisations
- The ability to robustly apply public sector disciplines as well as business and organisational nous
- Strong experience and confidence engaging, influencing, and advising at senior leadership levels as well as the skills and ability to work with diverse teams and people organisation wide
- Confidence as a subject matter expert including knowledge sharing to various audiences
- An ability to think creatively to provide innovation and insightful solutions
- An awareness of issues related to people with disabilities and experience working in an environment requiring cultural and social awareness
If you are looking to be part of motivated, supportive and collaborative team with variety, continued growth and development and the ability to work at a strategic level, we would love to hear from you.
Working at ACC - Mō ACC
At ACC, we embrace the rich tapestry of Aotearoa New Zealand's cultures and are dedicated to providing equitable opportunities. We know that a diverse and inclusive team helps us meet the needs of our customers, and we encourage applications from individuals of all backgrounds, ethnicity, national origin, gender identity, age, and those with diverse abilities. It is important to us that people are free to be themselves at work.
Here are some ways we encourage that:
- Employee networks to support our colleagues from diverse backgrounds
- The option to explore flexible working that suits your needs and ours
How to apply - Me pēhea te tuku tono
Applications close on Tuesday, 9 September 2025 and can only be accepted when submitted through our ACC Careers Website. Please ensure your application clearly highlights the required skills and experience that are listed above. If you are an ACC employee, please apply with your ACC employee profile. If you encounter accessibility issues when submitting your application, or if you would like further information, please contact HRHelp@acc.co.nz
