General Counsel
Date: 13 May 2025
Location: Wellington, NZ
Company: Ministry of Social Development
• Permanent, part-time
• Wellington-based
Are you an experienced senior legal professional looking for a role with variety and flexibility?
Ko wai mātou | About Us:
At Whaikaha, we want an Aotearoa New Zealand where disabled people and tāngata whaikaha Māori are thriving.
As a Ministry we are dedicated to this goal, working with government, businesses, and communities to drive real change.
We do this by investing in disability communities, providing strategic and policy advice across government, monitoring how well services are working, and identifying new, exciting opportunities to make a difference.
We care about the wellbeing and success of our people and provide a supportive and inclusive environment where people can be who they really are.
Mōu | About You:
We’re looking for a General Counsel to lead legal advice for the Ministry. You will join our small, dedicated team to provide trusted legal advice across all areas of our work.
As our lead legal advisor, you’ll have the opportunity to work independently and take ownership of a wide range of legal matters.
No two days will be the same — you’ll be involved in everything from policy development to contracts, procurement, and general legal advice for the Ministry.
You’ll play a key part in supporting our Ministry’s goals while managing your own workload and priorities.
This role is perfect for a seasoned legal counsel who enjoys working autonomously and values flexibility. This role is part time and up to 24 hours per week.
Mō te tūnga | About the Role:
You will have significant experience as a senior legal counsel or similar role.
You will have the ability to work independently and provide sound legal advice.
Your demonstrated and broad legal knowledge, including policy, contracts, and procurement will set you up for success for this role.
You will have strong communication skills and a practical, solutions-focused approach.
To undertake this role successfully you will either be a disabled person, or you will be able to establish credibility and trust with the disability community.
He Whakaahuatanga Tūnga | Position Description:
The job description can be found here: General Counsel Position Description
Salary range: $134,852.00 - $199,786.00
Me pēhea te tuku tono | How to apply:
Click the 'Apply' button to complete the online form, or let’s kōrero about what you need to feel supported in your application. For example, you may prefer to use video instead of a traditional CV and cover letter, or you might want whānau or a friend to tell us about you.
Contact us about the best way for you to apply by emailing:PeopleandCulture@whaikaha.govt.nz
If you work for Whaikaha please apply through the myHR portal so that your employee profile is visible as an internal candidate.
Ka Kati Ngā Tono | Applications Close: Sunday 25th May, 2025.
Whaikaha has adopted the Ministry of Social Development's (host agency) COVID-19 vaccination policy. This policy applies to all Whaikaha employees and encourages, but does not require, employees to be fully vaccinated for COVID-19 and its variants, unless the role is identified as requiring vaccination at the time.
