• Are you an enthusiastic, collaborative individual with excellent people management, and administration skills?
• Do you have strong attention to detail and a demonstrated ability to work flexibly?
• Have you got a law degree and hold a practising certificate?

Mō Te Herenga Waka - About our University

Te Herenga Waka - Victoria University of Wellington is a global-civic university with our marae at our heart. This iho draws off our heritage and is further defined by our tūrangawaewae, in particular Wellington, Aotearoa, and the Asia-Pacific, all of which are expressed in our position as Aotearoa New Zealand's globally ranked capital city university.

Kōrero mō te tūranga - About the role

Te Herenga Waka - Victoria University of Wellington is currently recruiting a Legal Counsel to join the Legal Services team. The role of the Legal Counsel is to support the General Counsel and the broader Legal Services team to deliver operational legal advice, and practical assistance on a wide range of legal matters including student issues, corporate and commercial, corporate governance, contract review and negotiation, and statutory interpretation. The role will also provide broad support to the Legal Services team to ensure that the University meets it’s obligations under the Official Information Act 1982 and Privacy Act 1993.

Key responsibilities: 

• Support the Legal Services team to provide operational legal advice and practical assistance on student issues, and a wide range of legal and policy matters.
• Develop, draft, review and negotiate legal solutions and documents as requested by the General Counsel and members of the Legal Services team.
• Complete legal research as requested by the General Counsel.
• Respond to Official Information Act (OIA) and Privacy Act requests during periods of high demand.

Ō pūmanawa - About you

You will:

• Be an organised, enthusiastic, and collaborative individual, with excellent people management, and administration skills.
• Thrive in this role with strong attention to detail, the ability to learn new systems and to influence and persuade people.
• Have excellent time management and communication skills to ensure that statutory deadlines are met, and a high standard of service is given to internal and external clients.
• Remain calm under pressure and thrive in a working environment where you interact with a diverse range of stakeholders. 

This role would suit a lawyer who is enthusiastic, and willing to support the team as required. It offers a great learning opportunity for someone who will enjoy working on a wide variety of in-house legal matters under supervision.

Key requirements: 

• A law degree.
• A practising certificate or an ability to immediately obtain a practising certificate.
• Excellent systems and IT skills.
• Previous relevant work experience is desirable but not mandatory.
• Strong organisation and research skills.  
• Outstanding people and written communication skills including the ability to adjust to different audiences. 
• Ability to build strong working relationships with a variety of stakeholders.
• Capability to work as part of a team as well as having individual responsibilities. 

Ētahi kōrero hai āwhina i a koe - Why you should join our team

We are a small, high functioning legal team working in a fast-paced environment. We encourage a team culture that enables all team members to thrive and to reach their individual potential. You will work alongside colleagues who are supportive and collaborative.

This role is interesting, diverse, and extremely rewarding for an individual looking to grow their legal career. You will receive supervision and mentoring to develop in this role with a focus on student issues, general legal work and Official Information Act and Privacy Act responsibilities.

There are many benefits to working at Te Herenga Waka - Victoria University of Wellington, including being part of New Zealand’s top research university.

Role description - Click here to see further information, including salary.

Close date for vacancy: 14 November 2024. Applications will be reviewed as they are received and we may progress with suitable applicants prior to the application closing date. We can only consider applicants who are citizens or residents of New Zealand or Australia or on a current working visa. Applications from recruitment agencies are not accepted.

Contact details for vacancy: If you have any questions regarding this role please get in touch with Jackie Anderson (Jackie.Anderson@vuw.ac.nz). But applicants should follow all steps listed below. 

Important - Application steps and information

Download and complete the University Application Form, (Legal Counsel, #2214). Then, please combine your cover letter, CV, and the University Application Form into a single file (preferably in pdf format). Click Apply and follow the process to enter your contact details and attach your combined file (CV, cover letter, and the University Application Form) using the “CV/Resume” button.

If you are unable to combine your documents or have further supporting documents, please email these to erecruit@vuw.ac.nz stating the reference number and position title from the advert in the subject line.