Kaitohutohu ā‐Ture Matua | Senior Solicitor | Climate Change

Permanent Full Time

Flexible

Application Close Date: 28-Aug-2022

· New permanent role

· Climate change focus

· Supportive and dynamic team

· Flexible working to support your work-life balance

Join our amazing team and use your skills in a way that will make a difference to Aotearoa New Zealand and our environment.

Mō tēnei tūrangi mahi | About this role

This is an exciting time to join the Ministry as it embarks on comprehensive environmental reform and responds to climate change. Our climate change work programme is focused on reducing greenhouse gas emissions and adapting to a changing climate.

We are strengthening our team to ensure the successful delivery of this and other key work programmes at MFE. We are looking for an experienced and driven Senior Solicitor with climate specialisation to join our high performing team on a permanent basis.

As a Senior Solicitor you will provide public law and environmental legal advice across the climate change portfolio and the Ministry's broader work programmes as well as providing advice on a wide range of statutory and corporate functions.

You will demonstrate leadership within the team and the broader organisation on legal matters. You will deliver advice in a range of formats to a range of clients, including internal leaders and Ministers. You will support the growth and development of legal team members and other Ministry staff.

Whānuitanga Utu ā-Tau | Salary Range

Salary range for this role is $110,872 to $135,510 pa. Appointment within this range will be based on skills and experience.

Ngā pūkenga me ngā wheako | Skills and experience

Our ideal candidate will bring:

· a law degree

· a current NZLS practising certificate (or current eligibility to obtain one)

· public and environmental law knowledge and expertise in a climate change context

· experience in legislative development

· excellent analytical skills and a proven ability to apply legal concepts

· highly developed communication skills, both oral and written

· strong stakeholder management skills with the ability to influence at all levels

· a proven ability to effectively handle competing priorities and tight time frames

· commitment to developing your cultural capability and capacity in te ao Māori

Ideally you will have specific knowledge and expertise in any of: the New Zealand Emissions Trading Scheme; climate change litigation; Treaty of Waitangi/Te Tiriti of Waitangi, Te Ao Māori and tikanga Māori; local government operations and processes.

Mō mātou | About us

The Ministry's purpose - He taiao tōnui mō ngā reanga katoa - a flourishing environment for every generation.

We offer:

· a flexible by default approach to support your work-life balance

· important legal work – we are the Government's primary adviser on environmental matters

· agile working, allowing you variety and challenges across the organisation as we work as ‘One MfE'

· generous leave entitlements

· training to competently and effectively engage with Māori as our Treaty Partner, this includes te reo me ona tikanga Māori courses

· active social club and employee networks, including a Māori staff network

· opportunities for development and education.

A key priority for the Ministry is Te Ao Māori. This means we work with our Treaty partner to advance Māori priorities for the environment and for environmental success. We will be confident and coordinated in our ongoing engagement with Māori and lead the natural resources system in engaging for success with tangata whenua. We will grow our capability and capacity to accurately reflect Māori views in our work.

An organisational priority is that we accurately reflect Te Tiriti o Waitangi and Te Ao Māori into our everyday work, by living our Te Ao Hurihuri Strategy through capability and capacity building.

Tono ināianei | Apply Now

Apply directly here and submit your CV and cover letter. Note: your cover letter will be a key part of our assessment process, so please highlight how your experience relates to the key skills required for this role and your interest in our work.

If you require further information about this position please contact Catherine Prior at [email protected].

The location for this role is flexible which means you can work anywhere in New Zealand and there is an option to work from home. As a flexible friendly employer, we are happy to discuss solutions that may work for you and the business. We value and care about enabling our people to work in a way that means they can work at their best.

We embrace diversity and inclusion and are committed to equal opportunities. What's important to us is ‘he rau kotahi tangata' – embracing our multiple talents – by harnessing our diversity and being inclusive. We actively encourage applications from all backgrounds.

We want to ensure accessibility needs are well supported, so the recruitment process is fair and equitable for all. Therefore, please let us know if there is any support, we can provide to ensure the recruitment process is fully accessible to you. You can contact us at [email protected] if you would like to discuss any accessibility needs you may have.

We are open to appointing on a fixed term or secondment basis.

From 18, May 2022 we have suspended our Covid-19 Vaccination Policy until further notice. A My Vaccine Pass is no longer required by employees, visitors, suppliers and contractors. However, the policy may be reinstated if new public health advice comes to hand or a new variant emerges.

Rā Katinga | Applications close: Sunday, 28 August 2022