Senior Legal Advisers

• Provide high quality legal advice
• Flexible, inclusive, collaborative working environment
• Agile, independent, courageous regulator

Privacy is precious - help protect it

We are Aotearoa New Zealand’s privacy regulator – a small, independent crown entity established to protect and promote individual privacy.

What we’re offering

We have two Senior Legal Adviser opportunities to join our Legal team – a permanent role, and a 12-month fixed term role with an in-house legal operations focus.

The permanent role provides expert legal and privacy advice on the exercise of our functions under the Privacy Act 2020, including regulatory and compliance action, the correct application and/or interpretation of privacy law for the investigation and resolution of complaints, and the legal and privacy implications of draft or existing legislation and government or business initiatives. The role undertakes legal research and analysis and helps provide legal quality assurance across our work streams.

The fixed term role assists with providing the expert legal and privacy advice above, as required, but with a key focus on the Commissioner’s internal legal operations. The role will assist with streamlining the legal team’s in-house operating systems, processes, and procedures for the efficient and cost-effective delivery of its services. It will also work closely with our internal / cross-office Legislative Compliance Working Group to ensure our compliance with our statutory obligations. This in-house legal operations work will be internal as well as external facing.

You will be joining an organisation that has a strong focus on diversity and inclusion and is committed to upholding the principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi. We are a progressive and innovative organisation where your contribution would be valued and what you do can help make a difference to people’s lives. We have a strong commitment to professional development and offer flexible working. Part-time appointments (to either role) are available to suit our preferred candidates.

What we’re looking for

For both roles, you will have:

• Ideally a minimum of 5 years relevant PQE
• Experience applying legal skills (experience in privacy law, regulatory compliance and/or public law would be highly valued)
• Excellent statutory interpretation skills
• Great communication skills, both verbal and written
• An interest in how privacy intersects with human rights law and policy
• High attention to detail

For the fixed term role, any prior experience or a strong personal interest in in-house legal operations would be an advantage.

Either role could also be a great opportunity for someone with the relevant experience, skills, and competencies to step up into a senior legal position.

You must have the legal right to work in New Zealand to be considered for this role.

If this role sounds like you, please apply online. 

Please indicate which role you are applying for, permanent or fixed term. In addition to your CV, your application must be accompanied by a covering letter to explain why you consider yourself suitable for the role. For the position description, visit the vacancies page on our website. For any enquiries, please email vacancies@privacy.org.nz

Applications close 9 am, Monday, 22 May, unless filled prior.