Senior Legal Advisor and Intermediate Commercial Lawyer

Join our diverse and talented people and work at the heart of national security, providing essential intelligence to the NZ government to protect New Zealand and its people.

At the New Zealand Security Intelligence Service (NZSIS) | Te Pā Whakamarumaru, we are dedicated to our mission of keeping Aotearoa New Zealand and our people safe and secure. We collect, analyse and assess intelligence to protect New Zealand from threats such as foign interference, espionage and terrorism.

Why work for us

Alongside getting to work with our talented people, we also offer a range of comprehensive benefits which include:

• Medical Insurance and Vision Care packages
• Enhanced employer contributions to your Kiwisaver
• Generous Leave benefits, including additional paid days off and enhanced sick and parental leave
• Childcare allowance for your preschoolers
• Onsite free gym (Wellington only)
• Opportunities for personal and professional growth and career pathways across the intelligence community
• Great work-life balance

Senior Legal Advisor – Auckland (with possibility of Wellington)

Do you have a curious mind and enjoy working on unique legal issues?

Are you seeking a role where you get to work on really interesting matters and contribute directly to the safety and security of New Zealand and New Zealanders.

Can you keep a secret?

Then we have the job for you! NZSIS is looking for a talented, highly motivated, Senior Lawyer to join our Legal and Compliance team, providing advice on a range of national security matters. This opportunity doesn’t arise often, but a role is now available.

Key responsibilities:

• Provide high quality and strategic legal, compliance, and risk management advice on all matters relating to the operational and administrative activities of the NZSIS
• Provide legal input into the development and implementation of legislation, policies and processes relevant to NZSIS
• Provide legal training to the NZSIS workforce on legal and compliance requirements
• Provide leadership within the team and across the organisation

We are looking for someone with

• Minimum of 8 years PQE, in either the public or private sector
• Experience in operational or similar environments
• Excellent judgement, initiative, influence and ability to offer solutions to identified problems with minimal supervision
• An ability to work under pressure to meet tight deadlines when required by operational demands

Intermediate Commercial Legal Advisor – Wellington (with possibility of Auckland)

Are you seeking a role where you can use your commercial experience to facilitate business and operational activities that contribute to the safety and security of New Zealand and New Zealanders?

We are looking for a talented, highly motivated Intermediate Commercial Lawyer to join our Legal and Compliance team. The role will cover a wide range of commercial and contract matters that will involve you in projects big and small. While the role will be predominantly commercial, there will also be opportunities to provide operational legal advice in support of the intelligence collection and protective security functions of NZSIS.

Key responsibilities:

• Provide high quality commercial legal, compliance, and risk management advice (as well as advice on matters relating to the operational activities of NZSIS, as required)
• Draft documentation to support NZSIS’s commercial (and other) requirements
• Provide legal input into the development and implementation of legislation, policy and processes relevant to NZSIS
• Provide legal training to the NZSIS workforce on commercial arrangements (and other legal and compliance requirements as required)

We are looking for someone with

• Minimum of 3-5 years PQE
• Commercial law experience, ideally including:

  • experience within, or for government; and
  • ICT contract experience

• Excellent judgement, initiative, influence and ability to offer solutions to identified problems
• An ability to work under pressure to meet tight deadlines when required by operational demands

Before you apply

Working within our unique environment means we have to ensure you’re eligible for employment.

You must:

• Have been a New Zealand Citizen for at least 10 years

OR

Hold a current NZ Residency Class Visa and ideally have been a citizen of the UK, USA, Canada or Australia for at least 10 years

• Be eligible to obtain a Top Secret Special (TSS) security clearance

  • Ordinarily, this means you’ll have a 15 year checkable background in countries NZSIS Vetting can make meaningful and reliable checks.

Still unsure? Use this online tool to self-check your eligibility for a TSS security clearance: http://www.protectivesecurity.govt.nz/eligibility-tool

The NZIC treats all applications for employment in the strictest confidence and we expect that you maintain a similar level of confidentiality during the recruitment process and throughout your career.

We’ll provide you with information and tips throughout the recruitment process, but in the meantime check out our Myth Busting booklet: https://beyondordinary.nzic.govt.nz/mythbusting.