Principal Legal Counsel-Property

He angitūtanga: The opportunity

Te Kaunihera o Tāmāki Makaurau/Auckland Council has an opportunity for a Principal Lawyer to join its Property Law team, reporting to the Associate General Counsel (Property) in Ngā Ratonga Ture/Legal Services.

Our Property Law team comprises 8-10 lawyers and legal executives.  It is hard to imagine a workplace where you would be exposed to a more diverse range of work.  

You could expect to work on:
•    Projects touching on our waterfront, regional parks, community facilities, co-management with iwi, film studios, major events, marae developments and commercial/residential developments.
•    Providing robust advice on acquisitions, disposals, developments, licensing, easements, encumbrances, commercial & community leasing and statutory requirements.
•    Climate response including the buy-out scheme relating to the 2023 weather events, and impacts on our parks, reserves and assets.

He kōrero mōu: About you

You will be a senior property lawyer with a strong track record in private practice or senior in-house roles, with broad experience in a range of transactional and advisory property law mahi.   

You will showcase strong leadership and interpersonal skills, along with a deep understanding of organisational dynamics, sound risk assessment, and sharp judgment. Your commitment to upholding high professional and performance standards will be key to success as part of the Legal Services team.

Thinking on your feet, responding to challenging issues as they arise and prioritising large volumes of work effectively will feature in your skillset.  You will be able to present confidently to committees and work with senior council leadership, elected members and external counsel.  

We are specifically looking for:
•    Significant transactional property law expertise, gained from experience working in New Zealand corporates, public sector organisations, or law firms.
•    At least 10 years’ relevant legal experience, involving advice to support executive or political decisions, preferably in a political or highly complex organisation
•    A tertiary qualification in law and a current practising certificate. 

Ngā āhuatanga kei a mātou: What we offer

Auckland Council is the largest local authority in the Southern Hemisphere and is New Zealand’s main urban “growth” council. The challenges and opportunities in the transactional property and land advisory areas are significant.

Legal Services is an in-house team of 50+ lawyers in five teams (Property, Commercial, Litigation & Dispute Resolution, Regulatory & Enforcement, and Public Law). We empower Auckland Council to do the right thing, the right way, for an Auckland we can all be proud of. 

We have a fantastic, inclusive working environment, which is collaborative, fun, safe and results-driven. There is lots of support, and flexible working is standard. 

Please call Kathryn Hickling, Associate General Counsel (Property) on 021 969 914 if you want to discuss the role before applying. We’d love to hear from you.

Me Tono Ināianei!: Apply Now!
Applications close: 13 November 2024
Minimum starting salary $167,901 with the potential to extend this for the right candidate 

You can find a copy of the position description HERE

Our employer Kiwisaver contribution is additional to base salary offered.

Auckland Council is an equal opportunity employer (EOE) and we are committed to providing a working environment that embraces and values diversity and inclusion. If you have any support or access requirements, we encourage you to advise us at the time of application to assist you through the recruitment process.