Special Counsel - Public Law

• Hybrid role with flexible working options based in Central Auckland
• Utilise your extensive specialist public law expertise advising on high-profile matters including transport reform and other key strategic priorities for Auckland Council
• Take responsibility for key client and provider relationships
• Make a meaningful impact and contribute to the important work of Auckland Council in helping to make Auckland a great place to live and a world-class city
• Work in a collaborative, flexible team environment

He angitūtanga: The opportunity 

Te Kaunihera o Tāmāki Makaurau/Auckland Council has a rare opportunity for a permanent full-time Special Counsel to join its Public Law team, reporting to the Associate General Counsel in Ngā Ratonga Ture/Legal Services. This is a senior legal role leading quality legal advice to Auckland Council and its CCOs in a specialist workstream area.

We are looking for a top-notch advisory lawyer who is keen to take on a leadership role and can hit the ground running.

This is a fantastic opportunity to utilise your expertise advising on public law issues within a complex organisation. The work is varied and high-quality with the opportunity to shape public law in New Zealand’s largest local authority.

As a trusted advisor to the wider organisation, you will be responsible for providing sound and robust legal advice on a wide range of public law matters. You will be adaptable, able to work with a high degree of autonomy and be able to earn the respect of a wide range of internal and external stakeholders. As Special Counsel, you will be providing advice directly to elected members, the executive team and senior management. You will also be skilled at building and holding key relationships with internal clients and external stakeholders including Audit NZ, the Ombudsman, Privacy Commissioner, and the Human Rights Commission.

You will play a critical role in ensuring that Auckland Council achieves its objectives while acting lawfully, fairly and in an open and transparent manner.

The public law team in Legal Services is a team of approximately twelve specialist public lawyers working in a flexible, collaborative, and supportive environment. As Special Counsel, you will provide leadership within the public law team and wider Legal Services department, including coaching and mentoring other members of the team.

Click here to view the Position Description.

He kōrero mōu: About you 

You will have a minimum of 15 years legal experience with good public law experience. With political and organisational acumen, you will have a confident and collaborative working style.

Experience in public law is essential, and knowledge of the local government legal framework is preferred.

This is a rare opportunity to utilise your interpersonal and relationship-building skills while working across a large and varied portfolio. You will be solutions-focused and be able to support the organisation in managing risk and thinking proactively.

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 public law space are significant.

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

In return, we will offer you high profile and interesting work, a flexible working environment, the knowledge and support of other like-minded professionals and an enthusiastic and hard-working team to work with.

We are proud to be recognised for our commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. We are accredited by GenderTick, a signatory of the Pride Pledge. These commitments reflect our ongoing efforts to create a workplace where all staff feel valued, respected, and empowered to thrive. 

Together, we can create a Tāmaki Makaurau we can all be proud of.

As part of our organisation, please view a range of our: benefits

Tono inaianei: Apply Now!

Applications close on Sunday 30 August at 11:59pm

Auckland Council is committed to protecting your privacy in accordance with the Privacy Act 2020. We collect personal information directly from you and, where relevant for the purpose of assessing you for employment, and employing you as part of the transport reform process, from third parties such as referees, previous employers (including Auckland Transport) recruitment agencies, and background checking providers.

By applying for this role, you consent to Council obtaining a reference from your current employer, including information about any active conduct investigations and current performance management processes, if you are the preferred candidate. Reference checks will only be undertaken at the preferred candidate stage. Any non-active performance or conduct matters may also be discussed with referees as part of the reference checking process.

If you do not consent to this information being provided, Council may be unable to properly assess your application and your application will not progress further. If you wish to withhold your consent, or to access or correct your personal information, please contact the Privacy Officer at privacy@aucklandcouncil.govt.nz.

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.