Senior Solicitor at Ara Poutama Aotearoa (Department of Corrections), Wellington (Te Whanganui a Tara)

Mō tēnei tūranga mahi | About this role

• Work in our awesome team and provide high-quality legal advice across a wide range of criminal justice issues.
• You will be provided with opportunities to learn and stretch yourself with the support of talented and caring colleagues.
• Permanent position, based at our National Office in Wellington.

'Kotahi anō te kaupapa, ko te oranga o te iwi' – ‘There is only one purpose to our work: the wellness and wellbeing of our people.'

Mō te tūnga | About the role

You will be working in the Advice & Legislation Team, which is one of five teams that make up the Department's Legal Services Unit. The work is interesting and diverse. You will have the opportunity to work on issues such as prisoners' rights, the delivery of health services, strategic criminal justice projects, and the policy to law process. The work has a direct impact on the lives of people in Aotearoa and is often high-profile.

We are committed to supporting the Department's implementation of its transformational strategy, Hōkai Rangi, and are motivated to build our individual and collective cultural capability.

We are a high-performing team made up of lawyers with a heap of experience within and outside the Department. We are kind, supportive, and generous with our time and expertise.

This Senior Solicitor role is suited to solicitors with approximately 6 years or more post-admission experience.

He kōrero mōu | About you 

We are looking for someone who consistently provides high quality, operationally minded, and fit for purpose legal advice in a timely and customer-focused way.

If you are interested in our work, enjoy working as part of a team, and have great skills, we would really like to hear from you! 

Ngā pūkenga me ngā wheako | Skills and experience

We will be looking for the following skills, knowledge and abilities outlined in your application:

• Thoroughness, accuracy, and reliability in the provision of public law advice and/or matters of criminal procedure.
• Some knowledge of the policy to law process.
• Familiarity with the Treaty of Waitangi/te Tiriti o Waitangi and its application to the work of government agencies.
• Knowledge of te reo, tikanga and te ao Māori or demonstrable commitment to development in these areas.

Utu ā-tau | Salary

The midpoint of the salary range is $124,758 per annum and the full range (85%-120%) is $106,045 - $149,710 per annum. Appointment and remuneration will reflect skills and experience relevant to the role.

Ko wai mātou | About us

Ara Poutama Aotearoa is a name that has been gifted to us and is our commitment to improving the oranga and safety of the people, whānau, and that of the communities we serve across the motu.

As a values-led organisation, we use the principles of rangatira (leadership), manaaki (respect), wairua (spirituality), kaitiaki (guardianship) and whānau (relationships) to shape how we work and deliver the outcomes in our strategy - Hōkai Rangi (https://corr.nz/hr).

It is an exciting time to join us, and we continue to seek out talented individuals who are committed to an inclusive, vibrant workplace. We recognise and celebrate the uniqueness of individuals, and that of the collective talent in our whānau. 

We welcome applications from disabled and neurodiverse communities, all cultures, faiths, and rainbow communities, as we appreciate the richness of experience that diversity brings to our organisation. We strive to make our recruitment process fair and inclusive, and we encourage applicants to discuss reasonable accommodation with us if required at careers@corrections.govt.nz.

Tono ināianei | Apply Now

To view the job description, click 'apply' and you will be taken through to our careers site, where you can view this.

To apply, please submit a tailored CV and a cover letter describing your motivation for joining the department highlighting relevant skills and experience. Alignment to our kaupapa is critical to our success - we ask that you provide examples which reflect and demonstrate our organisation values. 

Applications close on:  Sunday 27 April 2025, 11pm NZST.

All applications must be submitted through our careers site to ensure transparency. Applications received via email will not be considered. 

If you want to find out more about a career with us, visit careers.corrections.govt.nz  or if you have any specific queries about this role, email Recruitment Adviser sarah.zagarelos@corrections.govt.nz