Senior Legal Counsel

Nāti Growth | Auckland | Flexible working – 32 hours or full-time An opportunity to shape, influence and make a lasting contribution to the future of Ngāti Porou. This is a rare opportunity to step into a senior legal position where you can genuinely make your mark.

Joining Nāti Growth as Senior Legal Counsel, you will have the opportunity to help establish and shape the organisation's legal function, work closely with senior leadership and governance, and contribute to decisions that support the long-term prosperity of Ngāti Porou and its people.

Nāti Growth is the iwi investment entity for Ngāti Porou, established to create sustainable, long-term value and prosperity for its stakeholders and communities. With a diverse investment portfolio spanning financial assets and direct investments across a range of industries, the organisation plays an important role in protecting, growing and maximising the value of iwi assets for current and future generations.

Based in Auckland or Gisborne this is a broad and commercially focused in-house role offering exposure to a diverse range of legal, governance and investment matters. Working closely with the CEO, Executive team, Boards and operational leaders, you will provide trusted legal counsel, help navigate complex matters and ensure the organisation's legal and commercial interests are well protected.

Importantly, this is more than a traditional in-house legal role. You will have the scope to build capability, influence how legal support is delivered across the business and develop strong relationships with key stakeholders. It is an opportunity to combine your legal expertise with a genuine sense of purpose, contributing to an organisation where decisions are guided by the interests of iwi, whānau and future generations.

Nāti Growth is open to candidates seeking either a 32-hour working week or full-time hours, offering flexibility to find an arrangement that works.

If you are an experienced legal professional looking for greater influence, variety and the opportunity to contribute to something meaningful, this is an exceptional next step.

What you'll do

Reporting to senior leadership, you will provide practical, commercially grounded legal advice and support across a broad range of business activities. Your responsibilities will include:

• Providing trusted legal advice to the CEO, Executive team, Boards and operational leaders across commercial, corporate and governance matters.
• Preparing legal opinions, summaries, recommendations and decision-support documentation to inform business and governance decisions.
• Supporting compliance with governing deeds and constitutional documents, interpreting obligations, identifying key requirements and assisting with deed review processes, engaging external legal specialists where appropriate.
• Advising on and supporting governance processes, including AGMs, SGMs, Board and committee meetings, appointments, resolutions, conflicts of interest and director independence requirements.
• Reviewing, drafting and negotiating a broad range of commercial agreements, including supplier and service agreements, leases, procurement arrangements, partnership agreements and other business contracts.
• Supporting the management of disputes and litigation, working alongside external legal counsel and coordinating discovery processes, document collation and information gathering.
• Identifying legal and governance risks, providing practical solutions and helping strengthen internal processes, policies and legal capability across the organisation.
• Building effective relationships with internal and external stakeholders, ensuring legal advice is accessible, timely and aligned with the organisation's wider objectives.

What you'll bring

You will be a commercially minded and pragmatic legal professional who enjoys working across a broad range of matters and engaging with stakeholders at all levels. You will be comfortable operating with autonomy, exercising sound judgement and balancing legal risk with commercial outcomes.

Ideally, you will bring:

• A Bachelor of Laws and a current New Zealand practising certificate, or the ability to obtain one.
• At least 7 years' post-qualification experience, ideally across commercial law, corporate governance, trust and constitutional matters, public sector or in-house legal environments.
• Experience interpreting governing deeds, trust documents or constitutional frameworks, with the ability to identify obligations, assess requirements and determine when specialist external advice is needed.
• Experience providing advice and support to Boards, committees and senior decision-makers, including involvement in formal governance processes such as AGMs and SGMs.
• Strong commercial judgement and the ability to translate complex legal matters into clear, practical advice and recommendations.
• The ability to work across multiple entities, manage competing priorities and build trusted relationships with a diverse range of stakeholders.
• An understanding of te ao Māori principles, tikanga Māori and the importance of working respectfully within a kaupapa Māori environment.

Just as importantly, you will bring a collaborative and solutions-focused approach, professional integrity, sound judgement and a genuine appreciation for the responsibilities that come with protecting and growing iwi assets.

What sets Nāti Growth apart?

Joining Nāti Growth means becoming part of an organisation with a clear purpose and a long-term vision that extends well beyond commercial returns.

Its approach is grounded in kaupapa Māori and a commitment to creating enduring value for Ngāti Porou, Tairāwhiti, whānau and future generations. Values such as humility, manaakitanga, respect, professional integrity and accountability are central to how the organisation operates and how its people work together.

You will be joining a team where your contribution is valued, where senior leaders are invested in sharing knowledge and developing their people, and where curiosity, continuous learning and professional growth are encouraged.

Alongside the opportunity to make a meaningful contribution, Nāti Growth offers:

• Flexible working arrangements, with the option of 32 hours or full-time.
• Hybrid working arrangements.
• A competitive remuneration package and
• Merit-based career progression and professional development.
• Direct access to senior leadership and the opportunity to influence key organisational decisions.
• The opportunity to shape and develop the legal function within a growing investment organisation.

What's next?

If you are looking for a role that offers genuine influence, professional challenge and the opportunity to contribute to the long-term prosperity of an iwi, we would love to hear from you.

This is an opportunity to bring your legal expertise into an organisation where the work you do has a lasting impact.

Applications will be reviewed as they are received, so early applications are encouraged.

Apply now or, for a confidential discussion, please contact:

Kate Williams (Auckland)

+64 9 374 7325 | kate.williams@robertwalters.co.nz

Robert Walters endeavours to review all applications in a maximum of five working days. If you have not received correspondence within this timeframe please do not hesitate to contact Kate Williams on 09 374 7325.