Chief Legal Officer

Discover a career with purpose at MBIE

Wellington Central

Permanent Positon

This is a critical executive leadership role at the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) offering the opportunity to shape and lead a large and complex Legal, Ethics and Privacy branch that supports the Ministry’s strategic direction.

The branch is one of the largest in-house legal functions in the New Zealand public service, with close to 100 staff spanning litigation, commercial, legislative services, integrity, and privacy.

Tēnei tūranga - About the Role

As Chief Legal Officer, you will lead the Legal, Ethics and Privacy branch and provide enterprise-wide legal stewardship across MBIE diverse and high-impact policy, regulatory and operational portfolios.

You will ensure the Ministry operates with strong legal integrity, manages risk effectively, and delivers on its obligations in a complex and fast-changing environment

You will be a trusted advisor to senior leaders, bringing a pragmatic, commercial and public sector lens to support high-quality decision-making and system-level outcomes.

Leading this complex and multidisciplinary branch you will:

• Provide enterprise legal leadership and stewardship – ensuring consistent, high-quality legal, ethics and privacy advice across MBIE, and that risks are proactively identified and managed
• Set direction – aligning legal, integrity and privacy services to MBIE’s strategic priorities and operating context
• Support senior decision-making – acting as a trusted advisor on complex, high-risk and high-profile issues across regulatory, policy and operational portfolios
• Lead system-wide legal performance – lifting practice standards, capability and consistency across internal and external legal services
• Lead and sustain a high-performing branch – developing leadership depth, capability and a strong, client-focused culture
• Champion organisational integrity and privacy – fulfilling statutory and functional roles including Chief Privacy Officer and Integrity Champion
• Contribute to collective leadership – working as part of the Strategy and Assurance leadership team and collaboratively across MBIE to drive organisation-wide outcome

Ngā pukenga me ngā wheako e hiahiatia ana -

Skills And Experience Required

We are seeking an experienced legal executive who brings a track record of leading at scale, shaping organisational direction, and delivering high-performing professional services in complex environments.

• A proven ability to lead large, complex legal or advisory functions at a senior level
• Strategic thinking capability, with the ability to influence enterprise-level outcomes
• Experience building capability and leading transformation or system-level change
• Highly developed stakeholder engagement skills and credibility at senior levels
• Strong understanding of government or similarly complex operating environments
• Admitted as a Barrister and Solicitor of the High Court of New Zealand with a current practising certificate
• The legal right to live and work in New Zealand
• Ability to meet and maintain security and financial delegation requirements

Ētahi kōrero mō MBIE - About MBIE

The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) is the Government’s lead business-facing agency. Our contribution to improving the well-being of New Zealanders is summarised in our purpose, to grow New Zealand for all.

Click here to view a position description

For a copy of the information pack or a confidential discussion, please contact Jo Bell or Amy Tea on ***email_hidden***

To apply, please send your cover letter and CV (preferably in PDF format) to [email protected]

You must have the right to live and work in Aotearoa New Zealand to apply for this role.

Applications close 21 June 2026.