Official Information & Privacy Officer

As the Official Information & Privacy Advisor you safeguard transparency and trust by ensuring the council meets its statutory obligations under the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act 1987 (LGOIMA) and the Privacy Act 2020. You will be the council's go-to subject‑matter expert, managing the full lifecycle of information requests—from scoping and drafting to final response—and leading privacy incident investigations. What you’ll be doing Managing Information Requests: Receiving, assessing, drafting and coordinating official information and privacy requests, ensuring all statutory timeframes and compliance obligations are met. Providing Expert Advice: Acting as Council’s subject‑matter expert, offering risk‑based guidance to managers and kaimahi, and leading the investigation and reporting of privacy incidents. Policy & Continuous Improvement: Developing, reviewing and implementing robust policies and procedures, while supporting the proactive release of information to enhance transparency. Training & Capability Building: Creating and delivering education programmes to build privacy awareness, while nurturing strong internal relationships and external networks, including with the Ombudsman and Privacy Commissioner. Qualifications & Experience You are a collaborative communicator with a sharp analytical mind and a passion for helping others understand the value of official information and privacy. Ideally, you bring at least three years of experience within local or central government compliance, though we also welcome applications from junior legal professionals eager to build a career in privacy services. You possess a strong working knowledge of New Zealand's compliance regimes, LGOIMA, and the Privacy Act, alongside the relationship‑management skills needed to coach kaimahi and liaise confidently with external bodies. Proficiency in Microsoft 365 and exceptional written skills with a risk‑based approach to deliver accurate, legally robust outcomes are required. Why join us? You will be part of a supportive, collaborative team that encourages learning, development and continuous improvement. You’ll have the opportunity to make a meaningful contribution to your community across a broad regulatory portfolio and to shape an organisational culture that values privacy awareness, openness and excellent information management. #J-18808-Ljbffr