Senior Legal Counsel - Earth Sciences

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At Earth Sciences New Zealand, we're bringing together exceptional science, technology and people to address the environmental, climate and natural hazard challenges facing Aotearoa New Zealand. As a collaborative and purpose-driven organisation, we're committed to delivering science that creates meaningful impact for communities, industry and the environment, while partnering with Māori, supporting Pacific resilience, and shaping a more sustainable future for generations to come.

About the position\n

This is a broad senior in-house role at the centre of a purpose-led science organisation. You’ll be part of a collaborative legal team, advising on legal risk, supporting commercial and operational decisions, and working with colleagues across the business on matters that are often novel, complex and strategically important.

What You’ll Do:\n

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• Provide clear, timely and practical legal advice across a wide range of commercial, regulatory, public law and operational matters.
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• Help the organisation make confident decisions by identifying legal risk, explaining options and proposing workable solutions.
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• Lead or support the drafting, review and negotiation of complex contracts, funding arrangements, procurement documents, technology arrangements and other legal documents.
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What you’ll bring:\n

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• Strong legal judgement, intellectual curiosity and the ability to work confidently with complexity and ambiguity.
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• A collaborative style and the ability to contribute positively to a small legal team that works closely with the wider organisation.
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• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to translate legal issues into clear, practical advice for senior leaders and non-lawyer colleagues.
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• Creative, practical problem-solving skills and initiative.
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• Exceptional standards of accuracy and attention to detail
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• A minimum of 7+ years PQE
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• Bachelor of Laws (LLB) or equivalent
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• Current New Zealand Law Society practicing certificate
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We welcome candidates with expertise in areas of law relevant to our work, including ICT, intellectual property, regulatory law, public law, maritime law, privacy, procurement or commercial contracting. Experience in the public sector, Crown entities, or the research, science and innovation system would also be valuable.

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You will also be able to demonstrate knowledge of, or a willingness to gain an understanding of, Te Ao Māori, tikanga and Te Reo Māori, as well as Te Tiriti o Waitangi as it applies to Earth Sciences NZ and the public sector context

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We know that talented people—especially those from under‑represented or neurodiverse communities—sometimes hesitate to apply unless they meet every single requirement in a job description. If this role aligns with your strengths, lived experience, or interests, we’d love to hear from you.

What we offer\n

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• Varied, challenging and important work with talented colleagues in an organisation devoted to earth science.
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• A high performing organisation with a focus on employee development and wellbeing
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• Generous leave entitlements and employee benefits
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• Flexible working options (e.g., some work from home days, and flexible start and finish times). We are happy to discuss potential flexible options for this position at the interview stage.
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• The salary range for this position is between $170,000 to $195,000, depending on the successful candidate’s experience.
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If this sounds like the next step in your career, we’d love to hear from you.

Applications close on Wedensday, 19 August 2026\n

Reference # 61022

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Posted on 05 Aug 2026

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Closes on 19 Aug 2026 23:55

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Location(s) Auckland

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Expertise Legal, Compliance & Risk Management, IP Management, Health & Safety

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