General Counsel

Provide commercial and corporate legal advice on nationally significant projects
- Use your legal mind and influence to potentially effect change at the highest
- Lead a team that works organisation-wide on dynamic and complex commercial mat

**About the company**

Ōtākaro Limited is a Crown entity charged with overseeing infrastructure delivery. An innovative and achievement-oriented organisation, Ōtākaro has delivered exceptional results against objectives and has made a real mark on the regeneration and betterment of Christchurch. The Government has recognised this and is expanding Otakaro’s reach to assist achievement of its infrastructure ambitions throughout New Zealand.

As an employer, Ōtākaro is highly supportive, providing wellbeing initiatives and professional development opportunities to ensure that its people are well looked after both professionally and personally.

To continue to support the opportunities available, Ōtākaro needs a strategic and commercially minded legal expert to join and lead an already strong Executive team. Ready to make a call?

**About the Opportunity**

Reporting to the Chief Executive and working integrally with the business leaders throughout Ōtākaro, the General Counsel provides strategic commercial and corporate legal input in identifying, assessing, and mitigating legal risk across the organisation and ensures that appropriate, pragmatic and timely legal advice is provided to Ōtākaro leaders to support and progress their commercial objectives.

In doing this, the General Counsel will provide:

- Proactive yet pragmatic commercial, legal, and strategic advice and support to members of the Executive Team, CE, and the Board to ensure their success and the success of the business.
- Commercial and legal input into contractual negotiations, implementation, and management to ensure the efficient and effective running of all contractual obligations.
- Company secretarial and governance support to the Board of Directors; ensuring all regulatory reporting is properly undertaken.
- Legal and risk management advice and support across the business to ensure compliance with all statutory, regulatory and contractual obligations, and liability is understood and mitigated.

This is a key executive role that requires the General Counsel to demonstrate effective leadership internally to the business and externally to wider stakeholders. This diverse and strategic legal role requires a senior skill set, influential leader, and a strong communicator. Flexible hours and choice of Christchurch, Auckland and Wellington are available. Sound like you?

**About You**

To be successful as the General Counsel, you will hold a New Zealand legal practising certificate and you would have developed your broad legal career in a combination of organisation types including within private legal practise and strongly commercial organisations - in NZ and/or internationally.

You will have proven significant experience in advising on commercial, construction and corporate law matters and come armed with experience in the drafting and administering of contracts and understand procurement in the public sector. You will have a sound knowledge of Privacy and Official information laws and you will have experience in drafting and interpreting legislation.

Importantly, you will be commercially savvy and have your finger on the pulse of the nation’s political environment. This role is for someone seeking to influence and build relationships at the highest levels.

An exceptional communicator with strong relationship building capability; people will describe you as a leader - confidently developing relationships, coaching colleagues, and influencing outcomes towards achievement of business goals. Resilient and courageous, you will enjoy supporting a business that is evolving and changing as technologies develop - and to an extent, where the endgame is still to be written.

In return, you will be rewarded with the opportunity to shape this executive level role and to take a key part in the success of this pivotal organisation. Are you ready?

**How to apply**

For a confidential discussion about the role; contact