Corporate Counsel

12-month fixed term opportunity
- Work independently across the breadth of a growing and diverse organisation

Bring your passion for electrifying New Zealand and expertise as a trusted advisor to a highly respected legal team enabling New Zealand's energy future
At the centre of the electricity sector in New Zealand, Transpower plays a key role in enabling the functioning of New Zealand's economy and touches all facets of the community through 24/7 transmission of electricity. We are working hard to enable accelerated electrification to help meet climate change and sustainability goals that will impact generations to come.
About the team
Our Legal team supports and enables Transpower's strategic priorities through oversight, delivery, and management of all legal advice across all Transpower's grid ownership and operation activities.
About the opportunity
In this role we are looking for someone to work with a strategic lens to help enable New Zealand's energy future. Gaining a deep understanding of our interested stakeholders, such as incumbent and emerging electricity generators, local electricity distribution networks, our regulators, and local authorities, you'll provide advice to the business on a wide range of environmental and resource management matters, including in relation to local authority plans, policy statements, and relationships.
As part of our team of experienced and supportive Corporate Counsels, and alongside our Executive Leadership Team, you'll work to support Transpower's understanding and planning for the impacts of a rapidly growing and changing electricity industry, with a core focus on the impact of environmental and resource management laws and legal developments.
Working with internal customers, you will actively listen, learn, question, identify, and understand their requirements, drivers, and objectives while assessing when and where legal input and advice is required, to deliver strategies and methods for resolving issues, and coaching improved understanding of environmental and resource management matters to meet the needs of the business.
You'll enjoy autonomy and being a trusted advisor to a diverse range of business leaders and business functions, so they can make timely, well-advised, commercially astute, and well assessed risk-based decisions that reflect the requirements of both the law and Transpower's business needs.
What will you bring?
We are looking for someone with experience in environment and resource management law who would love to be part of a respected, trusted, successful, and collaborative team, who values and respects diversity in thought and experience. You'll bring a flexible approach to how you provide advice and write documents, and a well-developed ability to question and tease out what the business really wants and needs, in a role where no two days are the same.

**To be shortlisted your CV and cover letter will demonstrate**:

- an LLB with 5+ years practical experience in a legal firm or in-house corporate legal team, working on environmental and resource management related matters, preferably with a focus on local authority plans and policy statements
- you will hold/be eligible for a practising certificate issued by the New Zealand Law Society
- well-developed critical and systems thinking to distinguish business situations where legal advice is required or desirable, with the ability to identify the best way to go about providing such advice
- proven ability to clearly and succinctly explain and present complex legal issues, in writing and verbally, underpinned by skills in preparing and reviewing submissions on development of local authority plans and policy statements, from submission through to Environment Court mediation

Why Transpower?
Role closes Monday 17th June. Applications will be reviewed as they are received, and initial conversations may take place prior to the close date to assist with shortlisting.
Please not existing New Zealand work eligibility is required.