Overview
Principal Legal Counsel Jobs in Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand at Kāinga Ora – Homes and Communities
Title: Principal Legal Counsel
Company: Kāinga Ora – Homes and Communities
Location: Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand
- Join a trusted, high‑performing legal team serving Kāinga Ora communities
- Advise on complex, high‑value commercial matters with real community impact
- Shape strategy, lead complex matters, and mentor senior lawyers
Te whiwhinga mahi – Our opportunity
The Commercial and Corporate Operations legal team sits within the Kāinga Ora Legal and Risk Directorate and provides legal support for all commercial and construction contracting, as well as core corporate activities.
As Principal Legal Counsel, you will be a senior and trusted adviser, leading complex commercial legal matters and providing high‑quality, pragmatic legal advice. Reporting to the Associate General Counsel – Commercial and Corporate Operations, you will play a leadership role within the team, helping to shape legal strategy, lift capability, and ensure the delivery of effective legal services across the organisation.
This role suits a senior lawyer who enjoys operating at both a strategic and hands‑on level, is comfortable leading complex work with minimal supervision, and values collaboration, mentorship, and purpose‑driven work.
Based in either Auckland or Wellington, this is a key role in a high performing and dedicated legal team.
Key Responsibilities Include
- Provide specialist, solutions focussed commercial and corporate legal advice with particular emphasis on high-value and complex contracts, including IT, maintenance and supply arrangements.
- Lead the review, negotiation and approval of key contracts, managing legal risk while enabling organisational objectives
- Identify and implement organisation‑wide legal and contractual solutions, including through management of external legal providers.
- Contribute meaningfully to strategy, leadership discussions, and improvement initiatives across the Commercial and Corporate Operations legal team and the wider Legal and Risk Directorate.
- Build strong relationships with senior stakeholders supporting timely and seamless legal service delivery.
- Mentor and actively develop other lawyers, helping to grow capability and to strengthen the team.
- Report clearly on legal risks and opportunities and ensure the General Counsel is well informed.
- Design and deliver high quality legal training to support organisational capability.
Ngā Pūmanawatanga Ōu – What You Will Bring
- Law Degree and current practising certificate.
- 10+ years’ legal experience in commercial and corporate law (law firm and/or in‑house public or private sector). Experience in construction law is highly regarded.
- Strong judgment and ability to resolve complex, multi‑disciplinary legal issues.
- Strong in analysis, problem‑solving and communication, with a pragmatic, solutions‑oriented approach
- Comfortable operating in ambiguous and fast-moving environments, managing competing priorities effectively
- Strong relationship‑building and stakeholder engagement skills.
- High personal ethics and integrity.
- Ability to mentor others and contribute to a collaborative team environment.
- Commitment to Kāinga Ora values and culturally respectful practice, including Te Tiriti considerations.
Nōu te rourou – What's in it for you?
We offer competitive salaries, five weeks' annual leave and a benefits package including a range of insurances, flexible working arrangements and career development. These benefits are described in more detail here https://careers.kaingaora.govt.nz/a-great-place-to-work/benefits
As a Kāinga Ora – Homes and Communities employee, we want to make sure that you have all the tools and support you need. We want to ensure you are healthy and have work-life balance. We also want to support and grow your personal and career development through on-the-job learning, training courses, secondments and study opportunities.
Mō mātou – Our Organisation
At Kāinga Ora, ours is the important responsibility of transforming New Zealand’s housing choices, outcomes and the entire housing sector by creating homes and communities that allow New Zealanders to thrive.
What is exciting about working for Kāinga Ora is getting the chance to make a real and positive impact on New Zealanders’ lives. With skills, planning and purposeful action, our people are creating the homes and neighbourhoods that will build the future of Aotearoa.
We are passionate about transforming New Zealand for the better. That includes being a trusted partner for Māori and iwi, protecting and enabling their rights, interests and aspirations under the guidance of Te Tiriti o Waitangi.
Ō tātou uara – Our values
Our Values Were Developed By Us, For Us. They Unite Us As An Organisation And Guide How We Work Every Day. Our Values Are
- Manaakitanga – People at the Heart
- Mahi Tahi – Better Together
- Whanake – Be Bold
Tūhono mai – Join us
To view the position description and apply for this role, please follow the online process via http://careers.kaingaora.govt.nz. Please note: all applicants, including existing employees, need to follow this process. If you have any questions about this role, please contact [email protected].
Applications close 11.55pm on Sunday 17th May 2026.
We value diversity and are committed to working with each other and our customers in an inclusive and respectful way. We welcome applicants from all walks of life and appreciate the richness of experience that your point of difference brings to the organisation.
If you don’t tick all the boxes in this listing but think that you could be a great fit based on your unique background and skillset, we would welcome an application from you.
