POSITION DESCRIPTION Oranga Tamariki—Ministry for Children
Title: Senior Solicitor - Litigation
Group: Policy and Organisational Strategy
Reports to: Regional Litigation Manager
Location: As specified
Direct Reports: No
Budget: No
OUR ORGANISATION
About us Oranga Tamariki—Ministry for Children is a Ministry dedicated to supporting any child in New Zealand whose wellbeing is at significant risk of harm now, or in the future. We also work with young people who may have offended, or are likely to offend. Our belief is that in the right environment, with the right people surrounding and nurturing them, any child can, and should flourish.
Our vision Our vision is: New Zealand values the wellbeing of tamariki above all else.
Our purpose Our purpose is: To ensure that all tamariki are in loving whānau and communities where oranga tamariki can be realised.
The Oranga Tamariki way
We’re introducing a new way of doing things. A way of looking at the world that guides everything we do:
Our core outcomes Our core outcomes are: - All children and young people are in loving families and communities
where they can be safe, strong, connected, and able to flourish. - Improved outcomes for all children, especially tamariki and rangatahi
Māori.
Position Description –Senior Solicitor (Litigation) – May 2018 2
POSITION PURPOSE
To deliver legal services to Oranga Tamariki. The role provides legal advice, legislation and advocacy
services on the range of operational and corporate issues facing Oranga Tamariki. The role will also
help Oranga Tamariki managers to identify legal risk and put in place strategies to manage this risk,
escalating significant business risk and identifying legal issues of importance to Oranga Tamariki.
KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES
Key Result area Key Accountabilities
Legal Advice and Services
- Provide high quality legal advice and advocacy for Oranga
Tamariki
- Provide support and assistance to managers in the management
of legal issues and risk
- Initiate and provide specialised non-adversarial dispute
resolutions and negotiations as required
- Actively promote the services available from Legal Services
- Assess the need for training and education with clients and
develop/deliver tailored training where necessary and as
requested
- Contribute suggestions for the initiation or amendment of the
policies and legislation of Oranga Tamariki
- Be responsible and accountable for the conduct of proceedings
in the District Court/Family Court/Youth Court or other Tribunal
as required
- Represent Oranga Tamariki in any other legal proceedings as
required
- Coordinate and liaise with Crown Solicitors, other practitioners,
Courts and other agencies throughout the area or areas assigned
- Instruct the Crown or other solicitors to conduct legal business
for Oranga Tamariki as required
- Provide assistance/mentoring to other legal colleagues
- Help clients manage the overall legal risk and develop strategies,
plans and actions to address these risks
- Identify improvement opportunities in area of practice and
ensure operating procedures are based on best practice
- Provide legal advice and advocacy to senior management as
required
- Actively participate in and contribute to future planning for Legal
Services (where appropriate).
Relationship Management - Develop and maintain relationships with key stakeholders
- Maintain a client focused approach
- Assist in building appropriate levels of understanding among key
stakeholders of the operations, imperatives and constraints of
Oranga Tamariki
Position Description –Senior Solicitor (Litigation) – May 2018 3
Key Result area Key Accountabilities
- Assist in building and maintaining close cooperative
relationships with key external providers of Legal Services (both
public and private sector)
- Establish and build strong working relationships at all levels of
Oranga Tamariki.
Team and Individual
Performance
- Participate in the development and operation of projects which
include team members and others throughout Oranga Tamariki
- Contribute to team communication activities
- Identify and act on personal learning and development
opportunities
- Participate in peer review of own and others work
- Lead projects which include team members and others
throughout Oranga Tamariki as required
- Provide leadership, mentoring and coaching within Legal
Services.
Leadership - Provide assistance, mentoring and coaching for less experienced
legal staff
- Provide leadership at a site or sub-team level, including (as
directed by the manager) the allocation and supervision of work
by others
- Work with managers, identify mentoring, training and
development needs for team members within the designated
areas of expertise, skill or knowledge and work with the manager
to see these needs are met
- Work with managers, proactively establish, maintain and monitor
effective quality assurance mechanisms within the designated
areas of expertise, skill or knowledge, ensuring all work meets/
exceeds national service standards
- Actively encourage others and seek out opportunities for
process improvement
- Guide and support colleagues; motivating legal staff to achieve
set objectives
- Contribute to practice development and innovative delivery
approaches within the team across Legal Services.
Being part of the Oranga
Tamariki team
- Actively and positively participate as a member of the team
- Proactively look for opportunities to improve the operations of
Oranga Tamariki
- From time to time, you may be required to perform other
reasonable duties as requested by your manager
- Comply with and support all health and safety policies,
guidelines and initiatives
- Ensure all incidents, injuries and near misses are reported into
our H&S reporting tool
- Comply with all legislative and regulatory requirements, and
Position Description –Senior Solicitor (Litigation) – May 2018 4
Key Result area Key Accountabilities
report any breaches as soon as they become known
- Adhere to all Oranga Tamariki procedures, policies, guidelines,
and standards of integrity and conduct
- Demonstrate a commitment to and respect for the Treaty of
Waitangi and incorporate these into your work.
Position Description –Senior Solicitor (Litigation) – May 2018 5
KEY RELATIONSHIPS
Internal - Chief Legal Officer
- Deputy Chief Legal Officer
- Oranga Tamariki Legal Services Team
- Other Oranga Tamariki Staff
External - Relevant external agencies
- Crown Solicitor
- Crown Law
- Legal Practitioners
- The Judiciary
- The Law Society
QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE
Qualifications - Been admitted as a Barrister and Solicitor in New Zealand and
have (or be eligible for) a practicing certificate
Knowledge and Experience
- Extensive expertise in relevant areas of law in which Oranga
Tamariki operates
- Experience in the development of and adaptation of policy and
practice issues to ensure continuous improvement is made
- Extensive experience providing advice to clients within a
complex political environment or in conducting cases
autonomously and appearing before Courts and Tribunals.
Skills - Good computing typing skills and competency working with
Microsoft Office software
Other requirements - Willing to travel to fulfil job requirements
- Holds current drivers licence and is prepared to drive the
Ministry’s vehicles if required