1 June 2025
Senior Legal Advisor - Employment
Position Details
Reports to: Manager – Legal, Employment Employee Type: Employee
Executive Group: Chief Operating Office Shift Work/Non-Shift Work: Non-shift work
Workgroup: People Group Remuneration Range: Grade 21
Location: Police National Headquarters Delegated Financial Authority: Nil
Direct Reports: Nil
Working at Police (who we are)
New Zealand Police delivers services that ensure people can be safe and feel safe in their homes, on our roads and in their communities. Police operate 24 hours a day in a complex environment actively targeting and preventing crime and harm. With around 16,000 staff, we work from urban and rural stations and larger policing hubs. We operate on land, sea and in the air, and respond to more than 1.2 million events per year – answering more than 992,000 111 calls and over 650,000 non-emergency calls. We’re working towards specific goals and targets that highlight our intent to work collaboratively with iwi and communities, other government sectors and business partners to deliver ‘Our Business’ and achieve long-term change.
Values: Our Values provide a guide to the way New Zealand Police work, operate, and make decisions, and reflect what is important to us and the communities we serve.
Professionalism Taking pride in representing New Zealand Police and making a difference in the communities we serve
Respect Treating everyone with dignity, upholding their individual rights and honouring their freedoms
Integrity Being honest and upholding excellent ethical standards
Commitment to Māori and The Treaty
Acting in good faith of, and respecting the principles of Te Tiriti O Waitangi – partnership, protection, and participation
Empathy Seeking understanding of, and considering the experience and perspective of those New Zealand Police serve
Valuing Diversity Recognising the value different perspectives and experiences bring to making us better at what we do
2 June 2025
Position Overview (where you’ll be working)
To support the delivery of Our Business the Senior Legal Advisor will provide advice, advocacy and support on grievances, disputes, change management, health and safety and general employment law (including information law and Human Rights).
The purpose of leadership in this role is to lead the tactics of Our Business and enable our people to deliver them.
Responsibilities (what you’ll be doing)
The Senior Legal Advisor - Employment will:
1. Keep Our People Safe Exercise your health and safety due diligence. Foster a safe and supportive culture by leading the integration of safety, health, and wellbeing into all aspects of
the workplace including planning, training, and operations. Understand the hazards faced by the team and enable them to eliminate or minimise the associated risk. Monitor health and safety events, encourage near miss reporting, debriefs with a lessons-learned mindset, and
resource incident reviews to a level commensurate with their significance. Proactively manage employee preventative health initiatives and return to work from injury or illness.
2. Service Delivery Personal Grievances and Disputes
- Manages personal grievance cases including representing Police at mediation and the Employment Relations Authority and, where required, manages external counsel relationships.
- Provide briefings, advice and support to Police Managers and HR professionals on preventing and managing disputes and personal grievances.
- Provides expert and sound legal advice on dispute resolution. - Provides risk assessment to Police Managers and HR professionals during the dispute
resolution processes. - Manages and takes ownership of potential high-risk employment relationship problems or issues. - Develops case management strategies in conjunction with the Manager – Legal, Employment - Provides timely legal advice and support to Police Managers and HR professionals when managing disputes
and personal grievances.
Employment Law - Provides expert legal advice and legal opinions on interpretation of Police Collective
Employment Agreements and policy, change management processes, health and safety and general employment legislation.
- Supports employment investigations as assigned and works closely with Police’s new disciplinary resolution team.
- Provides timely legal advice and support to Police Managers and HR professionals when managing employment relations issues.
- Proactively recognises potential employment law risks or issues with a likely organisation-wide impact. - Develops and delivers training on employment law issues, as required in order to upskill Police
Managers and HR professionals. - Analyses legal issues, themes and any emerging trends.
3. Customer Service Handles confidential and sensitive information in an appropriate manner, consistent with good
practice, Police policy and legislation. Maintains a current knowledge of employment law and employment relations practices and
ensures that knowledge is up to date.
3 June 2025
Adjusts workloads and approach to reflect priorities. Communicates in a timely and appropriate fashion. Reacts appropriately to operational information and make decisions in the absence of direct supervision. Works closely with the wider People Group, and associated workgroups including Safer People, People
Operations, People Strategy, Recruitment, Integrity and Conduct, and Legal Section, and special projects.
4. General Management Manages cases and projects assigned by the Manager – Legal, Employment Identifies and manages dispute resolution and employment relations related projects Acts as a source of specialist information and advice in relation to employment relationships and
employment relationship problems Contributes to meeting Police obligations under the Treaty of Waitangi | te Tiriti o Waitangi. Ensures employment legal services are delivered promptly, impartially and safely Contributes to the planning and co-ordination of the work of the wider People Group
5. Team Leadership & Management Co-operates and works effectively with colleagues and other staff in order to achieve team goals and standards. Facilitates the timely flow of current and accurate information between both district and national staff Coaches and develops others in area of expertise Takes a constructive approach to team efforts and supports other team members Demonstrates flexibility in responding to work requirements including availability to work non-
standard hours when required Regularly briefs other team members on matters of interest to the team Displays behaviour which contributes to a constructive culture including behavioural alignment to
the Police's integrity, ethics and values. This includes: - Those covered in the Code of Conduct - Supporting and recognising equal opportunities - Supporting and recognising New Zealand Police’s obligations under the Treaty of Waitangi|
te Tiriti o Waitangi, including Māori Responsiveness.
6. Relationship Management Ensures that all advice and support provided is of a very high quality Develops key internal relationships to effectively support decision making and to encourage robust
decision making and provide appropriate legal advice Ensures clear boundaries are established between providing legal advice and taking responsibility for
decision making Establishes and maintains appropriate external working relationships with other roles impacting on their position Develops networks outside the Police to facilitate the effective resolution of employment relationship
problems and achieve best results for Police as a whole
7. Universal Responsibilities All employees of New Zealand Police are expected to:
Adhere to New Zealand Police standards of integrity and conduct. Comply with legislative and statutory requirements within area of expertise, including employment and privacy
legislation. Model the New Zealand Police Values – Professionalism, Respect, Integrity, Commitment to Māori and The
Treaty, Empathy and Valuing Diversity. Respect diversity and demonstrate inclusiveness. Understand the hazards in their work area and eliminate or minimise the associated risk. Report all accidents, incidents and near misses in MyPolice in a timely fashion. Actively participate in Wellness and Safety initiatives and training.
4 June 2025
Perform other duties and participate in projects as required.
Key Relationships (who you’ll be working with)
The Senior Legal Advisor - Employment can expect to build and maintain effective relationships with:
Internal • New Zealand Police Executive, District Commanders, Directors, Managers, Royal New Zealand Police College
• Legal Services, Police Professional Conduct, People Group (Safer People, People Operations, People Strategy, Recruitment, including ER Advisors, HR Managers and Advisors)
External • State Services Commission • Leadership Development Centre • Service Organisation delegates, field officers and organiser • Staff and members of the Employment Relations Service including the Mediation
Service and Employment Relations Authority
Position Specific Competencies (how you’ll deliver results)
To be successful in this role, the Senior Legal Advisor - Employment will:
Deliver high standards of service to all stakeholders in a professional manner. Effectively communicate with our people, partners and community. Use critical thinking and problem-solving skills to make sound decisions and judgement. Manage time, priorities and responsibilities for self and others. Influence and engage teams, partners and community. Solve problems and lead sound decision making under pressure. Know our key responsibilities under our employment agreements, the Health and Safety at Work Act and our
people focused policies. Know how to proactively manage or escalate identified risks.
Additional information: (what you need to know)
Required Qualifications Hold an LLB and a current practising certificate (or be eligible to obtain a current practising certificate)
Pre-Employment Checks
Not a children’s worker, standard vetting required. Drug and alcohol testing, as required, according to guidelines. No National Security Clearance is required to be obtained and maintained.
Work Environment Flexibility options: Flexible work options available. Travel requirements: Some travel is required to attend mediations and disciplinary meetings.