Legal Researcher
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Tēnei tūranga – About the role
The Legal Researcher is a team member position in MBIE. The Legal Researcher will bring their business understanding and perspective to work in partnership with their manager and other staff.
The Legal Researcher contributes to the operations of the Employment Services teams and is responsible for ensuring quality and consistency of advice and practices in relation to their contribution to the team’s work.
Ngā herenga – Requirements of the role
Personal specifications
- All employees are required to comply with MBIE’s vaccination policy which seeks to protect the wellbeing, health and safety of our people, their whānau and the community. You are required to hold a valid vaccination pass to be employed at MBIE.
- Written communication skills, in particular the ability to summarise complex issues.
- Oral communication skills involving the ability to effectively communicate by phone, email, personal contact.
- Ability to critically evaluate ideas, suggestions and proposals and apply an unbiased view in advice.
- Experience and confident with the use of online research databases (eg WestLaw).
- Ability to interpret and apply legislation and/or legal documents.
- A detailed understanding of the functioning of the Employment Relations system in NZ and it’s underlying philosophies.
- Interest and/or knowledge in workplace legislation, fair pay or pay equity, operational knowledge of employment legislation is desirable.
- Ability to produce high quality and accurate work and display high attention to detail with excellent written and oral communication skills, and the ability to communicate technical subjects to a non-technical audience.
Qualifications
- An LLB degree.
- Employment law papers are highly desired.
Takohanga tuhinga o mua – Key accountabilities and deliverables
Indicators of success
The Legal Researcher will be required to deliver results in the following areas:
- Read and prepare headnote summaries for Employment Relations Authority determinations.
- Identify significant legal and/or public interest developments and provide updates on underlying and emerging issues of law to Resolution Services staff, managers, and Statutory Officers.
- Provide legal research, reporting and analysis as required to support the work of the Ministry and the Authority.
- Undertake legal research using both online and hardcopy resources.
- Ensuring the quality, consistency and timeliness of advice and practice, bringing their knowledge, understanding and perspective to work in partnership with their manager and others.
Team participation and leadership
- Work with your peers to produce research and other information within agreed timelines and as other objectives and priorities arise.
- Discuss and share research with colleagues and allocate appropriate responses to clients.
- Build and maintain relationships with key internal stakeholders in order to enhance knowledge needed to support decision making.
Wellbeing, health & safety
- Displays commitment through actively supporting all safety and wellbeing initiatives.
- Ensures own and others safety at all times.
- Complies with relevant safety and wellbeing policies, procedures, safe systems of work and event reporting.
- Reports all incidents/accidents, including near misses in a timely fashion.
- Is involved in health and safety through participation and consultation.
Tō tūranga i roto i te Manatū – Your place in the Ministry
The Legal Researcher position sits within the Employment Services branch. The branch sits within the Te Whakatairanga Service Delivery group.
To mātou aronga – What we do for Aotearoa New Zealand
Hīkina Whakatutuki is the te reo Māori name for the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment. Hīkina means to uplift. Whakatutuki means to move forward, to make successful. Our name speaks to our purpose, Grow Aotearoa New Zealand for All.
To Grow Aotearoa New Zealand for All, we put people at the heart of our mahi. Based on the principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi / The Treaty of Waitangi, we are committed to upholding authentic partnerships with Māori.
As agile public service leaders, we use our breadth and experience to navigate the ever-changing world. We are service providers, policy makers, investors and regulators. We engage with diverse communities, businesses and regions. Our work touches on the daily lives of New Zealanders. We grow opportunities (Puāwai), guard and protect (Kaihāpai) and innovate and navigate towards a better future (Auaha).
Ngā matatau – Our competencies
Cultivates innovation We create new and better ways for the organisation to be successful by challenging the status quo generating new and creative ideas and translating them into workable solutions.
Nimble learning We are curious and actively learn through experimentation when tackling new problems by learning as we go when facing new situations and challenges.
Customer focus We build strong customer relationships and deliver customer-centric solutions by listening and gaining insights into the needs of the communities we serve and actively seeking and responding to feedback.
Decision quality We make quality and timely decisions that shape the future for our communities and keep the organisation moving forward by relying on an appropriate mix of analysis, wisdom, experience, and judgement to make valid and reliable decisions.
Action oriented We step up, taking on new opportunities and tough challenges with purpose, urgency and discipline by taking responsibility, ownership and action on challenges, and being accountable for the results.
Collaborates We connect, working together to build partnerships with our communities, working collaboratively to meet shared objectives by gaining trust and support of others; actively seeking the views, experiences, and opinions of others and by working co-operatively with others across MBIE, the public sector and external stakeholder groups.
Te Tiriti o Waitangi
As an agency of the public service, MBIE has a responsibility to contribute to the Crown meeting its obligations under Te Tiriti o Waitangi (Te Tiriti). Meeting our commitment to Te Tiriti will contribute towards us realising the overall aims of Te Ara Amiorangi – Our Path, Our Direction, and achieve the outcome of Growing New Zealand for All. The principles of Te Tiriti - including partnership, good faith, and active protection – are at the core of our work. MBIE is committed to delivering on our obligations as a Treaty partner with authenticity and integrity and to enable Māori interests. We are committed to ensuring that MBIE is well placed to meet our obligations under the Public Service Act 2020 (Te Ao Tūmatanui) to support the Crown in strengthening the Māori/Crown Relationship under the Treaty and to build MBIE’s capability, capacity and cultural intelligence to deliver this.
Mahi i roto i te Ratonga Tūmatanui – Working in the public service
Ka mahitahi mātou o te ratonga tūmatanui kia hei painga mō ngā tāngata o Aotearoa i āianei, ā, hei ngā rā ki tua hoki. He kawenga tino whaitake tā mātou hei tautoko i te Karauna i runga i āna hononga ki a ngāi Māori i raro i te Tiriti o Waitangi. Ka tautoko mātou i te kāwanatanga manapori. Ka whakakotahingia mātou e te wairua whakarato ki ō mātou hapori, ā, e arahina ana mātou e ngā mātāpono me ngā tikanga matua o te ratonga tūmatanui i roto i ā mātou mahi.
In the public service we work collectively to make a meaningful difference for New Zealanders now and in the future. We have an important role in supporting the Crown in its relationships with Māori under the Treaty of Waitangi. We support democratic government. We are unified by a spirit of service to our communities and guided by the core principles and values of the public service in our work.
What does it mean to work in Aotearoa New Zealand’s Public Service?(external link) — Te Kawa Mataaho The Public Service Commission
