Senior Legal Technical Advisor

Tēnei tūranga – About the role

Business Registries (Companies Office) is a sub-branch of the Market Integrity branch within Te Whakatairanga Service Delivery Group, MBIE. Our vision is to deliver world leading regulation to protect fairness and integrity of markets in New Zealand, in line with the Ministry’s purpose of “Grow New Zealand for All” and Te Whakatairanga Service Delivery’s contribution to the goal “Fair Markets That Thrive.”

Business Registries administers a range of registers, statutory regimes, and related regulatory functions that support trust, transparency, and confidence in New Zealand’s business environment.

The role undertakes a range of regulatory and operational work across the functions of Operational Legal Services and Business Registries. This includes PPSR matters, Official Information Act and Privacy Act requests, NZBN-related matters, complaints and enquiries, and director prohibitions under the Companies Act 1993. The mix of work will vary depending on team priorities and business needs.

Work is received through referrals, escalations, enquiries, and requests from stakeholders. This involves reviewing information, assessing issues, and determining appropriate responses within legislative and regulatory frameworks, including making judgment calls within established parameters.

Success in the role requires the ability to apply legislation in a practical context and to operate confidently across register systems and regulatory frameworks. The role involves managing multiple matters simultaneously, prioritising effectively, and maintaining accuracy and sound judgment while working at pace.

Strong communication and interpersonal skills are essential, including engaging effectively with stakeholders and conveying information clearly in both verbal and written contexts.

This role focuses on the applied use of legislation in a regulatory and register context, supported by strong technical capability.

Ngā herenga – Requirements of the role

Skills and experience

Legislation and analysis

• Ability to understand and apply legislation and regulatory frameworks in a practical and operational context.
• Strong analytical thinking, with the ability to assess evidence, identify key issues, and reach sound conclusions.
• Ability to apply legislation to real-world regulatory and register-based scenarios.

Communication and delivery

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Ability to convey complex or technical information clearly to a range of audiences
• Experience preparing reports, responses, or correspondence in a regulatory or operational environment
• Ability to manage multiple workstreams, prioritise effectively, and deliver within agreed timeframes

Technical and systems capability

• Demonstrated capability, or strong aptitude, in working across complex register systems and associated processes.
• Confidence using digital systems and working with structured information
• Ability to quickly learn and apply register-based processes and operational tools
• Experience working with statutory registers (such as PPSR, NZBN, or similar systems) is advantageous but not essential

Working style and adaptability

• Strong attention to detail and ability to maintain accuracy and consistency
• Ability to quickly understand new issues and work across different legislative, regulatory, and operational contexts
• Ability to adapt to changing priorities while maintaining delivery across varied workstreams
• Strong interpersonal skills and ability to work collaboratively with stakeholders

Experience and background

• Experience in a regulatory, compliance, or government environment is advantageous
• A legal background or experience working with legislation is preferred but not essential
• This role does not require a legal qualification, but does require the ability to work with legislation in a practical and applied way

Qualification

• Relevant tertiary qualification or equivalent practical experience in a legal, regulatory, compliance, or business environment

Other requirements

• Credit check required (yes/no)
• Required to drive (yes/no)
• Police vetting (yes/no)

Takohanga tuhinga o mua – Key accountabilities and deliverables

Regulatory and statutory matters

• Assess and respond to a range of regulatory, statutory, and operational matters arising across Operational Legal Services and Business Registries.
• Review information, identify relevant issues, and apply legislation, policy, and operational processes to determine appropriate outcomes.
• Analyse information and supporting material and make informed decisions or recommendations on PPSR-related issues within established parameters.
• Prepare responses, correspondence, reports, and other regulatory outputs, ensuring consistency, accuracy, and defensibility.

Register and legislative administration

• Assess matters arising from statutory registers, including the Personal Property Securities Register (PPSR), Companies Register, New Zealand Business Number (NZBN), and other registers administered by Business Registries.
• Apply relevant legislation and regulatory frameworks to enquiries, complaints, requests, referrals, and escalated matters.
• Contribute to the effective administration and integrity of statutory registers and associated regulatory functions.

Director prohibitions

• Contribute to work relating to director prohibitions under the Companies Act 1993.
• Assess referrals, requests, and supporting information, and contribute to prohibition processes and associated regulatory activities.

Information requests, complaints, and enquiries

• Contribute to Official Information Act and Privacy Act requests, complaints, and other statutory or administrative processes requiring the application of legislation.
• Engage with stakeholders to obtain information, clarify issues, and support effective resolution of matters.
• Work closely with the people leader and stakeholders to support consistent and high-quality decision-making.

Reporting, quality assurance, and risk management

• Provide updates and input into reporting requirements and team performance measures.
• Maintain accurate records and file management practices in accordance with organisational requirements.
• Apply quality assurance processes to ensure work is accurate, consistent, and meets required standards.
• Proactively identify, manage, and raise risks that arise in the course of the work.

Operational flexibility and support

• Provide flexible support across other Operational Legal Services and Business Registries functions as required.
• Assist with business continuity, surge capacity requirements, and changing operational priorities.
• Undertake other duties consistent with the purpose, capability requirements, and level of the role.

Stakeholder engagement and relationship management

• Build and maintain effective working relationships with internal and external stakeholders.
• Engage professionally with stakeholders to obtain information, clarify issues, and support resolution of matters and decision-making processes.
• Represent MBIE appropriately and protect MBIE’s reputation in external interactions.

Technical capability and continuous improvement

• Provide technical guidance and support to colleagues within areas of expertise.
• Contribute to the development and improvement of guidance materials, processes, and operational practices.
• Share knowledge and support capability development across Operational Legal Services and Business Registries.
• Maintain up-to-date legislative, regulatory, technical, and operational knowledge.
• Contribute to continuous improvement initiatives that support service quality, consistency, and operational effectiveness.
• Act with integrity, demonstrate professionalism, and model MBIE values and behaviours.

Ways of working

• During the initial training period, the position is expected to have a high level of in-office presence to support onboarding, learning, and team integration. This will typically involve attending the office regularly for a period of around 30 days, or until the individual is assessed as sufficiently established in the role.
• Following this period, the position will work in a hybrid arrangement, typically involving a mix of in-office and remote working, in line with MBIE flexible working arrangements, team expectations, and operational requirements.
• Any existing or proposed flexible working arrangements will be considered within MBIE flexible working policies and in the context of team needs. Arrangements may be adjusted where necessary to support effective delivery and service standards.

Wellbeing, health & safety

• Displays commitment through actively supporting all safety and wellbeing initiatives.
• Ensures own and others’ safety at all times.
• Complies with relevant policies, procedures, and safe systems of work.
• Reports incidents and near misses in a timely manner.
• Participates in health and safety activities and consultation.

Tō tūranga i roto i te Manatū – Your place in the Ministry

The Senior Legal Technical Advisor reports to the Team Leader, Operational Legal Services within Business Registries, Market Integrity branch, Te Whakatairanga Service Delivery.

More information about MBIE’s structure

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 New Zealand for All.

To Grow New Zealand for All, we put people at the heart of our mahi (work). 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