Senior Legal Counsel

• Permanent, full-time position based in Auckland.
• Provide expert legal advice on complex, high-value commercial matters across a national organisation.
• A senior, influential role where your judgement will shape key decisions and manage risk across the health system.

Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora is the country's largest employer, delivering universal public healthcare to 5 million New Zealanders.

We provide essential hospital, specialist, and community health services across 80+ locations — from large urban centres to rural towns and remote communities.

Our goal is to improve health outcomes for all New Zealanders by delivering equitable, accessible and innovative care.

About the Role

As a Senior Legal Counsel – Corporate & Commercial, you'll provide high-quality, pragmatic legal advice across a broad range of complex commercial matters. You'll partner with senior leaders and business units to support informed decision-making, manage legal risk, and ensure robust, defensible outcomes across Health New Zealand. You'll apply a strong public sector and accountability lens in your work, helping to ensure robust and defensible outcomes.

This is a senior, hands-on role where you'll lead the legal aspects of significant commercial arrangements — including drafting and negotiating contracts, advising on funding agreements, and supporting high-value procurement activity. You'll play a key role in shaping and improving standard contract templates and commercial frameworks, ensuring consistency and best practice across the organisation. You'll build commercial and legal capability across business teams through guidance and support. You'll also contribute to major projects and initiatives, provide early advice on emerging risks, and support the effective management of disputes and external legal providers. Your ability to balance legal precision with practical, commercially sound advice will be critical in this complex, fast-moving environment. You'll support equitable health outcomes, including Māori and Pacific health priorities.

About you

As an experienced commercial lawyer, you'll bring strong technical expertise, sound judgement, and the ability to influence at a senior level. You will also have and be:

• Qualified Barrister and Solicitor of the High Court of New Zealand with a current practising certificate.
• Significant post-qualification experience in commercial law, ideally in-house or within the public sector.
• Strong experience drafting, reviewing, and negotiating complex commercial contracts.
• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to translate complex legal concepts into clear, practical advice.
• Proven ability to manage competing priorities and operate effectively in a complex organisational environment.

Working at Health New Zealand 

Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora is dedicated to ensuring excellent healthcare for the people of New Zealand. We embrace a workforce that is diverse and inclusive so that we are better positioned to understand and service our community. We welcome applications from our diverse Māori, Pacific, disabled, and rainbow communities.   

How to Apply 

To apply, please click “apply now.”  All applications must be submitted through our online careers portal by 11:59PM Sunday 24 May 2026. For further information, please contact Nicole Rickard on Nicole.Rickard@TeWhatuOra.govt.nz.

The full position description is available on the Health New Zealand Careers site.

Whilst Health New Zealand is undergoing change, affected kaimahi will be given preference and priority for this position.

We will review applications as received and may proceed with the recruitment process before the closing date of this advert.