Job Title: Senior Solicitor (Prosecutions)
Role type: Permanent, Full Time
Location: Tauranga
Salary band & range: General Salary Band C/D: $100,934 to $139,700 or depending on skills and experience
About the Role - Korero mo te Turanga
Join our highly skilled and very collegial Prosecutions team responsible for the provision of operational legal advice and prosecution services on an array of matters where non-compliance of the legislation MPI administers is identified.
A core part of the job will involve conducting the Ministry's prosecutions in the District Court in accordance with relevant policy and legislation.
We work closely with our key compliance stakeholders including in the Animal Welfare, Biosecurity, Fisheries, and Forestry sectors to provide expert advice on legal issues and prosecution services.
You will also:
- advise on the interpretation of statutory provisions and new legislation.
- provide legal advice on OIA requests, and support business units with managing legal risk.
- provide operational improvement advice (e.g. search warrants and production orders).
- support continuous improvement training of frontline compliance staff across MPI.
About You - Mou
You have completed relevant litigation skills training and have a good level of trial and court experience that would be equivalent to level 2 or 3 classification in terms of the Classification of In-House Public Prosecutors' Framework. Ideally, you will have experience with Police/Crown prosecutions or litigation experience - as defence counsel.
You will love this role if you want a job that will challenge and grow your technical legal skills across a wide suite of legislation along with your courtroom skills through regular appearances at court on behalf of MPI. You'll think nationally and act locally in delivering prosecution services in all courts in the region on behalf of MPI. Court hearings are a great chance to grow your court craft and experience as you will be dealing with an array of regulatory matters including complex offending involving expert evidence.
You will be directly engaging with an array of professional clients including experts, such as veterinarians, animal welfare officers, and fishery officers, many of whom will also be based in the same regional office. This will provide an opportunity to upskill and really understand what the work you are doing is impacting.
To be successful in this role, you will also need:
- excellent written and oral skills and an ability to communicate with clients clearly and precisely.
- to provide well-researched, contextualised, and solution-focussed legal advice with options for managing any legal risk.
- experience as lead counsel.
- familiarity with the Criminal Procedure and Sentencing Acts.
You must have a current full New Zealand driver licence (not temporary, learner, or restricted), and any endorsements required for the type of driving you'll be doing.
You do not need to meet all of the role requirements to apply. We offer a breadth of development and learning opportunities and will welcome an application if you think you could make a great fit.
About the Team - Mo to matou Ropu
The team is made up of seven prosecutors overseen by a regional manager. The team are geographically spread from Whangarei to Tauranga. We are very experienced prosecutors with backgrounds from former police prosecutors to private law firm and former criminal barristers. We are passionate and dedicated to protecting the primary industries. The team is part of a wider national Prosecutions Team, which has a national footprint of 14 prosecutors, two regional managers and a national prosecutions manager with subject matter experts across the whole country.
About MPI - Mo te Manatu Ahu Matua
The Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) partners with New Zealand's food and fibre sector to be the world's most trusted provider of high-value food and primary products.
Benefits of working at MPI - Nga hua o te mahi i te Manatu Ahu Matua
- Additional MPI leave days
- Annual Wellness payment
- Bi-annual paid eye test and contribution to the costs of corrective lenses/frames
Security checks - Nga Taki Whakahaumaru
Low level Security Clearance
- most preferably a New Zealand citizen, who has resided continuously in New Zealand for at least the last five (5) years, OR
- is a citizen of, and/or has resided continuously in one or more of the following countries for the last five (5) years: either Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom (UK) or the United States of America (USA); and has a background history that is verifiable and can be assessed as appropriate by the New Zealand Security Intelligence Service (NZSIS) towards a recommendation of suitability for a security clearance at this level.
- click here to find out more about the national security vetting process and access the eligibility self-check tool.
If you do not meet these minimum criteria, we will not be able to accept your application.
Are you ready to make a difference? - Kua rite koe mo tenei mahi whaitake?
We are committed to being a good partner under Te Tiriti o Waitangi which includes working closely with iwi, hapu, whanau and hapori.
We aspire to reflect the diverse communities we serve, so we welcome applications from individuals of all backgrounds, and identities. As an organisation, we are committed to making Manatu Ahu Matua Ministry for Primary Industries a great place to work for all.
In your cover letter we'd like to know about you, your values; your interest and motivations for this role; the abilities, strengths, personal attributes, and diverse perspectives you will bring to the role and this organisation, which may have also been gained outside of the workforce.
To view the position description and/or apply online, please click "Apply" or visit the MPI Careers Site. To apply, you must hold the right to work in New Zealand or be eligible to obtain it - click here to find out more about work visa eligibility and options.
Applications close at 11:59pm 12 August 2025.
If you have any questions about the role, please email [email protected]
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