Ko wai mātou - About us:

Hato Hone St John has been serving New Zealanders and working to save lives since 1885. As well as providing Ambulance Services, our programmes and team of over 11,000 staff and volunteers are helping to build strong, resilient communities across the motu; supporting everyone in Aotearoa to live healthier, happier and longer lives.

Small In-house Team of the Year - In-House Lawyers Association of New Zealand (ILANZ) – 2024

He aha te tūranga - About the role: 

This is an opportunity to join one of New Zealand’s most distinctive in-house legal teams, supporting an organisation with national reach, significant complexity, and real impact on the lives of New Zealanders every day. The scale, breadth and criticality of our work means the legal function is embedded in high-stakes, high-trust decision-making across the organisation.

As Senior Legal Counsel, you will report directly to the General Counsel and operate as a trusted senior adviser, providing high-quality, pragmatic legal advice and helping shape legal services and resources across the organisation. While the role does not carry formal people leadership, it is senior in influence, autonomy and scope, with genuine opportunity to mentor, guide and support others.

Working as part of a small but highly capable team, you will advise across a wide and intellectually engaging portfolio, including:

• Commercial and contractual matters
• Medico-legal issues
• Property
• Regulatory and compliance matters
• Governance
• Estates and Gifts in Wills
• Privacy
• Safeguarding
• Complex project work

This is a role for a lawyer looking for breadth, autonomy, and exposure to governance-level and enterprise-wide issues. The role provides an excellent foundation for lawyers with the ambition to progress into future General Counsel roles, while remaining a substantive and rewarding senior position, contributing to outcomes that matter.

At Hato Hone St John, you’ll find a legal environment unlike any other: purpose-driven, varied and trusted. We offer hybrid and flexible working, and the autonomy to deliver your work in a way that reflects your experience and professional judgement. You’ll also have scope to mentor and support others, sharing your expertise and contributing to a culture of collaboration and continuous improvement.

Ko wai koe - About you:

You are an experienced in-house lawyer who is confident operating at senior level and comfortable being relied upon for sound judgement in complex environments. You will bring:

• A law degree
• Minimum six years’ post-qualification experience
• A strong track record of providing legal advice in complex, multi-stakeholder organisations, including in-house experience
• The ability to apply legal best practice while delivering pragmatic, actionable advice to a wide range of internal clients
• Strong analytical and critical reasoning skills, with excellent attention to detail
• Well-developed planning and organisational skills, with the ability to manage multiple, disparate matters concurrently.
• Demonstrated people leadership capability, including experience mentoring or coaching others, providing technical guidance, and positively influencing capability and ways of working across a team or function.

Me pēhea te tuku tono - How to apply

Click “I’m interested” before applications close on Wednesday 21st January 2026

For further information please contact Lindsey Frankland on 027 309 8372 from 12th January 2026 or [email protected] for a confidential discussion.

At Hato Hone St John, we embrace diversity, welcoming everyone to bring their authentic selves to work. We value unique perspectives, fostering inclusivity to better serve our communities, and we’re committed to creating a workplace where everyone belongs.

E pōhiritia nei e mātou, te whānau o Hato Hone St John, ngā rereketanga o ia tāngata ki te haramai. E āwhinatia e mātou i ngā whakaaro rereke, kia mahi pai i roto i ngā hāpori katoa. Ko ta mātou nei haepapa, kia hangaia tātahi āhuru mōwai mā tātou, kia mahi haumaru ai.

If you need accommodations for accessibility, please reach out to the recruiter listed for equitable participation in our recruitment process.

Research shows that women and people from under-represented groups are less likely to apply for roles when their experience doesn’t match the job description perfectly. If you’re excited and think you have what it takes, we want to hear from you! Even if your experience doesn’t align 100%. Please apply or contact the recruitment advisor listed on the advertisement for a kōrero.