Assistant Office Public Defender

Location
Auckland City, Auckland
 
Full job description
Job Type: Permanent Full Time
Category: Legal
Location: Auckland Region
Date Advertised: 17-JUL-25
Job Reference: MOJ/1874830
Job Title: Assistant Office Public Defender
Business Unit:
Division:
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Job Duration:N/A
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Public Defence Service

Assistant Office Public Defender Waitakere

Te Haeata/The Opportunity

The Public Defence Service (PDS) is looking for a motivated and experienced criminal litigator to take up the Assistant Office Public Defender role at our Waitakere office. Reporting directly to the Office Public Defender, you will:

be an integral part of both the office Leadership team and the wider PDS
be critical to the achievement of PDS's operational and strategic goals
deliver effective and efficient legal services
provide day-to-day management and leadership of a team of lawyers
engage in key external relationships to support the delivery of an improved legal service.

Ō pūkenga/Skills and Experience

To be successful, you must be passionate about criminal justice issues and:

have strong leadership and people management skills, including expertise in mentoring, coaching and training
be passionate about criminal justice issues
have a track record of building and maintaining strong working relationships with internal and external stakeholders
have a PAL 3 or 4 legal aid listing, having had significant experience in conducting a variety of criminal matters before our courts. Around half of your time will be focused on leadership and management within our office, with the balance spent representing clients as part of an interesting and challenging caseload comprised of PAL 3 and 4 criminal cases.
This is a challenging but truly satisfying job.


Mō mātou/About us

At Te Tāhū o te Ture - the Ministry of Justice, we're committed to strengthening people's trust in the law of Aotearoa, New Zealand.

The PDS is part of the Ministry of Justice and the wider justice sector. The Ministry provides centralised business services, infrastructure, and support to the work of the PDS.

The Public Defence Service (PDS) provides high-quality legal advice and representation in a full range of criminal cases. Aimed at helping people access justice, the PDS promotes the values of respect, integrity, service and the delivery of excellent service to its clients.

Joining Te Tāhū o te Ture means you will become part of an organisation that welcomes and supports people of all gender identities, ages, ethnicities, ****** orientations, disabilities and religions.


Ngā painga o tēnei wāhi mahi/What's great about working here

We will provide you with:

access to a well-designed and embedded national training programme
professional development and opportunities to attend conferences
a professional supervision programme
a laptop and mobile phone.
See our full range of benefits here.

With a wide range of jobs, you also get the chance to gain a variety of skills and experience while developing your career.


Utu ā-tau/Salary

The appointing salary for this role will be between $148,972 and $206,570 based on skills and experience.


Tono mai/How to Apply

To apply, click the Apply button below to be directed to our Careers Website. You can view a detailed position description here, as well as complete an online application form by attaching your CV and cover letter.

Applications close on Sunday 3 August; however, we will be reviewing CVs as they come in and inviting successful candidates to interview before the close date.

If you have any questions, please contact recruitment@justice.govt.nz