Assistant Office Public Defender

Public Defence Service Assistant Office Public Defender Wellington. 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 Wellington 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, or the ability to get one, 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. 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, sexual 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 conferencesA professional supervision programmeA laptop and mobile phone. See our full range of benefits here. Utu ā-tau/Salary. The appointing salary for this role will be between $149,972 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 20 November 2026 however we will be reviewing CVs as they come in and may be inviting candidates to interview before the close date.If you have any questions, please contact recruitment@justice.

govt.nz and include MOJ/1954274 (job number) in your subject line.