Senior Legal Advisor-Operations

Senior Legal Advisor- Operations - Auckland or Wellington

The Serious Fraud Office (SFO) is a highly specialised government department whose mission is to disrupt and deter serious complex fraud through prevention, investigation, and prosecution. We take pride in the work we do to keep New Zealand safe from fraud and corruption.

We employ a talented team of lawyers, forensic accountants, investigators, and electronic forensic, counter fraud and policy experts to do just that, and importantly, we have a small corporate services team that supports our operational teams. Numbering eighty, we are a cohesive team with a strong sense of justice and a vibrant culture.

About the role

The SFO is seeking an experienced Senior Legal Advisor- Operations to join our Legal and Corporate Services team, located in either Commercial Bay, Auckland or our central Wellington location at The Terrace. This is a full-time, permanent position.

As part of SFO’s Legal Services Team, you will play a key role in supporting the Serious Fraud Office’s vital work to tackle complex financial crime.  

In this role, you will collaborate with a team of skilled professionals to support the Principal Legal Advisors in delivering strategic, operational, and technical legal advice to the Chief Legal Advisor and Senior Leadership Team. You will apply your legal expertise to ensure the Legal Services Team delivers high-quality support to investigation teams, as well as non-investigative legal advice across the organisation. You will work collaboratively with the operational teams, contribute to significant cases and may have opportunities to appear in Crown prosecutions.

You will be responsible for assisting with regulatory compliance matters, contributing to the development of a competency framework for our lawyers, promoting best practice, and supporting legal training initiatives. A key part of your role will also involve building and maintaining strong relationships with internal and external stakeholders.

About you

You’ll bring a current practicing certificate and at least five years’ legal experience, ideally in operational criminal investigations and/or prosecutions. Courtroom experience is a must as you may be required to appear for the SFO in administrative matters or step in to act as junior counsel in Crown prosecutions. Experience with civil procedure is also desirable. You thrive in multidisciplinary teams, value collaboration, and enjoy working constructively with a wide range of legal professionals.

You bring strong analytical and research skills, enabling you to provide insightful, well-reasoned advice—even on the most complex legal matters. Your communication skills, both written and verbal, set you apart. You’re known for your attention to detail, reliability, and sound judgement, and you excel when the stakes are high.

About the SFO

At the SFO we value a ‘growth mindset’ and explore this attribute during our recruitment process and in our development discussions. We believe possessing a growth mindset is a key contributor to success in the SFO environment. We are a close and motivated team with a strong workplace culture. We value the unique skills and experiences, perspectives and diversity of thought of our employees which allows us to continue to create a supportive environment that meets the needs of our people, our business, and the communities where we work. We encourage applications from individuals who are committed to contributing to an inclusive and respectful workplace.

The Position description for this role is below:

SFO-Senior-Legal-Advisor-Operations-Position-Description

If you would like further information about this role, you are welcome to email the recruitment team at [email protected]

If you wish to apply for this role, please submit your CV and cover letter (attachments titled ‘First Name Last Name – CV or Cover Letter’).

You can learn more about working for the SFO in this video: https://youtu.be/rn0d419HJ0g

Applications close 4:00pm, Friday 03 April 2026 

During recruitment, the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) collects personal information provided by you as a recruitment candidate, for the purpose of assessing your candidacy for employment with the SFO. Your personal information will be treated in accordance with our obligations under the Privacy Act 2020.

In providing your personal information to the SFO, you authorise the SFO to disseminate information about you to persons and third parties involved in the SFO’s recruitment process.  These persons and third parties may include SFO employees, SFO contractors, and agencies and individuals providing assessments, probity, background, and identity check services.  We do not use, share, or disclose personal information collected or received through the recruitment process except as set out in this statement, with your consent, or in accordance with the disclosure exceptions set out in the Privacy Act 2020

The SFO undertakes to collect and store your personal information securely, as defined in the Privacy Act 2020.  You retain the right to request a review, amendment, return or destruction of your personal information, subject to relevant grounds of refusal under the Privacy Act 2020. Should employment with the SFO eventuate, your personal information will be securely retained in the SFO employment records.