Legal Counsel
Mōkai te ngākau. He whenua he oranga. E ū ai ki te pae roa
The land sustains and nurtures as we reach to the horizon
Tūaropaki Trust (www.tuaropaki.com) is an Ahu Whenua Trust under the auspices of Te Ture Whenua Māori. There are more than 2,700 Owners, a mix of individuals, Whānau Trusts and Kaitiaki Trusts, all descended from the original Owners. The Trust is a kaitiaki for ancestral taonga and manages complex business interests in the food and energy sectors, with assets valued at approximately $1 billion.
Ngā mātāpono | Our values
Whakapono – Inner belief in the Tūaropaki vision
Kia Ū – Commitment, diligence
Kia Manawanui – Courage, adaptability, strategic foresight and humility
Te tūranga | Your Role
As the Legal Counsel, you will provide high-quality governance, legal/compliance and administrative support to the Chief Executive, Trustees, and Independent Directors of Tūaropaki Trust and Tūaropaki Holdings Ltd (THL), ensuring statutory and regulatory obligations are met, tikanga Māori and the Trust’s kaupapa are upheld, and decision-making enables long-term intergenerational benefits for owners and uri.
Key functions include:
• Provide governance and legal advice and manage the annual governance calendar.
• Prepare agendas, papers and minutes for Trust, THL and sub-committees.
• Manage statutory reporting, filings, registers and audits.
• Provide in-house legal support across contracts, compliance and risk.
• Support investment, joint venture and capital expenditure decisions.
To succeed in this role, you will have:
• Strong governance, legal and compliance expertise.
• Experience in in-house legal advisory, contract drafting and managing external advisors,
• Commercial and financial acumen.
• Strong cultural competency and confidence working within te ao Māori.
• Excellent communication and relationship skills.
• Strong organisational and planning capability.
• A relevant tertiary qualification, with governance certification advantageous.
• A genuine commitment to Te Tiriti o Waitangi, te reo and tikanga Māori.
To thrive in this position, you will be adaptable, service-oriented and resilient, bringing our values to life as we work together to deliver the maximum benefit for our Tūaropaki whānau.
This position can be Taupō based and/or hybrid.
For questions regarding the role, please contact Viv Bull, Chief Corporate, People and Risk Officer, at [email protected] or by phone on 027 464 6428
Applications will close on 16 January 2026 at 5 pm.