Legislative Drafters | Ngā Kaituhituhi Ture
Parliamentary Counsel Office Te Tari Tohutohu Pāremata
Legislative Drafters | Ngā Kaituhituhi Ture
Associate salary range: $111,189 - $155,664
Independent salary range: $128,979 - $155,664
Would you like to work at the heart of government, designing and developing New Zealand’s laws?
The Parliamentary Counsel Office (PCO) plays a critical and distinctive role in developing and designing legislation. We work closely with our colleagues across Government to deliver legislation that is fit-for-purpose, constitutionally sound, and accessible.
We are looking to grow our team of legislative drafters. As part of this team, you will work alongside experienced counsel and gain a fascinating insight into the politics, policy development, and legal design behind New Zealand’s legislation.
A legislative drafting role offers the opportunity to:
- work on “greenfield” projects which require unique and innovative legal solutions
- enhance and adjust existing legislation in response to developing situations
- analyse complex legal issues
- collaborate with and influence some of Government’s top lawyers and policy analysts
- work on legislation as it proceeds through Parliamentary and select committee processes
- and more!
To see what drafters say about working at PCO, see Life at PCO.
What we are looking for
We are looking for lawyers who:
- have excellent legal, analytical, and problem-solving skills, including the ability to break down complex ideas and reason logically
- are able to work under pressure both within a team and independently
- show a high level of initiative and judgement, flexibility, and a sense of responsibility
- are clear communicators and advocates for plain language
- support PCO’s commitment to Te Tiriti o Waitangi and the revitalisation of te reo Māori me ōna tikanga.
Previous experience as a lawyer in private practice, the public sector, a legislative drafting office, or another legal environment is an advantage. Applicants with more than 7 years previous experience working in a legislative drafting office should contact us for the job description and salary band for Advanced Counsel.
PCO is committed to supporting the Crown to be an effective Treaty partner and has developed a te ao Māori strategy. One component of this strategy is to grow our capacity and capability in te reo Māori and tikanga Māori in our whare and mahi. There are opportunities to influence and guide PCO’s response to this rapidly developing area for those fluent in te reo Māori and with knowledge of tikanga Māori.
What we offer you
This is an excellent opportunity to join a professional and highly respected organisation. PCO is a small and friendly office of around 110 people with a passion for producing great legislation.
We value our people and provide a flexible and supportive environment where each individual can thrive and be who they are. We embrace diversity and welcome the fresh energy and perspectives that new team members bring to our work. New legislative drafters receive extensive training and coaching from experienced drafters when they join.
Our benefits include five weeks’ annual leave, vision, hearing, and exercise subsidies, in-house te reo Māori classes, a flexible working policy to support work-life balance, and more. We have an active social committee, a netball team, and free access to the gymnasium and swimming pool in the parliamentary complex.
How to apply
For more information about working at the PCO, as well as the job description, please visit our careers page www.pco.govt.nz/careers-at-the-pco
Applications must include a CV, a copy of your academic record, and a cover letter, sent to recruitment@pco.govt.nz.
Applications close 1 September 2025.
Ngā Kaituhituhi Ture
Kei te hiahia koe ki te mahi i roto i te iho o te kāwanatanga, ki te hoahoa me te waihanga i ngā ture o Aotearoa?
He wāhanga hira, wehe kē tō Te Tari Tohutohu Pāremata (TTTP) mō te waihanga me te hoahoa ture. Ka mahi tahi mātau me ngā kaimahi puta noa i te Kāwanatanga ki te whakarato ture e tika ana, e pono ā-turepapa ana, ā, e mārama ana.
Kei te whakawhānuitia ake e mātau tō mātau rōpū kaituhituhi ture. I roto i tēnei rōpū, ka mahi koe i te taha o ngā rōia matatau me te whai tirohanga whakamīharo ki ngā mahi tōrangapū, whanaketanga kaupapa here, me te hoahoa ā-ture i muri i ngā ture o Aotearoa.
He whai wāhitanga te tūranga kaituhituhi ture ki te:
- mahi i ngā kaupapa hou rawa e puta ai ngā rongoā ahurei, auaha anō hoki
- whakarei ake me te whakatika i ngā ture o nāianei hei urupare ki ngā āhuatanga hurihuri
- tātari i ngā take ā-ture matatini
- mahi tahi me te whakaawe i ētahi o ngā rōia matua me ngā kaitātari kaupapa here a te Kāwanatanga
- mahi i ngā ture i te neke haeretanga i roto i ngā tukanga o te Whare Pāremata me ngā komiti whiriwhiri
- me te maha atu!
E kitea ai ā ngā kaituhituhi ture kōrero mō te mahi ki TTTP, tirohia Life at PCO.
E kimihia ana e mātau
E kimi ana mātau i ngā rōia:
- kei a rātau ngā pūkenga ture, ngā pūkenga tātari me ngā pūkenga whakaoti rapanga, me te āheinga ki te wehewehe i ngā whakaaro matatini, me te whakakaupapa i ngā mahara
- e taea ana te mahi i roto i te mura o te ahi, i te taha o te ohu, i tōna kotahi hoki
- kakama, kei a rātou te wairua kōkiri me te whakawāwā e kaha ana, te ngāwaritanga me te haepapa
- e mārama ana ā rātau kōrero, e whakatairanga hoki ana rātau i te reo mārama noa iho
- e tautoko ana i tō TTTP ūnga ki te tiriti o Waitangi, me te whakarauora i te reo Māori me ōna tikanga.
He pai ake te whai wheako hei rōia i te ao mahikuhu, i te rāngai tūmatanui, i tētahi tari hanganga ture, i ētahi atu horopaki ture rānei. Ko ngā kaitono he nui ake i te 7 tau te wheako o mua e mahi ana i tētahi tari tuhi ture me whakapā mai ki a mātau mō te whakaaturanga mahi, mō te hōkai utu ā-tau mō te Rōia Matua.
E pūmau ana a TTTP ki te tautoko i te Karauna kia whaitake ai hei pātui Tiriti, ā, kua hangaia tētahi rautaki ao Māori. Ko tētahi wāhanga o tēnei rautaki ko te whakawhanake i tō mātau āheinga, pūkenga hoki e pā ana ki te reo Māori me ngā tikanga Māori, i roto i ō mātau whare, i ā mātau mahi hoki. Kei reira ngā whai wāhitanga ki te whakaawe me te ārahi i te urupare a TTTP ki tēnei wāhanga nekeneke mō te hunga matatau ki te reo Māori me te mōhio ki ngā tikanga Māori.
Ngā mea ka tukua ki a koe
He whai wāhitanga rawe tēnei kia uru mai ki tētahi whakahaere ngaio, whaimana hoki. He tari paku noa, ratarata a TTTP he tata ki te 110 ngā tāngata e ngākaunui ana ki te whakaputa i ngā ture rawe.
E tiakina ana e mātau ā mātau kaimahi me te whakarato i tētahi wāhi ngāwari me te tautoko, e momoho ai ia tangata kia mau ai tōna ake āhua. He taonga te kanorau ki a mātau, ka rāhiri mātau i te mauri motuhake me ngā tirohanga hou e kawea mai nei e ngā kaimahi hou. Ka whiwhi ngā kaituhituhi ture i ngā whakangungu matawhānui me ngā akoranga mai i ngā kaituhituhi ture matatau i tō rātau urunga mai.
E tae ana ō mātau whaipainga ki te rima wiki o te hararei tautahi, ki ngā pūtea tāpiri ā-whatu, ā-taringa, ā-hākinakina hoki, ki ngā akoranga reo Māori ki te tari, ki ngā tikanga mahi e tāwariwari ana hei tautoko i te taurite o te ao mahi me te oranga, me te maha anō. He ohu whakawhanaungatanga ō mātau, he tīma poitarawhiti hoki, me te tomonga utu-kore ki te whare hākinakina me te puna kaukau i roto tonu i ngā papa pāremata.
Me pēhea te tono
Tirohia www.pco.govt.nz/current-vacancies mō te whakaaturanga mahi me ngā pārongo ki te mahi tahi ki TTTP. Me uru ki tō tononga tō tātai pūmanawa, tētahi tārua o tō mauhanga mātauranga, me tētahi reta whakamōhio, tukua ki a recruitment@pco.govt.nz.
Ka kati ngā tono hei te 1 o Hepetema i te tau 2025.
