Senior Legal Counsel

Job Title

Senior Legal Counsel

Job Description

Come join the ‘Bank of the Year’ as voted for by customers through the 2025 Roy Morgan New Zealand Customer Satisfaction Awards. Rabobank is the world’s leading specialist in food and agribusiness banking. One of our key strengths lies in our kaimahi (employees) who have a deep understanding of agriculture and are committed to adding long-term value for our clients.

Our purpose is clear - ‘growing a better New Zealand together’. Our commitment to our employees and clients is at the heart of everything we do.

About the role | Mō te tūranga

The Senior Legal Counsel role is focussed on providing legal support to our agribusiness banking team including transactional and non-transactional work. Additional areas of work include regulatory change affecting the financial services sector, providing legal support in product development and projects/business initiatives, legal review of internal policies and procedures, legal review of marketing materials, external communications, sponsorship agreements, and non-transactional contracts, and providing legal support and advice to all areas of Rabobank. 

Reporting to the Head of Legal and Company Secretary, you will bring strategic legal expertise and commercial acumen to support business-critical decision-making, ensure regulatory compliance, and drive operational and strategic success.  The Senior Legal Counsel will have a high degree of autonomy, as well as exposure to the RNZL Board and the Hamilton-based Leadership Team.

The role is hybrid working with minimum 3 days working in the office in Hamilton, and up to 2 days working from home.

About you | Ō pūkenga

You’re a solutions-focused legal professional who enjoys building trusted relationships, solving complex challenges, and delivering practical advice that helps our people, clients and business thrive.

• A positive can do attitude.
• The ability to build trust, establish and maintain strong working relationships from the frontline up to the Board.
• Pragmatic, solid judgement and commercial acumen to address a wide range of legal matters with a variety of stakeholders and situations.
• Bring the energy to help drive outcomes and influence at all levels of the organisation.
• At least 7 years’ post-qualification experience within one or more of the following: a law firm; a financial institution; or a regulatory agency.
• Extensive experience with secured lending and advising on secured lending transactions.
• Extensive knowledge of New Zealand financial services legislation, and other legislation with an impact on New Zealand banks.
• Knowledge of the regulatory regime affecting New Zealand banks.

Life at Rabobank | te ora I Rabobank

At Rabobank we offer a range of benefits:

• Access to and eligibility for the Bank’s annual variable remuneration incentive scheme.
• A range of wellbeing benefits including free Flu vaccinations, 2 days wellbeing leave, wellbeing webinars and Employee Assistance Programme.
• Fully paid Income Protection, Life and Total Disability insurance.
• Annual leave plus eligibility for an extra week of bonus leave, as well as the option to purchase up to two extra weeks of leave a year.
• Professional development and training. 
• Access to 26 weeks fully paid parental leave for new parents, continued payment of the employer KiwiSaver contribution for the 52 weeks.
• Active employee social club and a range of fun activities throughout the year.
• Paid Community Leave Day to undertake volunteer work for the communities we live in and support.

Work, live and play in the Waikato

As one of New Zealand’s fastest-growing regions, the Waikato attracts professionals and families seeking a better balance between career opportunity, home ownership and lifestyle.

With the opportunity to live close to work, schools and amenities, Hamilton and its surrounds offers greater housing value than larger centres, family-friendly communities and commute times measured in minutes rather than hours, giving more time for family, recreation and community life. The Waikato region also offers a wide range of highly regarded education options, from top-performing state, integrated and private schools through to the University of Waikato and a growing tertiary and research sector.

Located at the heart of the Waikato and New Zealand’s economic “Golden Triangle” between Auckland, Tauranga and Hamilton, the city provides easy access to major markets, airports and holiday destinations. West and east coast beaches, lakes, ski fields, mountain biking tracks, tramping and walking trails are all within close travelling distance, making outdoor adventure easy to reach.

If you are interested in growing a better New Zealand together (kia ngātahi te tipu o Aotearoa) please follow the link and apply online or visit www.rabobank.co.nz./careers.

Applications close Tuesday 18 August 2026

Our Values | ō mātou uara

Rabobank has won an award for its culture work and believe embracing inclusion, equity and belonging delivers positive experiences for our people and clients.  Our great working conditions, broad learning and development programmes and the opportunity to work together for the greater good are reasons why our employees love working here.

At Rabobank New Zealand, we are committed to our values; we are client-driven, we take responsibility, we are professional and cooperative.   We have an open culture, where you can be yourself and be valued for who you are.  All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to ethnicity, sex/sex characteristics, gender (Inclusive of all genders), gender expression, sexual orientation, religion, disability, age, or other diversity characteristics not mentioned.  We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer.