Primary or Senior Investigating Lawyer

Primary or Senior Investigating Lawyer – Auckland or Wellington

The Serious Fraud Office (SFO) is a highly specialised government department whose mission is to disrupt and deter serious or complex financial crime 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 team. Numbering eighty, we are a cohesive team with a strong sense of justice and a vibrant culture.

About the role

We are seeking an experienced Investigating Lawyer to join our team at our Wellington office, located on The Terrace. While Wellington is our preferred location, we are also open to considering suitably qualified applicants based in Auckland. This is a full-time, permanent position.

In this role you will report to an SFO Principal and work in a multi-disciplinary team with Investigators, Forensic Accountants and Electronic Forensic Investigators. You will contribute to the investigation strategy of a case, undertake legal analysis, and provide legal opinions to the investigation team, participate in investigation tasks, and draft case reports. You will work with leading senior criminal lawyers (SFO Panel members) to prepare for, and appear in, complex SFO prosecutions. Classified as an in-house SFO public prosecutor, you will assist with the preparation of court document and submissions, make administrative appearances and appear as second counsel at trial.

About you

To be successful in this role you will have a current practicing certificate, have four or more years of practicing experience, and specialise in criminal law. Previous experience in advising on complex criminal investigations or recent litigation of financial crime matters is ideally beneficial. You will have the ability to work collaboratively in a multi-disciplinary team as well as with other legal professionals. You will have familiarity with legal databases and have excellent research and analysis skills, and an ability to draft sound advice in relation to complex issues. You will have strong verbal and written communication skills for writing reports and presenting findings.

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 recognise that diversity and inclusion is important to our work. We value the unique abilities and perspectives 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 descriptions for this role are below. Please copy and paste links into your browser:

SFO-Investigating-Lawyer-Permanent-Position-Description.pdf

SFO-Senior-Investigating-Lawyer-Permanent-Position-Description.pdf

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/WYwcrtRBFl

Applications close 4PM Friday 21 August 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.