We are looking for a motivated and dynamic General Counsel/Company Secretary to work closely with the members of our small team to support, partner with and influence our business.The General Counsel/Company Secretary will provide legal advice, governance support and services to help navigate a broad range of commercial matters and public/private arrangements.You will play a key role in supporting our activities, including our investments, research arrangements, intellectual property, corporate governance, compliance, policy and process, supplier contracts and working with external law firms.The role includes the Board Secretary function, for the General Partner and Limited Partner Boards, thereby contributing to the overall success and governance integrity of the organisation.This is a rare opportunity to be part of a small, high performing team, set up to drive a focus on game-changing emissions reduction solutions for pasture-based farming. Our success will help protect the future profitability and competitiveness of New Zealand's exports and ensure the ongoing prosperity of our critical agricultural sector.Key ResponsibilitiesReporting to our Chief Financial Officer, your key responsibilities will include:Legal support: provide legal advice to Board, CEO and Senior Leadership Team.Commercial & Investment: contribute to the design and execution of financial, commercial investment and funding strategies to drive long-term success.Legal & Strategy: provide legal services and support to key strategic initiatives, policy settings and stakeholder engagement.Board meeting coordination: schedule and coordinate Board meetings, ensuring all necessary preparations are in place. Prepare and distribute meeting agendas, minutes, and supporting materials to Board members in a timely manner.Meeting attendance and record-keeping: attend Board meetings to record accurate minutes. Maintain organised and up-to-date records of Board decisions, resolutions, and actions.Investor relations: co-ordinate meetings between limited partners and key stakeholder groups, prepare agendas, minutes and supporting materials.Communication liaison: serve as the primary point of contact between the Board and management. Facilitate effective communication and information flow within the organisation.Corporate records management: maintain and update corporate records, including limited partnership and company registers, articles of incorporation, contract register, IP records and other legal documents. Ensure that all corporate records are accurately and securely stored.Conflict of interest management: oversee the process of identifying, managing, and disclosing conflicts of interest among Board members. Provide guidance on ethical and governance matters.Intellectual property: support the development of IP strategy, and execution of that strategy, including licensing arrangements, management of patents and trademarks and similar.Risk management: develop and implement effective legal, governance, insurance and risk frameworks aligned with business objectives. Analyse legal and risk implications of strategic initiatives ensuring alignment with our growth objectives.Compliance: proactively ensure compliance with regulatory requirements and relevant legislation, mitigating legal risks.Relationships: develop and maintain effective relationships with key external stakeholders, industry contacts, and agencies.Contract management: manage documentation and timelines around staff and external contracts, policies and more.About YouLLB degree with a current practicing certificate.At least 6 years of post-qualification experience, with a background in a commercial law firm and/or relevant in-house role as a General Counsel.Experience withInvestments, venture capital, funding arrangements and early-stage entitiesIntellectual propertyWorking with both public and private businessesSmall agile businessesCompany secretarial dutiesSkillsExcellent communication skills (oral, written)Excellent problem-solving and decision-making abilities.Ability to thrive in a fast-paced and dynamic work environment.Expertise in providing corporate advice, negotiating complex transactions.Will hold or be eligible to hold a practicing legal certificate and will ideally have had a similar role for a well-respected legal practice or other in-house role.Experience in delivering a corporate secretariat for the Board, preferably with a Limited Partnership model.Exceptional relationship-building and communication skills, with the ability to engage stakeholders at all levels.A practical, commercially minded view with a sharp mind and a proven track record of drafting and negotiating complex commercial contracts.About UsAgriZeroNZ is a public-private partnership, established as part of the New Zealand (NZ) Centre for Climate Action on Agricultural Emissions. The founding partners of the limited partnership are ANZCO Foods, Fonterra, Ravensdown, Silver Fern Farms, Synlait, Rabobank, and the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI), joined in May 2024 by ASB, ANZ and a2Milk.Our ambition is to ensure all farmers in Aotearoa have equitable access to affordable, effective solutions to reduce biogenic methane and nitrous oxide emissions, with a goal of supporting a 30% reduction by 2030 and enabling development and adoption of solutions to drive towards 'near zero' by 2040.Through this we will enhance the value and competitiveness of the agriculture industry in NZ on the global stage, while recognising the importance of intergenerational stewardship, kaitiakitanga, of the land.Our purpose is to undertake targeted investments and actions to accelerate development and deployment of solutions that will be used by New Zealand farmers and others to significantly reduce emissions.Originally established as a limited liability company (LLC) AgriZeroNZ was restructured by forming a Limited Partnership where the LLC is now the General Partner.What We OfferFlexible and remote workingComplete office setup providedJoin a small, agile team with a shared passion and commitment to helping farmers reduce emissions
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