Head of Legal – Comvita | Paengaroa, Tauranga, Bay of Plenty (hybrid role)

At Comvita we embrace the science of nature to support natural health and wellbeing, and to build global resilience. We believe in the power and wisdom of bees, and the idea of “One Hive”, where belonging makes each of us stronger.

Are you a strategic legal leader who enjoys working closely with senior leadership and shaping the legal direction of a growing business? We are looking for an experienced Head of Legal to lead and manage all legal matters across our organisation.

This is a pivotal role responsible for safeguarding the company’s legal interests, ensuring compliance across multiple jurisdictions, and providing pragmatic legal advice that supports commercial outcomes.

About the Role

The Head of Legal is part of the Extended Leadership Team with overall responsibility for Legal obligations of Comvita. This role provides strategic legal, governance and compliance leadership to support Comvita’s global operations and obligations as an NZX listed entity. It is responsible for managing legal risk, providing legal expertise and guidance to support the strategic and operational delivery of Comvita’s objectives and ensuring that Comvita complies with legal requirements.

What we are looking for;

•  Leads the legal function to enable sustainable growth, protect shareholder value and uphold the highest standards of corporate governance.
  
  
• Provide strategic legal leadership to the Board, CEO and Comvita team, aligning legal advice with the Comvita’s commercial objectives and long-term strategy.
  
  
• Set the tone for ethical conduct, integrity and accountability across all legal and governance activities.
  
  
• Act as Company Secretary and Privacy Officer. , ensuring compliance with the Companies Act, NZX Listing Rules, Financial Markets Conduct Act and Corporate Governance Code.
  
  
• Manage external legal advisers, share registrar, regulatory bodies and other professional partners to ensure quality, value and consistency.
  
  
• Legal leadership in strategic transactions, including M&A, capital raising, share schemes, disputes and other corporate initiatives.

What you will bring;

• Qualified lawyer with a current practising certificate
  
  
• Previous Senior legal experience (in-house and/or private practice)
  
  
• Experience with NZX listed companies and associated compliance and statutory requirements
  
  
• Experience leading a small, high impact legal team, with the ability to operate in a hands on
  capacity and personally deliver legal work while providing strategic leadership.
  
  
• Proven stakeholder management experience
  
  
• Strong business understanding and commercial acumen

Working with us
At Comvita, you will be part of a purpose-driven business with a proud legacy and a bold future. You will have the opportunity to make a real impact on the safety and wellbeing of our people while working in a supportive, values-led environment.

We offer competitive remuneration, and benefits including:

• An opportunity to join a team who are passionate about doing business in a way where people and bees can thrive together in harmony.
  
  
• Birthday leave – a paid day off for your birthday every year
  
  
• Private health insurance – add your family members at a discounted rate
  
  
• Life and trauma insurances
  
  
• Frequent supply of Comvita products
  
  
• Increased KiwiSaver employer contribution of 4%Additional family benefits such as enhanced parental leave allowances

Ready to apply?

If you think you would be a great fit for our team, submit your application here with your CV and cover letter. Note: We kindly ask that you submit a cover letter written in your own words, as we are already quite familiar with the tone and structure of AI-generated letters. After all, we are looking to hire a person, not AI, and getting a sense of who you are really matters to us. Give us something only a real human (like you!) could write.

Comvita’s Commitment to Ethical Employment Practices

Comvita is committed to upholding the rights of young workers and ensuring that child labour has no place in our operations or supply chain. We do not employ individuals under the age of 18 and strictly prohibit anyone under 18 from performing work that may involve hazardous conditions or materials.

We do not tolerate the use of child labour or forced labour in any part of our business or among our suppliers. No child is to be involved in the production of our products or in the provision of materials or services to Comvita.

This commitment reflects our core values and our responsibility to support safe, fair, and ethical working conditions across all aspects of our business.

Comvita is an organisation which is committed to well-being, diversity and equity. We celebrate diversity and nurture belonging within our global team. We welcome diversity of people, ideas, talents and experiences. If you have any support or access requirements, we encourage you to advise us so we can support you through your recruitment journey.