- Leave the ordinary behind - join the team that travels Aotearoa to protect our coast.
- Exciting Opportunity to join the Maritime Group as a Senior Customs Officer, Grade One (SCO G1)
The Maritime Group has been established to protect and promote New Zealand's interests in the maritime border environment; working in partnership to provide the highest level of integrity and security across the maritime border system. Our actions are informed by Rautaki Mana Arai (Customs Strategy), the Maritime Security Strategy and the Transnational Organised Crime Strategy.
Our four pillars of intent are:
- Understand the maritime border environment and systems
- Engage and work collaboratively with our partners, industry, iwi and communities
- Prevent the exploitation of the maritime border system
- Respond with the right tools and levers
New Zealand Customs Service | Te Mana Arai o Aotearoa is looking for a person to join our maritime team based in Opua.
Your work will help keep our communities safe from organised crime, drugs, terrorism and smuggling.
About the role | Mo tenei turanga mahi
When you're not in the office, you could be facilitating cruise ship passenger arrivals and departures, clearing vessels and assessing them for risk, be at sea, investigating suspicious activity and undertaking targeted searches. The key activity for the Customs Maritime Unit is to respond to any risk to the New Zealand maritime border.
As a Senior Customs Officer (Grade 1) in the Opua team, you will be providing coaching, mentoring and contributing to the development of our people.
You will also have the opportunity to:
- Process passengers/crew and goods in/out of Aotearoa which can include search activities
- Facilitate legitimate trade and travel, collect import and export duties
- Intercept contraband (such as drugs and weapons), investigate and prosecute offences through sea and land patrol, surveillance and search activity
- Conduct and lead operational activity within the port and maritime environments
- Understand supply chain and maritime travel risks and vulnerabilities, and assess and identify opportunities for further activity
The Customs Maritime Unit provides coverage 24 hours per day, 7 days per week. The work is varied, some days you may be on the water undertaking patrols or operational activity, other days processing passengers and crew on all types of vessels or assisting with ship search activity at other ports, including covering shipping duties in Whangarei. Our flexible working arrangements mean you will have a huge variety in your working day and time off to suit as well.
The starting salary for this role is $67,745 plus an allowance of $16,286.
About you | Ko wai koe
If you're keen on working in an environment where no two days are the same and have an interest in all things maritime - we'd love to hear from you!
To be successful in this role you will ideally be able to demonstrate the following:
- Experience in coaching and mentoring others
- Have knowledge of risks to the border, along with working knowledge of the legislation relevant to Customs work, Customs procedures and policies, border protection methods and search and investigation techniques
- Confident problem-solving capability, including the ability to identify problems, manage or mitigate risks and implement innovative solution-based outcomes
- Demonstrated ability to work to high professional and ethical standards consistent with Customs' values
- Able to work flexible hours, including being able to travel at short notice on occasion and be away from home up to 120 days per year
- Achieve and maintain a level of fitness and physical ability to enable you to undertake the full range of duties
- Well-developed interpersonal skills with the ability to communicate effectively verbally and in writing to a wide range of audiences
- A proven track record of building and sustaining a range of strong relationships and providing a high-quality service to customers and stakeholders
- Sound computer skills including word processing and the ability to make effective use of computer systems
- The holder of, or have an interest in attaining the following maritime qualifications; Skipper Restricted Limits or Skipper Coastal Offshore in the future
- Hold a national security clearance or have the ability to obtain one
What's involved
As part of the recruitment process, short listed candidates will be required to successfully pass a medical test and the CMU fitness test. This will be done after the completion of the Assessment Centre/Interviews with candidates we would like to progress. If you are selected to progress, we will be in touch to organise this.
This role will require you to have a range of vaccinations from time to time as advised by Ministry of Health to protect you against 'at risk' situations.
Medical and Fitness Testing:
On an annual basis, Customs Maritime Officers are required to pass both a medical assessment and pass a fitness* test to the following standard:
- Beep test to 5.1 standard and 10 press-ups (within 2 minutes of completing the beep test)
- 50-metre swim in overalls, tread water for 3 minutes
- People with a moderate level of fitness should be able to complete the fitness test comfortably.
Security Clearances:
You will need to obtain a national security clearance. In order to obtain this clearance, you need to be a New Zealand Citizen or New Zealand Permanent Resident who has resided continuously in New Zealand for the last 10 years and resides in NZ at time of application;
OR a New Zealand Citizen or New Zealand Permanent Resident who has resided in New Zealand for the last 10 years and resides in NZ at time of application but may have been absent from New Zealand for periods of six or more months within the past 5 years, preferably in one or more of the following countries: *either Australia, Canada, UK or the USA. Small periods (3 months or less) of absence from New Zealand over the 10 years may still be acceptable however you must be able to provide police certificates for time spent in other countries*.
You must have a background history that is verifiable and can be assessed as appropriate by the New Zealand Security Intelligence Service towards a recommendation of suitability for security clearance at a higher level. Already having Secret clearance is a benefit, but not a requirement.
Due to the nature of Customs work you must have a clear Police record. Successful applicants are also required to pass a drug test and must hold a full NZ Drivers' licence.
How to apply | Me pehea te whakauru
Please apply online. You will be asked to answer questions around your interest in this role, and skills and experience relevant for this role. You will also be asked to complete competency-based questions, please set aside time to complete this online application.
Assessment centre/Interviews for this role will take place the week of 25 August 2025.
External applicants - Please apply and complete the online assessment (sent to you via email when you apply) as soon as you can as we will fill spaces for assessment centres as we receive applications.
Applications close on Wednesday 13 August 2025 at 5pm.
If you have any queries, please contact [email protected]
New Zealand Customs Service | Te Mana Arai o Aotearoa is a member of Diversity Works New Zealand and is committed to developing a diverse workforce and an inclusive workplace. We provide equal employment opportunities and welcome applications from everyone who can meet the requirements of the role. We also support flexible working arrangements.
