Customs Officers, Tauranga

Mō tēnei tūranga mahi | About this role

• Looking for a job where you can make a real impact?
• Interested in being on the front line, playing a vital role in securing our borders?

New Zealand Customs Service | Te Mana Ārai o Aotearoa is looking for people to join our maritime team based in Tauranga. Your work will help keep our communities safe from organised crime, drugs, terrorism and smuggling.

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 Ārai (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 

About the role | Mō tēnei tūranga mahi 

When you're not in the office, you could be inspecting cargo, facilitating cruise ship passenger arrivals and departures, clearing vessels and assessing them for risk, investigating suspicious activity and undertaking targeted searches. The key activity for the Maritime Group is to respond to any risk to the New Zealand maritime border.

You will 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 land patrol, surveillance and search/inspections activity
• Conduct 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

What you'll do | He aha tāu e mahi ana

Based in Tauranga, this role involves working closely with the team and other agencies in achieving positive outcomes for Customs. In this role you will:

• Assess and search for available information to formulate an accurate risk assessment and recommend risk management activity
• Undertake activity to provide assurance of compliance with legislation, policy and procedure which may include:
• Searching
• Interviewing and/or questioning
• Profiling of persons and/or documentation
• Patrolling and surveillance
• Ship servicing
• Primary processing
• Addressing non-compliance and taking appropriate actions

Working as part of a tight-knit and busy team, you will focus on maritime activity, including all craft types (commercial, yachts, cruise ships and fishing vessels) and sea cargo, as well as operational activity within the Port environment itself. 

Hours of work involve shifts to provide 7 days/nights a week coverage, and you will also be rostered for on-call work out of hours and at weekends.  

The starting salary for this role is $58,718. There is also an additional allowance of $10,043 for rostered shift work.

About you | Ko wai koe…

We're looking for people with…

• A passion for protecting our borders and affinity with what Customs does
• Excellent communication skills and the ability to handle diverse situations professionally and tactfully
• Great attention to detail and the ability to make sound judgements under pressure
• A high level of integrity and a commitment to upholding laws, policy and procedures
• Ability to adapt quickly, work in an often, fast-paced environment and be comfortable embracing technological advancements and procedural changes
• Achieve and maintain a level of fitness and physical ability to enable you to undertake the full range of duties

Working for Customs | Mahi ki te Mana Ārai o Aotearoa

To work for the New Zealand Customs Service, you must be able to meet the following requirements:

• Be a New Zealand Citizen or New Zealand Permanent Resident
• Residing in New Zealand at the time of application
• Have resided continuously in New Zealand for the last 5 years*
• Successful applicants are also required to pass a medical assessment, drug test and have a clear Police record.

*If you are a New Zealand Citizen or New Zealand Permanent Resident who has resided in New Zealand for the last 5 years but have been absent from New Zealand for periods of 6-9 months within the past five years, preferably in one or more of the following countries: either Australia, Canada, UK or the USA then you will be required to provide overseas Police certificates for these periods spent outside of New Zealand.

Me pehea te whakauru | How to apply…

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 a couple of competency-based questions, please set aside time to complete this online application.

If you have any queries, please contact recruitment@customs.govt.nz

Applications close on Friday 11 October at 5pm. 

Please apply as soon as you can as we will fill places on assessment centres as applications come in.

We will be holding assessment centres the week of 21 October 2024.

Please note, we are recruiting for an intake commencing in early 2025 - further details are still to be confirmed.

New Zealand Customs Service | Te Mana Ārai 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.