The National Security Workforce (NS Wf) directorate’s purpose is to enable a more cohesive and integrated national security community.
We are working towards a national security community that: is strongly connected by a shared sense of purpose; is diverse and inclusive; exhibits a culture of leadership at all levels; is an employer of choice; and is agile and mobile in meeting the challenges of our work.
The NS Wf directorate:
- Designs and delivers an Introduction to National Security Sector Course
- Leads and co-ordinates the development of a sector approach to enhancing diversity and inclusion in the national security community
- Facilitates sector communities of practice
- Promotes national security careers and graduate programmes to students of tertiary institutions
- Produces a fortnightly national security Job Board promoting job and secondment opportunities
Who is the national security community?
The national security community consists of a wide variety of agencies and disciplines that contribute to a safe and secure Aotearoa, New Zealand. The national security community includes the people who work in the following national security agencies:
- Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet
- Government Communications Security Bureau
- Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment
- Ministry of Defence
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade
- New Zealand Customs Service
- New Zealand Defence Force
- New Zealand Police
- New Zealand Security Intelligence Service
There are other government departments that perform critical roles in protecting our national security. They are described in this booklet.
Careers in national security
Are you interested in working in the national security community?
Every fortnight, we advertise job vacancies across the national security community. If you’re interested in learning about the roles on offer, subscribe to the Job Board.
Graduate, internship & scholarship opportunities
The Ethnic Communities Graduate Programme provides a meaningful first employment opportunity in the public service for skilled graduates from ethnic communities.
The TupuToa Internship Programme is an employment pathway that provides professional opportunities for Māori and Pacific tertiary students in corporate, government and community organisations.
The Tupu Tai programme is a paid summer internship offered to Pasifika tertiary students and recent graduates interested in a career in the public sector. The programme is managed by MBIE’s Pacific Policy team and placements are offered in policy teams at MBIE and in a range of Government agencies.
The Government Communications Security Bureau runs a graduate programme which provides opportunities to rotate through different parts of the organisation, including the National Cyber Security Centre.
The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) is part of the GCSB. The NCSC responds to cyber incidents that potentially affect New Zealand's security or economic wellbeing. It provides advanced cyber security services and advice to government agencies and nationally significant organisations to help defend them against cyber threats.
The NCSC also recruits through the GCSB Graduate Programme.
The Government Communications Security Bureau awards up to three scholarships a year. At least one is awarded to a Māori or Pasifika woman. Since it began in 2017, the scholarship has awarded 14 grants to people identifying as women in disciplines including computer science, cybersecurity, data science, engineering and mathematics.
Careers websites
Other national security agencies routinely advertise career opportunities on the following websites.
The Public Service has a variety of roles right across Aotearoa New Zealand where you can fulfil your career aspirations and meaningfully express your Spirit of Service to the community.
The New Zealand Security Intelligence Service and the Government Communications Security Bureau provide fulfilling and challenging careers within Aotearoa New Zealand’s Intelligence Agencies.
National security clearances
Specific roles within the national security community will require you to hold a national security clearance. Your prospective employer will decide whether this is necessary and will be your clearance sponsor. Your clearance level will depend on the highest classification of the information, assets and work location you need access to – your “need-to-know”. A clearance level is not based on your rank, seniority, or status.
There are four security clearance levels and each require a different period of background checking.
|
Clearance level |
Background checking |
|
CONFIDENTIAL |
5 years |
|
SECRET |
10 years |
|
TOP SECRET |
10 years |
|
TOP SECRET SPECIAL |
15 years |
Each agency has its own policies for clearance holders. All clearance holders must consistently meet the requirements for holding a clearance.
For more information, see National security clearances | Protective Security Requirements.
Email [email protected] for more information.