Although we have tried to use plain English content on the site, you may come across specialist terms and acronyms. Find out what they mean in our glossary of terms.
If you come across a term that isn't included in the Glossary please send us an email.
We offer lifetime career paths, supported by learning and development opportunities and flexible human resources policies.
Equal Employment Opportunities
The Ministry is committed to promoting equal employment opportunities and aims to reach out as widely as possible to attract the best qualified applicants.
The Ministry also aims to recruit and support staff that can represent New Zealand in all of its diversity.
The Ministry’s whanau, Ngati Aorere, comprises both Maori and non-Maori. Its main purpose is to develop and implement bicultural activities for all Ministry staff. Staff have also set up a Maori network to offer support to Maori staff and as a forum to work on matters of concern to them as tangata whenua.
The Ministry also has networks for women, Pacific peoples, New Zealanders from ethnic groups and gay and lesbian staff. The Ministry’s HR Adviser (EEO) can put you in touch with these networks.
For further information please contact hrs.recruitment@mfat.govt.nz
We provide opportunities for staff to apply for part-time paid study leave. Some costs may be reimbursed where the study is relevant to the Ministry’s work.
In this section:
We accept applications from people with previous public or private sector experience; recent graduates; and university students in the final year of their studies.
You will have:
Applicants must be New Zealand citizens and be able to obtain and maintain a New Zealand Government security clearance. top of page
We have a specific need for law graduates to work on the legal aspects of foreign policy and trade policy. These graduates are appointed as policy staff in the general recruitment and should expect to be involved in a wide range of Ministry work during the course of their career, although there is also scope to develop some specialisation in international law. Similarly there is scope for graduates in economics to pursue a foreign service career with a focus on international trade negotiation and economic issues.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade runs an annual foreign policy officer recruitment round. The number of newly recruited policy officers recruited each year depends on Ministry staffing requirements. Applicants are selected through a highly competitive process.
During your career with the Ministry you will have the opportunity to work and develop foreign policy expertise in a broad range of areas; political, economic and trade.
You will start in Wellington working in one of our policy divisions and progress to being assigned to one of our 50 overseas posts (generally within two-to-four years of joining). Throughout, we will help you in your development with both skills and policy-based training.
The decision on your initial placement will depend on the Ministry’s staffing needs and your own expertise and interests. A law graduate might begin in Legal Division; a Japanese linguist in North Asian Division; an economist in Economic Division. Equally, however, we might place you somewhere quite different so as to offer you new experiences.
From the outset you will be involved in a range of policy work that could include researching and drafting briefing papers, responding to ministerial correspondence, keeping our posts informed of relevant developments, arranging official visits and escorting official visitors around New Zealand, and attending international meetings. After 18-24 months you will be transferred to a second division to gain experience in another area of the Ministry’s work.
Read the Foreign Policy Officer Position Description - [PDF 113KB].
top of pageRemuneration
Our remuneration range is similar to those offered by comparable employers and bench-marked annually against the wider public service. Recruits with relevant work experience will be offered a higher salary than the salary offered to a graduate. From that starting point, salary increases for all officers are based on performance.
Performance is assessed through a performance management system with a formal annual review. You will consult closely with your manager during the year on your work objectives and performance.
Overseas Postings
Postings overseas are an integral part of the career of a foreign service career. The career pattern is of alternating assignments in Wellington and overseas. The length of an average posting is three - four years.
You can express interest in particular overseas postings but you must also be prepared to take on assignments you may not have expressly sought. Factors that are considered in deciding overseas postings include relevant work experience, language ability and your individual career development.
You must be prepared to cope with frequent change and sometimes difficult living conditions, and be willing and able to adapt to diverse cultural and social environments. This can place stress on partners and families. To help mitigate this, the Ministry has a range of policies to support partners and families.
In return, we will give you the opportunity to work within a strong, usually small, team environment and to get involved in a wide range of tasks. These could include:
Clerical support staff support foreign affairs and trade outputs by supporting and providing administrative services. Staff in the clerical support group will typically fill positions handling records (registry), information management, mailroom, communications and security, reception and telephones, word-processing, data entry and database maintenance. Some will also assist with visitor arrangements, divisional budgets, travel coordination and other support functions.
Staff in the clerical support group are able to rotate to other clerical support positions in Wellington but do not rotate to positions overseas.
Clerical support staff are recruited as needed. The mix of skills for these positions depends on the range of skills we need at that time in the Ministry. We require demonstrated versatility and resourcefulness and good keyboard/computer literacy. We advertise these positions on-line and in relevant publications.
Divisional Management support staff provide a range of administrative and support services, including financial, personnel, policy support, resource planning, security, secretarial and website management.
The divisional management support role involves delivering division and overseas post resources, relationships and information flows and supporting systems in a team environment. Senior management support staff become involved in managing the ways in which systems and services are developed and the way they function. They also have staff management responsibilities.
Divisional Management support staff may be able to rotate positions in Wellington or overseas. They fill Attaché positions at overseas posts. In Wellington, divisional management support staff fill a range of administrative positions including supporting the work of individual policy divisions. Promotion to the management support staff level may be available when an individual has demonstrated strong performance across the range of management support competencies and in a large management support role overseas.
Divisional Management support staff are recruited as needed. The mix of skills for these positions depends on the range of skills we need at that time in the Ministry. Successful candidates now often have a tertiary qualification. Knowledge of a foreign language is not a prerequisite, but is a skill which could enhance an application. We also require demonstrated versatility, resourcefulness, good keyboard/computer literacy, numeracy skills and a minimum of 3 years experience in an administrative or secretarial role. We advertise these positions on-line and in relevant publications.
Specialist positions exist in both the administrative and the policy areas. They include staff in areas such as communications, human resources, information technology, finance, property management and website management. Specialists are recruited for their depth of expertise in a particular field.
Specialists are appointed to a specific position and do not rotate to overseas assignments. Career advancement generally requires appointment to a different position, either within the Ministry or to another employer. We advertise these positions on-line and in relevant publications.
The Ministry has an ongoing need for experienced foreign policy staff. If you have resigned from the Ministry you can reapply to join us. Your application will be considered on merit and will depend on the operational needs of the Ministry for policy staff at the time of your application and the level you were working at when you resigned.
You will be required to attend an interview to assess your skills and competencies, and for us to gain a good understanding of what you have been doing during the time you have been away.
If you are interested in rejoining the Ministry, please write to the Recruitment Administrator at hrs.recruitment@mfat.govt.nz or Private Bag 18-901, Wellington. Include details of your previous roles in the Ministry, what you have been doing since you left and why you wish to return.
