Principal Privacy Advisor

• Are you an experienced privacy professional looking to take your career to the next level
• Do you want to play an important role in the protection of New Zealands borders
• Flexible location, permanent full-time role with options to work flexibly from home

Join the Information Sharing and Privacy team at New Zealand Customs Service / Te Mana Arai o Aotearoa and share your expertise.

Do you want to make a positive difference to the protection of Aotearoa New Zealands border from serious threats to the facilitation of legitimate trade and travel and the collection of customs and excise revenue on behalf of the Crown?

Customs / Te Mana Arai protects and promotes Aotearoa New Zealand through world class border management. Risk management is critical to every part of our role and this in turn requires that we have access to high quality, reliable data we can use to undertake assessments, manage risk and deliver positive outcomes for Aotearoa New Zealand. It is essential, therefore, that we are a privacy-savvy organisation, able to effectively and appropriately use and protect personal information.

We aim to create a great place to work, where our people have a sense of belonging and the capability and desire to meet our future challenges. We are an organisation that is clear about our mission, and this is underpinned by Te Pou Tokomanawa (the Foundations) and our Whanonga Pono (Values). Our work really matters to the safety and success of New Zealand.

Our Information Sharing and Privacy team is looking for an experienced Principal Privacy Advisor to join them. The team is centered in Wellington, but this role could be based in any one of our customhouses around the motu. Our goal is to assist Customs / Te Mana Arai to use its information to further its objectives whilst ensuring personal information is managed properly and in compliance with the Privacy Act 2020 and the Customs and Excise Act 2018. This role is a permanent full-time opportunity, and we welcome applications nationwide.

The privacy function at Customs sits within the Policy, Legal and Strategy Group, reporting to the Manager Information Sharing and Privacy.

To be successful as our trusted Principal Privacy Advisor, you will have:

• Extensive privacy experience and expertise, including providing advice on complex privacy legal or policy issues, assisting with privacy impact assessments, delivering training, reviewing Cabinet papers and internal business cases and investigating incidents;
• a sound knowledge and understanding of the Privacy Act, Codes, and Human Rights Review Tribunal decisions, as well as GDPR and developments in other like-minded jurisdictions;
• exceptional critical thinking, analysis and problem-solving skills;
• the ability to build relationships and provide advice to all Customs business units, the wider border sector and, where necessary, the wider public sector;
• comfort operating in ambiguous or sensitive areas while applying advanced frameworks and methods of analysis to identify regulatory, compliance or policy problems, analyse the issues and identify potential solutions;
• strong communication skills, including an ability to translate complex information into easily digestible artefacts for a range of audiences and decision-makers;
• knowledge and experience or willingness to learn about Te Tiriti, tikanga, te reo and te ao M ori, and an ambition to be proactive in implementing Te Tiriti-centred approaches and partnering models;
• demonstrated leadership and decision-making skills including good judgement and incisive thinking;
• experience engaging with the Office of the Privacy Commissioner and Government Chief Privacy Officer would be helpful;
• a relevant tertiary qualification (a legal qualification is desirable but not essential).

Working at Customs I Mahi ki te Mana Arai o Aotearoa

Our people get on-the-job training, formal courses and leadership programmes, and the chance to move across diverse roles. We foster an inclusive and supportive team environment with vibrant social and cultural groups. We also support flexible working - talk to us about how we can help you achieve your flexible working goals, within our operational requirements. Our people get discounted health insurance, free on-site gyms (in some locations) and three days of service holidays in addition to four weeks of annual leave.

How to apply I Me pehea te whakauru

To join Customs in any role you must be a New Zealand citizen or NZ permanent resident.*

• This means:

• a New Zealand Citizen or New Zealand Permanent Resident who has resided continuously in New Zealand for the last 5 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 5 years and resides in NZ at the time of application. You may have been absent from New Zealand for periods of six or more months within the past five years, preferably in one or more of the following countries: either Australia, Canada, UK or the USA. You will be required to provide overseas police certificates for these periods spent outside of New Zealand.

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. Due to the nature of Customs work, you must have a clear Police record. The successful applicant will also be required to pass a drug test prior to an offer being made, as well as being subject to random, ongoing drug tests during their period of employment with Customs. (These requirements apply to all successful applicants for roles at Customs and Customs employees.)

To apply, please submit a CV and cover letter outlining your skills and experience, via our online process. If you have any questions, please contact Siobhan Hale-Pennington (Manager, Information Sharing and Privacy) at Siobhan.HalePennington@customs.govt.nz or Suzanne Leahy (Senior Recruitment Advisor) at suzanne.leahy@customs.govt.nz.

Applications close at 5pm Sunday 27 April 2025.

Please note Customs will be managing this recruitment independently in-house and will not be engaging with recruitment agencies at this stage.

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 offer flexible working arrangements.