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We accept applications from people with previous public or private sector experience; recent graduates; and university students in the final year of their post-graduate studies.
We need people with:
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 number of Foreign Policy Officers recruited by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade depends on staffing requirements.
Advertisements are placed on this website, also www.jobs.govt.nz and www.mahi.co.nz. Applications are submitted and acknowledged online.
If you are interested in applying in the future, please send your contact details to hrs.recruitment@mfat.govt.nz. We will then contact you when we next recruit.
You will have the opportunity to work and develop foreign policy expertise in a broad range of areas; political, economic, security, trade and international development.
You will start in Wellington working in one of our policy divisions and progress to being assigned to one of our 54 overseas posts. 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 Asia Division; an economist in Economic Division. Equally, however, we might place you somewhere quite different so as to offer you new experiences and challenges.
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 or negotiations. After 2 years you will be transferred to a second division to gain experience in another area of the Ministry's work.
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 graduates. From that starting point, salary increases for all officers are based on annual performance reviews.
You will consult closely with your manager during the year on your work objectives and performance, followed by a formal annual review.
Postings overseas are an integral part of a foreign service career. During your career you will alternate between 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:
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.
