Communicator - Trainee

New Zealand Police; Wellington; On-site; NZD 64,000 - 72,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Shift work incentives

Free onsite parking

Job summary

New Zealand Police in Paraparaumu, Kapiti Coast, is hiring 105 Non-Emergency Communicators for the busy frontline call centre. You will handle calls about burglaries, scams, distress, and more, and you will be trained to calm callers, identify needs, and coordinate the appropriate Police response.

This full-time role operates on a 6-on/4-off roster around the clock, with 15% after-hours pay and free onsite parking at Kapiti.

Qualifications

• Empathy and listening skills for diverse callers.
• Ability to handle stressful situations with composure.
• Ability to analyse information and make decisions under time pressure.
• Proficiency with multiple IT systems and typing.
• Willingness to learn and take feedback.

Responsibilities

• Handle a wide variety of public calls and provide calm, compassionate assistance.
• Identify caller needs and coordinate appropriate Police responses.
• Maintain composure and professionalism in stressful situations.
• Utilise several IT systems efficiently while talking to callers.

Skills

Empathy

Active listening

Stress resilience

Analytical thinking

Decision making

IT systems

Job description

Company description:

New Zealand Police is working with the community to make New Zealanders be safe and feel safe. With over 13,000 staff, we provide policing services 24 hours a day, every day. We operate by land, sea and air, manage over 860,000 emergency calls a year and are always actively preventing crime and crashes. We're working towards specific goals and targets that highlight our intent to work collaboratively with iwi and communities, other government sectors and business partners to deliver ‘Our Business' and achieve long-term change.

Job description:

• 105 Non-Emergency Communicators, the first line of New Zealand Police - better work stories.
• Based in Paraparaumu, Kapiti Coast
• Training salary: $64,161 increasing to $72,112 after training (15 weeks, 3 days), along with attractive shift work incentives
• Permanent, full time shift work across 24/7 operating hours
• You will need to have a good level of computer skills and experience and will be required to complete an online psychometric test
• Intakes commence from 13 January 2027; multiple positions available
• JR 6047398

E t ῡ ki te kei o te waka, kia pakia koe e ngā ngaru o te wā.

Stand at the stern of the canoe and feel the spray of the future biting at your face

Mō te tūnga | About the role

Our busy call centre is the front line of our response to members of the public. You will receive a wide variety of calls regarding burglaries, scams, vandalism, people in distress and more, with no two days being the same. While this role is meaningful and rewarding, it is also demanding. You will be fully trained to alleviate a caller's panic and stress, accurately identify the needs of your caller and ensure the appropriate Police response.

You will be part of a highly supportive and diverse team. NZ Police are committed to the development and growth of our people, with pathways to progress within the team and into many other roles in Police. Experience as a Police Communicator helps build a strong foundation for those aspiring to become a Police Officer.

This role is full time and you will be rostered on a six day on, four day off system with a pattern of two mornings, two day shifts, and two lates / night shifts followed by four days off. This roster covers 24 hours a day, 365 days including public holidays and weekends. Additional 15% compensation is paid for hours worked after 6pm and before 6am. The Kapiti location also has free onsite parking.

Communicators need to:

• Communicate effectively by listening, showing appropriate empathy, and adapting your communication style to the situation
• Handle stressful and emotionally difficult situations with composure and a sensitive approach
• Listen to what people need, analyse information, act and achieve results through appropriate decision making and persistence
• Use a of variety software and equipment quickly to accurately complete tasks under time pressure
• Learn quickly and develop their capability whilst embracing feedback

To hear more about the role from some of our communicators, please check out the video below: https://youtu.be/N8Jy9gTCrnM

He aha taau e kawe mai | What you'll bring

Whilst we are looking for skills, knowledge and experience relevant to the role, we also place high importance on your state of mind, the alignment of your values with ours, your ability to contribute to and build high performing teams, and the way that you lead yourself or others.

Great Communicators come from many different backgrounds including customer service roles such as hospitality and retail. What they have in common is:

• A passion and empathy for helping others in need
• Resilience and professionalism in the face of adversity
• Outstanding communication skills, including excellent written and spoken English
• An aptitude to think on your feet and use your questioning and listening skills to make sound decisions under pressure
• The ability to follow highly-structured processes and procedures, while navigating several IT systems at once as well as typing quickly and accurately - all while talking to the caller
• An understanding that our continuous shift work can conflict with family and social events

This role is Individual Contributor/Emerging Leader level. You can refer to Indicators for Success for further information on the requirements

To view the position description for this role please copy and paste this link into a new browser: https://www.police.govt.nz/sites/default/files/pd/01-2026/communicator.pdf

Mo tātou | About us

New Zealand Police is the lead agency responsible for preventing crime and enhancing community safety. It works in partnership with individuals, communities, businesses, and other public sector agencies towards the vision of making New Zealand the safest country. Police is the government's largest front-line response agency with around 15,000 staff in large and small communities all over New Zealand and in liaison and policing development roles overseas.

Your development is highly valued at NZ Police. Our employees enjoy significant investment in their development not only at an individual level, but also at the team and community practice level. We work hard to match you with work that will both play to your strengths and challenge you in new ways.

The work you'll be engaged in is real, tangible work that directly benefits our frontline and communities. Taken all together, this means we can offer you career path opportunities to progress in your chosen profession and become a more well-rounded, experienced leader, with opportunities across the range of work we support.

Applicant Information Pack (External)

Pre-employment checks will be undertaken which include reference, drug and alcohol testing and police vetting prior to any written offer being made.

For further information on the application process, please copy and paste this URL: https://www.police.govt.nz/careers

If you are an internal applicant, you must apply internally through the police system. You must provide an alternative contact email address and state your future commitments should you be successful in the next stage of the recruitment process.

This advert is set to close at 5:00pm, Friday 6th November 2026. Please note that this advertisement may be taken down if we receive a high amount of applications so we can review these in a timely manner.

All applications must be submitted online and will not be accepted directly via email. All applicants must have the right to work in New Zealand.

If you have any queries about this vacancy, please email [e-mail]