Manager - Policy

New Zealand Government; Porirua; On-site; NZD 156,000 - 199,000; Full time

Job summary

New Zealand Police is seeking a Policy Manager to lead the National Security, Cyber and Criminal Justice Policy Team (NSCCJ) at Police National Headquarters in Wellington. You will drive high-stakes policy work across national security and criminal justice, partnering with frontline and intelligence partners to deliver policy advice and legislative insights.

The role requires strong leadership, deep understanding of government machinery, and a commitment to Te Tiriti o Waitangi in policy

Qualifications

• Proven leadership in a fast-paced public sector policy environment.
• Ability to navigate government machinery and manage sensitive portfolios.
• Ability to work with frontline and intelligence partners to reflect operational realities.

Responsibilities

• Lead the NSCCJ Policy Team to tackle high-stakes public safety dilemmas, from cyber crime to national security.
• Collaborate with operational colleagues and policy agency partners across national and international security systems.
• Provide policy advice and support policy and legislative changes related to national security and criminal justice.
• Ensure policy development reflects Te Tiriti o Waitangi commitments and is aligned with frontline needs.

Skills

Leadership toolkit

Strategic gravitas

Frontline mindset

Stakeholder management

Policy advisory

Job 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.

Policy Manager!

• Based at Police National Headquarters, Wellington
• Grade 22
• Police Employee
• Permanent, Full time.
• Nationally Advertised
• JR 6072354

E tῡ 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 vision at New Zealand Police is for New Zealand to be the safest country. This means we work in partnership with partners across many government agencies together with our operational colleagues to bring real world insights into system functioning to support the delivery of excellent and real world-informed policy advice. The New Zealand Police Policy Group provide advice on a remarkable and fascinating range of policy issues. We work across multiple sectors, including the health and social sectors, transport, through to the national security and justice sectors on a correspondingly broad range of policy issues. The diversity of our work makes for interesting and challenging policy opportunities across the wide variety of sectors and portfolios.

There are four policy teams in the Policy Group – the Core Policing Team, the National Security, Cyber and Criminal Justice Team, the People and Communities Team, and the Policing Legislative Reform Team.

About the Team you’ll be leading – the National Security, Cyber and Criminal Justice Policy Team (NSCCJ)

You’ll lead a dynamic team of advisors to tackle some of our country's most prominent, high-stakes public safety dilemmas—from cyber crime and counter terrorism, to foreign interference. The Team works with a range of operational colleagues, and policy agency partners across the national and international security system to provide policy advice and support policy and legislative changes relating to national security. The Team also works across the criminal justice system with a focus on policy and legislative change, the administration of justice and management of offenders.

Skills and Experience | Nga pukenga me nga wheako

If you want a leadership role where your insights actively shape the legal, policy, cultural, and operational architecture of policing across Aotearoa - this is your next challenge! We are looking for an experienced public policy manager who has demonstrated ability in:

• people leadership, including the ability to grow and develop team members, and build team capability
• working as an effective and collegial member of the Policy Leadership Team, with a focus on building the capability of the Group as a whole, and support delivery of the wider Policy Group work programme
• identifying strategic opportunities to support stronger, more effective systems informed by operational insights and the needs of the frontline
• building trusted relationships with a diverse range of internal operational and external agency partners
• delivering high quality, strategically positioned advice to senior decision-makers and Ministers
• their commitment to Te Tiriti o Waitangi and its incorporation into policy development and implementation.

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.

• Proven Leadership Toolkit: Extensive experience driving strategic policy in a fast-paced public sector environment.
• Strategic Gravitas: You understand the machinery of government and are skilled at managing sensitive, high-profile portfolios.
• A \"Frontline\" Mindset: You don't build policy in an ivory tower. You are passionate about working with operational and intelligence partners, together with policy agency partners to ensure policy decisions reflect impacts and insights of our frontline and our communities.

Special requirements

Must hold a New Zealand or Australian Citizenship or be a New Zealand Resident. The role in the NSCCJ Policy Team requires a national security clearance, or the ability to obtain one. This role is Leading Leaders level. You can refer to Indicators for Success for further information on the requirements.

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 become a more well-rounded, experienced leader, with opportunities across the range of work we support.

Salary

This position is covered by a collective agreement at Grade 22 with a salary range between $155,956 and $199,278, dependent on skills and experience relevant to the role. 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.

Please note: Deadline for applications is 5:00 pm on 20th November 2026. Applications may be reviewed prior to the close date as well as contact made with candidates.

All applicants must have the right to work in New Zealand.