Principal Forensic Accountant

Tēnei tūranga – About the role

The Principal Forensic Accountant provides advanced forensic accounting expertise and strategic leadership to support the investigation and prosecution of serious and complex financial and economic crime. This role shapes investigative strategies, delivers expert analysis of financial records, and presents credible evidence in legal proceedings. It plays a key role in influencing policy and operational practices related to financial crime prevention and contributes to building forensic accounting capability across the organisation.

Operating within a highly specialised investigative environment, the Principal Forensic Accountant works collaboratively with law enforcement, regulatory agencies, legal professionals, and other stakeholders to achieve integrated and unified compliance outcomes. The role combines technical and operational excellence with strategic insight.

Ngā herenga – Requirements of the role

Personal specifications

• Demonstrated expert knowledge of relevant Acts, Regulations, Common Law, and legislation including the Serious Fraud Office Act 1990 and other public sector laws.
• Proven ability to analyse complex financial activity related to criminal offending, exercise sound judgment, and manage high-level risks, sensitive issues, and confidentiality in a regulatory environment.
• Demonstrated integrity and confidence in presenting expert opinions and making sound decisions, including preparing criminal prosecution files and giving expert evidence in court.
• Expert proficiency in financial analysis tools, Excel, Word, and visualisation software, with ability to leverage technology for investigative insights.
• Strong communication, facilitation, influencing, and interpersonal skills, with the ability to clearly communicate technical information in plain language.
• Proven ability to develop trust and credibility with managers, staff, and stakeholders at all levels, internally and externally.
• Demonstrated ability to provide strategic advice on financial crime trends and regulatory implications to senior leadership.
• Strong systems thinking skills, able to connect investigative insights to broader organisational and regulatory strategies.
• Proven experience building cross-agency relationships to achieve enhanced compliance and enforcement outcomes.
• Displays a deep understanding of New Zealand’s regulatory environment and machinery of government, and how financial crime impacts these systems.
• Ability to influence and shape policy and operational practices related to financial crime prevention.
• A minimum of five years’ experience in finance or business-related roles, including practical experience in financial accounting practices in the private and public sector.
• A member of the New Zealand Institute of Chartered Accountants or ability to attain this status within a reasonable timeframe.
• Relevant tertiary qualification / professional registration and/or extensive comparable experience in business management, business planning, and/or financial investigation such as forensic accounting.
• Must be a NZ citizen or permanent NZ resident.
• Ability to gain and maintain a national security clearance as required.

Takohanga tuhinga o mua – Key accountabilities and deliverables

Investigations and analysis

• Contributing to and leading complex, high-profile financial crime analysis and evidential preparation in an investigation, ensuring alignment with organisational priorities and regulatory frameworks.
• Provide strategic direction on investigative approaches, risk management, and resource allocation for major cases.
• Analyse and interpret complex financial data, statements, and business structures to identify systemic criminal activity such as money laundering and proceeds of crime.
• Prepare evidential reports, exhibits, and evidence to support prosecutions and court proceedings, ensuring credibility and compliance with legal standards.
• Act as a trusted advisor to Crown Prosecutors and appear as an expert witness in significant cases.

Technical expertise

• Apply advanced forensic accounting techniques and innovate investigative methodologies to address emerging financial crime risks.
• Maintain and shape organisational standards for forensic accounting, legislation compliance, and investigative best practice.
• Drive the development and implementation of analytical tools and systems to enhance evidence analysis and case outcomes.

Leadership and capability building

• Provide strategic leadership in planning and delivering national investigative strategies.
• Mentor and coach team members, fostering a culture of excellence and continuous improvement across multidisciplinary teams.
• Lead initiatives to build forensic accounting capability and resilience across the organisation and partner agencies.

Relationship management

• Build and maintain strategic partnerships with MBIE teams, law enforcement, regulatory bodies, and financial institutions to influence systemic compliance outcomes.
• Represent the organisation in cross-agency forums, contributing to policy development and regulatory alignment.
• Provide high-level technical advice and training to internal teams and external agencies on financial crime prevention and investigative practices.

Service delivery and compliance

• Ensure all investigative processes and frameworks are documented, reviewed, and continuously improved to meet evolving regulatory and organisational standards.
• Deliver timely, high-quality advice and uphold the highest standards of integrity, professionalism, and public trust.

Wellbeing, health and safety

• Displays commitment through actively supporting all safety and wellbeing initiatives.
• Ensures own and others' safety at all times.
• Complies with relevant safety and wellbeing policies, procedures, safe systems of work and event reporting.
• Reports all incidents/accidents, including near misses in a timely fashion.
• Is involved in health and safety through participation and consultation.

Tō tūranga i roto i te Manatū – Your place in the Ministry

The Principal Forensic Accountant position reports into the National Manager Investigations within the Immigration, Compliance and Investigations branch. The branch sits within the Te Whakatairanga Service Delivery group.

More information about MBIE’s structure

To mātou aronga – What we do for Aotearoa New Zealand

Hīkina Whakatutuki is the te reo Māori name for the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment. Hīkina means to uplift. Whakatutuki means to move forward, to make successful. Our name speaks to our purpose – Grow New Zealand for All.

To Grow New Zealand for All, we put people at the heart of our mahi (work). Based on the principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi / The Treaty of Waitangi, we are committed to upholding authentic partnerships with Māori.

• As agile public service leaders, we use our breadth and experience to navigate the ever-changing world.
• We are service providers, policy makers, investors and regulators. We engage with diverse communities, businesses and regions. Our work touches on the daily lives of New Zealanders.
• We grow opportunities (Puāwai), guard and protect (Kaihāpai) and innovate and navigate towards a better future (Auaha).

Ngā matatau – Our competencies

Cultivates innovation We create new and better ways for the organisation to be successful by challenging the status quo generating new and creative ideas and translating them into workable solutions.

Nimble learning We are curious and actively learn through experimentation when tackling new problems by learning as we go when facing new situations and challenges.

Customer focus We build strong customer relationships and deliver customer-centric solutions by listening and gaining insights into the needs of the communities we serve and actively seeking and responding to feedback.

Decision quality We make quality and timely decisions that shape the future for our communities and keep the organisation moving forward by relying on an appropriate mix of analysis, wisdom, experience, and judgement to make valid and reliable decisions.

Action oriented We step up, taking on new opportunities and tough challenges with purpose, urgency and discipline by taking responsibility, ownership and action on challenges, and being accountable for the results.

Collaborates We connect, working together to build partnerships with our communities, working collaboratively to meet shared objectives by gaining trust and support of others; actively seeking the views, experiences, and opinions of others and by working co-operatively with others across MBIE, the public sector and external stakeholder groups.

Te Tiriti o Waitangi

As an agency of the public service, MBIE has a responsibility to contribute to the Crown meeting its obligations under Te Tiriti o Waitangi (Te Tiriti).

Meeting our commitment to Te Tiriti will contribute towards us realising the overall aims of Te Ara Amiorangi – Our Path, Our Direction, and achieve the outcome of Growing New Zealand for All.

The principles of Te Tiriti – including partnership, good faith, and active protection – are at the core of our work.

MBIE is committed to delivering on our obligations as a Treaty partner with authenticity and integrity and to enable Māori interests. We are committed to ensuring that MBIE is well placed to meet our obligations under the Public Service Act 2020 (Te Ao Tūmatanui) to support the Crown in strengthening the Māori/Crown Relationship under the Treaty and to build MBIE’s capability, capacity and cultural intelligence to deliver this.

Mahi i roto i te Ratonga Tūmatanui – Working in the public service

Ka mahitahi mātou o te ratonga tūmatanui kia hei painga mō ngā tāngata o Aotearoa i āianei, ā, hei ngā rā ki tua hoki. He kawenga tino whaitake tā mātou hei tautoko i te Karauna i runga i āna hononga ki a ngāi Māori i raro i te Tiriti o Waitangi. Ka tautoko mātou i te kāwanatanga manapori. Ka whakakotahingia mātou e te wairua whakarato ki ō mātou hapori, ā, e arahina ana mātou e ngā mātāpono me ngā tikanga matua o te ratonga tūmatanui i roto i ā mātou mahi.

In the public service we work collectively to make a meaningful difference for New Zealanders now and in the future. We have an important role in supporting the Crown in its relationships with Māori under the Treaty of Waitangi. We support democratic government. We are unified by a spirit of service to our communities and guided by the core principles and values of the public service in our work.

What does it mean to work in Aotearoa New Zealand’s Public Service?(external link) — Te Kawa Mataaho The Public Service Commission