Head of Irregular Migration and Trafficking in Persons

Tēnei tūranga – About the role

The Head of Irregular Migration and Trafficking in Persons is accountable for the successful delivery of the Irregular Migration and Trafficking in Persons programmes. This is a senior leadership role reporting into the General Manager, Immigration Risk and Border in the Immigration New Zealand group.

The Head of Irregular Migration and Trafficking in Persons is responsible for maintaining key strategic relationships, in cooperation with NGOs, international organisations and foreign and domestic government representatives to deliver the outcomes of the Irregular Migration and Trafficking in Persons programmes. Both programmes are high profile with considerable oversight from a variety of ministerial positions.

The Head of Irregular Migration and Trafficking in Persons is responsible for advising and reporting on compliance with law, strategies and international and legal obligations as they relate to Irregular Migration and Trafficking in Persons. These topics are sensitive and hold national security implications. The National Manager will be responsible for overseeing and mitigating the risk poised to New Zealand from Irregular Migration and Trafficking in Persons.

The Head of Irregular Migration and Trafficking in Persons holds high levels of delegated authority and autonomy for strategic, tactical, operational and financial decision making across both programmes. This will occur in both the domestic and international environment. The level of this role reflects the requirement to operate as a key decision maker representing New Zealand at a diplomatic level with other similarly senior or high-ranking officials.

The Head of Irregular Migration and Trafficking in Persons position leads a diverse range of employees located both in New Zealand and internationally. This includes a Senior Irregular Migration Liaison Officer, which itself is a senior international role that oversees the other Irregular Migration Liaison Officers based in various countries through South and Southeast Asia. These offshore employees are likely to be seconded from senior roles across the intelligence and enforcement agencies (e.g., Police).

Additionally, as a member of the Immigration Risk and Border Leadership Team, the Head of Irregular Migration and Trafficking in Persons engages in wider strategic leadership requirements for the branch across strategic focus areas, communication and other bespoke programme ownership.

Ngā herenga – Requirements of the role

Personal specifications

• Proven senior leadership and management skills in a large and complex organisation including managing people, finances and resources.
• A strategic thinker who is able to make the connections between various aspects of the organisation and implications for their business unit.
• Proven ability to take a broad approach to leverage cross-functional skills and experience to inform personal and organisational strategic decision making.
• Demonstrated experience in developing and maintaining an environment focused on continuous improvement to enhance organisational performance.
• Proven leadership skills including demonstrated ability to engage and motivate staff.
• Proven ability to develop trust and credibility with peers and senior managers, including presentations delivered at both a strategic and operational levels The ability to quickly identify, establish and build strong working relationships.
• Must have the right to work in New Zealand.
• Tertiary qualification in a relevant field or extensive and comparable relevant experience.
• The ability to gain and maintain a Top Secret national security clearance.
• Credit check required.
• Police vetting required.

Takohanga tuhinga o mua – Key accountabilities and deliverables

Strategic Leadership

• Proactive member of the IRB (Immigration Risk and Border) leadership team - Immigration New Zealand and actively contributes to the wider INZ and branch deliverables.
• Anticipates future capability needs across the branch, identifies gaps in capability and addresses these gaps through targeted recruitment and development or other actions.
• Leads a range of diverse staff across differing levels nationally and internationally.
• Establishes clear accountabilities, expectations and performance standards with direct reports and ensures regular performance management and development occurs.
• Monitors individual, team and business unit performance to ensure that performance targets are met.
• Coaches, mentors and develops staff to meet the needs of the organisation now and in the future.
• Identifies and develops talent for key roles.

Personal Leadership

• Models exemplary management and leadership behaviours, MBIE values and State sector ethics and values.
• Creates a sense of vision, engages and motivates people to participate, and makes things happen.
• Fosters an open, collaborative environment that encourages quality, innovation, ongoing learning and knowledge sharing.

Embed the Maritime Mass Arrival Prevention Strategy (MAPS) and Plan of Action against Forced Labour, People Trafficking and Slavery (PoA) to prevent, deter and disrupt irregular migration and prevent trafficking in persons

• Leads the strategic delivery of both Irregular Migration (MAPS) and Trafficking in Persons programmes (PoA) ensuring programmes are delivered to scope, within budget and in line with MBIE best practice.
• Contribute to the development and implementation of strategic deliverables across the Government and International requirements within the areas of Irregular Migration and Trafficking in Persons. This will include forming and developing relationships with a range of actors at senior levels.
• Oversees, manages and mitigates the risks poised to New Zealand from Irregular Migration and Trafficking in Persons. These include ministerial briefings, strategic collaboration and exercising influence across the New Zealand Security System.
• Identifies local and international best practice and acts as a subject matter expect on issues relating to prevention and deterrence in relation to Irregular Migration and Trafficking in Persons (up to ministerial levels and senior official levels).
• Maintains a strategic level of situational awareness locally and abroad requiring a range of strategic engagement and operational or investigative responses.
• Engages closely with MBIE Intelligence Unit to increase strategic and operational awareness including the development of effective systems for the collection, collation, analysis and the dissemination of intelligence.
• Leads and co-ordinates various initiatives in relation to Irregular Migration and Trafficking in Persons, nationally and internationally, including capacity building activities, ‘Joint Period of Actions’, and ‘tabletop’ exercises.
• Works to ensure INZ fulfils its obligations under the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime and its relevant supplementary Protocols on Irregular Migration, Trafficking in persons and other relevant Conventions (including CEDAW, Torture Convention).
• Attends and presents on behalf of New Zealand in a range of international and national forums on matters relating to Irregular Migration and Trafficking in Persons.
• Leads the relevant communications requirements of the programmes (In particular raising the profile of Trafficking in Persons within New Zealand).
• Maintains strategic and operational forums for collaboration across agencies to ensure a victim centric approach for Trafficking in Persons including the development of victim of trafficking support.
• Oversee all reporting requirements for Irregular Migration and Trafficking in Persons across national and international requirements.

Relationship Management

• Builds and maintains effective relationships with key senior internal and external stakeholders and partners, in order to build momentum of the programmes and influence key decision makers within the New Zealand Security System and the external environment.
• Leads or Supports INZ in bilateral and multilateral meetings related to Irregular Migration and Trafficking in Persons at Governance, strategic and decision making levels.
• Actively fosters flows of intelligence and communication between teams and other INZ/MBIE/external partners, including feedback loops.
• Represents whole-of-Ministry views and protects its reputation in any external interactions.
• Considers priority relationships and uses a range of activities to secure international support for New Zealand’s interests both domestically and internationally.

Key Relationships

• Members of the Immigration Leadership Team (ILT).
• Internal stakeholders in Immigration New Zealand, MBIE.
• MBIE Intelligence Unit (the Irregular Migration Programme funds several dedicated positions).
• International agencies and officials in the offshore region.
• Staff in international defence, immigration, justice, border and law enforcement agencies.
• Ministers and staff in Ministers’ offices.
• Members of the business community interested in trafficking in persons issues.
• External stakeholders in central government, including MFAT, Police, Customs, social support agencies, and DPMC.
• External stakeholders in the wider community, including NGOs and community leaders.

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 Head of Irregular Migration and Trafficking in Persons position reports into the General Manager within the Immigration Risk and Border branch. The branch sits within the Immigration New Zealand group.

More information about MBIE's structure

Matatautanga – Competencies (Leadership Success Profile)

The Leadership Success Profile (LSP) is a leadership capability framework, developed by the New Zealand public sector for the New Zealand public sector. It creates a common language for leadership and establishes what great leadership looks like. You can look at the twelve underpinning capabilities and four leadership characters here: Leadership Success Profile | Te Kawa Mataaho Public Service Commission(external link)

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 Aotearoa New Zealand for All.

To Grow Aotearoa New Zealand for All, we put people at the heart of our mahi. 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).

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