Support Officer Biometrics

Tēnei tūranga – About the role

The Support Officer is a team member position within the Refugee and Protection Unit in the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE).

The fixed-term Support Officer positions are specifically for the purpose of a biometric enrolment project of pending refugee and protection claimants. The roles will be responsible for conducting the biometric enrolment of refugee and protection claimants and ensuring the quality and consistency of advice and practices.

The project involves biometric enrolment of refugee and protection claimants by collecting photographs, fingerprints and travel document information. The collection of biometric information allows data checking with New Zealand’s Migration 5 partners and helps maintain the integrity of the refugee and protection system by confirming claimants’ identities and travel histories.

The Support Officer will be principally responsible for the collection of this information and will work with their manager and other support team colleagues. On occasion, these roles will also contribute to the delivery of general administrative work.

Ngā herenga – Requirements of the role

Personal specifications 

• Ability to work effectively without direct supervision.
• Ability to manage and organise fluctuating workloads in a fast paced and ever-changing environment.
• Experience in using information systems and computer technology.
• A positive attitude working with people of different cultures, gender, and abilities.
• Effective written and oral communication.
• Effective data entry skills.
• Ability to develop trust and credibility with managers and staff.
• Ability to deliver high quality accurate work and meet deadlines.
• Understands the role within MBIE and how it contributes to MBIE’s purpose.
• Must be a New Zealand citizen or hold a permanent resident visa.
• Credit check required (no).
• Required to drive (no).
• Police vetting (yes).

Takohanga tuhinga o mua – Key accountabilities and deliverables

Biometrics

• Understand and follow the Biometrics procedure as set out in the Support Team Standard Operating Procedures.
• Physically collect biometric information from refugee claimants including their photograph and fingerprints in order to verify the identity of the client.
• Understand and explain to claimants and their legal representatives the legal basis of the biometric programme and the process and be sensitive to their concerns.  
• Escalate any concerns or problems to the applicable Manager. 
• Understand and use delegated powers under the Immigration Act 2009 to take and record biometric information and the requirements and limits on those powers.
• Record the biometric results as required in MBIE’s systems, and ensure the information is kept secure in between client appointments. 
• Upload information required for Migration 5 checks and data sharing.

Administration Support

• Data Entry, such as recording Biometrics taken on AMS.
• Effective and appropriate communication with clients or their representatives requesting attendance at a Biometrics appointment.
• General administration tasks as required by the Manager to support the overall delivery of the team’s work.

Customer Focus

• Maintaining effective and respectful communication with customers through answering general queries about Biometrics via channels such as phone and email.

Self-Development 

• Take responsibility for own professional development, including working with managers, and seeking opportunities to learn and grow.

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 Support Officer position reports into the Manager Refugee Quota within the Refugee and Migrant Services branch. The branch sits within the Immigration New Zealand 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 Aotearoa New Zealand for All.

To Grow Aotearoa 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