Programme Manager

Programme Manager – AML/CFT Strategy & Work Programme 

• Based at Police National Headquarters, Wellington


• Fixed term – Full Time (18-months)


• JR 6029172

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

A new Anti-Money Laundering and Countering Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) National Strategy 2026-2030 came into effect on 1 July 2026. The Strategy is designed to protect communities, strengthen law enforcement, and make system compliance simpler and more targeted for businesses. 

As part of this strategy, and in order to deliver NZ Police’s commitments within the AML/CFT Work Programme, we are establishing a fixed-term Programme Manager to help enhance our response to money laundering, terrorist financing, financial sanctions, and other forms of financial crime.  

Acting as the central point of coordination between Police and key government stakeholders, the Programme Manager will be responsible for the delivery of initiatives that enhance financial crime detection, intelligence, investigative capability, regulatory compliance, and technology modernisation. 

Working closely with the NZ Financial Intelligence Unit (NZFIU), this role will be responsible for the following: 

• Strategic Programme Leadership - Ensuring clear roadmaps, milestones, and implementation plans are in place. Monitoring performance, risks, dependencies, and benefits while providing strategic advice and reporting to senior leaders and governance bodies.  

• Cross-Agency Partnerships - Building and maintaining strong partnerships across Police, government agencies, financial institutions, and the non-profit sector. 

• Capability Enhancement - Strengthening organisational and sector capability in financial intelligence, money laundering investigations, sanctions compliance, terrorism financing and cryptocurrency investigations.  

• Intelligence and Data Leadership - Leading initiatives to improve the quality, availability, and use of intelligence data. Aiding in the delivery of improvements to intelligence collection, analysis, automation, and dissemination.   

• Technology Implementation - Driving the procurement, development and implementation of modern technology solutions, including intelligence platforms, data automation tools, cryptocurrency analytics, and scoping future enhancements. 

• Performance and Benefits Realisation - Establishing robust governance and assurance frameworks that track delivery against outcomes and key performance indicators. Manage risks, support audits and reviews, and ensure programme benefits are measurable, realised, and sustained over

Key Accountabilities:

• Lead the nationally significant NZFIU transformation programme, providing oversight to deliver desired outcomes aligned with New Zealand's AML/CFT and Policing priorities. 

• Build strong partnerships across government, law enforcement, regulatory agencies, industry, and the non-profit sector. 

• Strengthen financial crime prevention and enforcement capabilities, leading initiatives that enhance investigations, compliance, intelligence utilisation, and emerging capabilities such as cryptocurrency analysis. 

• Champion intelligence-led and risk-based decision making, thematic risk assessments, improving data and intelligence quality. 

• Drive the NZFIU’s technology modernisation and benefits realisation, ensuring all business cases, procurement and implementation work meets NZ Police’s policies and standards. 

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

To be successful in this role, you will require:  

• Experience leading large-scale programmes of work, including concurrent and overlapping projects, requirements and deadlines. 

• Ability to influence leaders and deliver complex programmes involving multiple, cross-government stakeholders with competing priorities. 

• Strong programme and project management skills, including governance, planning, risk management and reporting. 

• Experience establishing new capabilities, services or operating models. 

• Ability to translate strategic objectives into practical delivery plans. 

• Experience working with senior executives, governance boards and external stakeholders. 

• Sound judgement, resilience and a solutions-focused mindset. 

Desirable: 

• Experience with organisational change or transformation projects 

• Experience within government, intelligence, law enforcement, regulatory or national security environments 

• Knowledge of AML/CFT, financial crime, risk management or intelligence functions. 

• Programme/project management certification (MSP, PRINCE2, PMP or equivalent).  

Whakaritenga motuhake | Special requirements

• The successful applicant must reside in Wellington 

• The successful applicant will be required to undergo a full reference and security check prior to any offer of employment being made. 

• Ability to obtain and maintain an appropriate national security clearance.  

• Must have the right to work in New Zealand. 

This role is Leading Leaders level. You can refer to Indicators for Success for further information on the requirements

Security Clearance Requirements 

To be eligible for this role, you may be asked to obtain and maintain a TOP SECRET national security clearance. 

The minimum criteria for this level of national security clearance is:

NZ Citizen who has resided continuously in NZ for the last 10 years, or: 

• A Permanent Resident who has resided continuously in NZ for the last 10 years, or


• A citizen of or has resided continuously in one or more of the following countries for the last 10 years: Australia, Canada, United Kingdom, or United States of America, and has a background that can be verified by the NZSIS.

Use this online tool to self-check your eligibility for a security clearance. Please note that this tool is not part of the formal security clearance process:  

http://www.protectivesecurity.govt.nz/eligibility-tool

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.

To view more detailed information about our recruitment process along with further details about requirements please click below link:

Applicant Information Pack (External)

Tono ināianei | Apply now

If this position sounds like you, click apply now and submit a tailored CV. You will be required to submit an application form. Before confirmation of hire, 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 

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.  

Utu ā-tau | Salary

This position is covered by a collective agreement and salary will commence between $142,124 and $157,916 dependent on skills and experience relevant to the role.  

Please note: Deadline for applications is 5:00 pm on Wednesday 2nd September 2026. Applications may be reviewed prior to the close date as well as contact made with candidates. 

If you have any questions about this vacancy, please contact Talent Pathway Advisor [email protected]