Primary or Senior Forensic Accountant

Primary or Senior Forensic Accountant – Auckland or Wellington

The Serious Fraud Office (SFO) is a highly specialised government department whose mission is to disrupt and deter serious complex fraud through prevention, investigation, and prosecution. We take pride in the work we do to keep New Zealand safe from fraud and corruption.

We employ a talented team of lawyers, forensic accountants, investigators, and electronic forensic, counter fraud and policy experts to do just that and, importantly, we have a small corporate services team that supports our operational teams. Numbering eighty, we are a cohesive team with a strong sense of justice and a vibrant culture.

 

About the role

Ready to make a real impact? Join the Serious Fraud Office as a Primary or Senior Forensic Accountant and help investigate some of New Zealand's most complex and high-profile fraud and corruption cases.

With opportunities based in Auckland's Commercial Bay, at the heart of the city's vibrant waterfront, or Wellington's The Terrace, just moments from the Beehive and bustling Lambton Quay, you'll be part of an organisation dedicated to protecting New Zealand's integrity and financial wellbeing.

As a Forensic Accountant, you'll play a critical role within our multidisciplinary investigation teams. Working alongside Investigators, Investigating Lawyers, and Electronic Forensic Investigators, you'll help shape investigation strategies, conduct sophisticated financial analysis, uncover and interpret complex business transactions, participate in witness and suspect interviews, and contribute expert accounting insights to support investigations and prosecutions.

This is a unique opportunity to apply your accounting expertise to work in those matters. You'll analyse intricate financial structures, follow complex money trails, and contribute to cases that are often of national significance. No two investigations are the same, offering a challenging, rewarding, and intellectually stimulating career.

As a Senior Forensic Accountant, you'll also have the opportunity to lead aspects of investigations, provide specialist guidance, and support the development of less experienced colleagues while helping deliver outstanding investigative outcomes.

If you're looking for meaningful work, complex challenges, and the chance to make a genuine difference, we'd love to hear from you.

About you

To be successful in this role you have:

• CPA, CAANZ full membership or equivalent 
• worked across a diverse range of accounting disciplines and developed a comprehensive skill set. 
• an investigative mindset and associated curiosity.  
• significant understanding of how business activity is documented, recorded, reported, managed, and controlled – and you know when things don’t look right. 

 

You are articulate and can effectively explain and document business information and the results of your financial analysis, particularly to those who are not experts in this field. You are known for your thoroughness, dependability, and sound judgement, and retain these attributes when working within time constraints and on matters of significance.

Experience as a Forensic Accountant, including exposure to tax fraud investigations, or in an equivalent role involving investigative techniques and technology to address complex financial issues, would be considered a nice to have.

 

 

About the SFO

At the SFO we value a ‘growth mindset’ and explore this attribute during our recruitment process and in our development discussions. We believe possessing a growth mindset is a key contributor to success in the SFO environment. We are a close and motivated team with a strong workplace culture. We recognise that diversity and inclusion is important to our work. We value the unique abilities and perspectives of our employees which allows us to continue to create a supportive environment that meets the needs of our people, our business, and the communities where we work. We encourage applications from individuals who are committed to contributing to an inclusive and respectful workplace.  

We want our people to feel supported, connected, and able to do their best work. Our benefits include:

 

• Generous sick leave provision to support you when you need it.
• Flexible working practices in line with our Flexible Working Arrangement Policy to help you balance work and life.
• Paid leave over Xmas, plus extra Departmental leave days each year providing additional time to recharge.
• A Wellbeing Policy that supports our people to take care of their health and wellbeing.
• Free flu vaccination

 

The position descriptions for this role are below. Please copy and paste links into your browser:

SFO-Forensic-Accountant-Position-Description.pdf

SFO-Senior-Forensic-Accountant-Position-Description.pdf

 

If you would like further information about this role, you are welcome to email the recruitment team at recruitment@sfo.govt.nz .

 

If you wish to apply for this role, please submit your Resume and cover letter (attachments titled ‘First Name Last Name – Resume or Cover Letter’).
You can learn more about working for the SFO in this video: https://youtu.be/MMqvNAh9CC0

Applications close 4PM Friday 06 November 2026

During recruitment, the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) collects personal information provided by you as a recruitment candidate, for the purpose of assessing your candidacy for employment with the SFO. Your personal information will be treated in accordance with our obligations under the Privacy Act 2020.

In providing your personal information to the SFO, you authorise the SFO to disseminate information about you to persons and third parties involved in the SFO’s recruitment process.  These persons and third parties may include SFO employees, SFO contractors, and agencies and individuals providing assessments, probity, background and identity check services.  We do not use, share, or disclose personal information collected or received through the recruitment process except as set out in this statement, with your consent, or in accordance with the disclosure exceptions set out in the Privacy Act 2020

The SFO undertakes to collect and store your personal information securely, as defined in the Privacy Act 2020.  You retain the right to request a review, amendment, return or destruction of your personal information, subject to relevant grounds of refusal under the Privacy Act 2020. Should employment with the SFO eventuate, your personal information will be securely retained in the SFO employment records.