Primary or Senior Investigator

Primary or Senior Investigator –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, electronic forensic investigators, counter fraud and policy experts to do just that and, importantly, we have a small corporate services team that supports our operational team. We are a small cohesive team with a strong sense of justice and a vibrant culture.

About the role

We’re looking for a talented Investigator to join our Wellington office at either Primary or Senior level. Situated on The Terrace, just a short stroll from the Beehive and bustling Lambton Quay, this permanent, full-time role offers the chance to contribute to important work that protects New Zealanders and upholds public trust.

Join a collaborative team of experts where your investigative skills can make a real difference. Reporting to a Principal Investigator, you'll work closely with Electronic Forensic Investigators, Forensic Accountants, Investigating Lawyers, and other specialists to uncover the facts behind serious financial crime.

From planning investigative strategies to conducting interviews, executing search warrants, and reviewing complex digital evidence, you'll be involved in every stage of the investigative process. Using leading evidence management platforms such as Relativity and Intella, you'll help transform evidence into compelling findings and contribute to reports presented to the Director.

For Senior Investigators, this role also offers the opportunity to lead key investigative workstreams, mentor colleagues, and help shape the success of our investigations.

About you

To succeed in this role, you will have:

• investigative experience and technical knowledge and skills to investigate and prosecute serious or complex financial crimes.
• experience as a qualified Detective with a law enforcement agency or as a fraud investigator with a government agency, regulator, or financial institution.
• a proven record of success in this type of role and that you have worked collaboratively with other specialists to build compelling cases.
• previous experience in investigations and litigation of financial crime matters, such as investment fraud, procurement fraud, large scale mortgage fraud, as well as bribery and corruption.
• strong verbal and written communication skills for writing reports and presenting findings.

You are known for your thoroughness, dependability, and sound judgement, and retain these attributes when working within time constraints and on matters of significance.

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 and strong values. We recognise that diversity and inclusion are important to our work. We value the unique abilities and perspectives of our employees which allow 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 Flexible Working Arrangement Policy to help you balance work and life
  
• Extra Departmental leave days each year providing additional time to recharge
  
• A supportive wellbeing policy focused on looking after our people
• Free flu vaccination  

The position descriptions for these roles are below:

SFO-Investigator-Position-Description.pdf

SFO-Senior-Investigator-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 CV and cover letter (attachments titled ‘First Name Last Name – CV or Cover Letter’).

You can learn more about working for the SFO in this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-bb1wPyvuC0

Applications close 4pm Thursday 05 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.