The headquarters is a joint (tri-Service), operational-level organisation and replaced the three Service operational command headquarters. All staff in the headquarters support both COMJFNZ and the three component commanders. This integrated structure also allows the headquarters to function as a single point of contact for HQNZDF, other government departments and agencies, and allied and other foreign operational-level joint headquarters.
HQ JFNZ is structured as an integrated headquarters organised on functional rather than Service environment lines. Headquarters staff branches and associated centres are configured using the international common staff system to avoid duplication of activity and enable greater inter-operability with allies and friends.
The main parts of the headquarters are:
- The Command Group (J00) incorporating COMJFNZ, the three component commanders, their small personal staffs and the headquarters' legal staff;
- Joint Co-ordination Branch (J03) which provides corporate services, administrative, security, public affairs, protocol and information technology support to the headquarters itself; and
- the staff branches.
The staff branches contribute to headquarters planning mechanisms and provide, control or co-ordinate support to assigned forces as follows:
- Joint Personnel Branch (J1) - personnel and health services support, including the Deployed Personnel Support Centre (DPSC) directly supporting the NZDF's smaller overseas contingents;
- Joint Intelligence Branch (J2) - intelligence and counter-intelligence support, including operation of the inter-departmental National Maritime Coordination Centre (NMCC);
- Joint Operations Branch (J3) - day-to-day supervision of current and ongoing NZDF operations, exercises and other activities, including operation of the inter-branch Joint Watch Centre (JWC);
- Joint Logistics Branch (J4) - integrated logistic support;
- Joint Plans Branch (J5) - contingency plans, longer-term operational plans and annual programmes, including the planning of exercises;
- Joint Communications and Information Systems Branch (J6) - integrated communications and information technology support;
- Joint Training Co-ordination Branch (J7) - NZDF training programmes, including the NZDF Master Activity Schedule (MAS) and liaison with allies and friends on combined training and inter-operability matters;
- Joint Development Branch (J8) - operational preparedness evaluation and reporting, the development and supervision of operational-level doctrine, operational standards and safety policy, and the headquarters' interaction with wider NZDF capability development processes; and
- Joint Finance Branch (J9) - financial advice and budgetary management services.