Working in Defence
Ways of Working
The New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) is committed to helping its people balance professional and personal life. Discover how flexible work arrangements, leave options, and supportive policies create opportunities for a rewarding and balanced career.
Managing work and personal commitments
Balancing work and personal commitments can be challenging, particularly in roles that may require time away from home for training, exercises, or deployments. NZDF recognises the importance of family, friends, and personal wellbeing, and the role these play in sustaining our people over the course of their careers.
NZDF’s Flexible Work Arrangements Policy provides a framework for considering adjustments to work hours, days, patterns, or locations, where this is feasible and consistent with operational needs.
Flexible working is not suitable for all roles or situations, and any arrangement is assessed on an individual basis. Guidance and support are available to help personnel understand the policy, explore available options, and have informed discussions with their leaders about what may be possible in their circumstances.
Personal Journeys
“Being able to work flexibly allowed me to spend more time at home with my young family, when my sons were just one and three years old and my wife was deployed overseas. I got the best of both worlds: playing a bigger part in their lives, whilst still getting the satisfaction of contributing at work. The experience made me better at my job too; appreciating what my value-add was when time is limited, as well as better understanding the challenges experienced by our military whānau.”
LTCOL Dan Swale
NZ Army
Holidays and time off
We understand how important it is to take time away from work for rest, recovery, and maintaining wellbeing. NZDF offers a range of leave options to support this, including annual leave, special leave, and other approved types of time off to accommodate personal or family needs.
Whether managing personal priorities, attending significant life events, or taking planned breaks, NZDF leave provisions help our people balance service commitments with time away from work.
Work locations
The New Zealand Defence Force operates across a wide range of locations, including Camps and Bases throughout New Zealand as well as several overseas postings.
Each location offers a unique environment, culture, and opportunities, empowering our people to make a meaningful impact and grow in their roles while contributing to Defence’s vital mission.
Tools and equipment
At NZDF, we know that access to high-quality tools and equipment is essential for delivering excellent results. Our commitment to equipping our people with state-of-the-art resources ensures they can perform their roles efficiently and effectively, whether in the field, in the office, or on deployment.
We continuously invest in technology and resources to enable our personnel to meet the challenges of today while preparing for the demands of tomorrow.
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