Katie Gordon - Policy Analyst, International Relations

The best part of my job is the variety.  One day I might be coordinating travel arrangements creating the agenda and organising the briefs for an international meeting, and the next I might be working with other agencies on a border strategy for the Pacific. 

There are not many jobs where you get such a good opportunity to interact with lots of people and a great mental challenge on a daily basis.  The International Relations team is involved with a huge range of issues, and we get to see what is happening in many different countries. 

Our team is responsible for leading our international engagement and providing advice to the Comptroller of Customs and Minister of Customs on international issues of relevance to New Zealand Customs.  Within our team, I am responsible for oversight of our relationship with Australia and I also work with a couple of other people in our team, including the Customs Pacific Liaison Officer, to coordinate our engagement with the Pacific.

Managing the flow of people and goods across any border is international in nature.  By forming strong international relationships, we can help New Zealand Customs do its job at the border more effectively.  Working with other customs administrations to build their capacity, particularly in the Pacific, also helps us to protect our own borders by making our region safer and mitigating risks before they reach our shores.

I became interested in a career with Customs when I worked part time on reception and in the Strategic and Executive Services team at Customs when I was studying at Victoria University.  When I finished my degree, a Bachelor of Commerce and Administration, I decided to apply for a full-time job in policy as it seemed like a challenging area where I could put my university skills to good use. 

This job would be interesting for someone who is comfortable interacting with people at all different levels and has a reasonable understanding of government and policy processes.  There is also quite a lot of writing involved, so it helps to be comfortable writing for different audiences.