Be part of a close-knit, coordinated team that delivers today, to shape tomorrow. Make sure our ships have everything they need while they are at sea, from ship parts to medical supplies.

  • Service
    Navy
  • Specialisation
    Logistics and Administration
  • Location
    Devonport
  • Starting Trade Training
    $64,177

RNZN Logistics Supply Specialists play an essential role in the Royal New Zealand Navy and in broader NZDF operations. They keep our ships running and our people stocked with all the supplies and equipment necessary to do the job – at sea or on shore. Watch the full video and find out where your organisational skills could take you with the RNZN.

About the role

Logistics Supply Specialists in the Navy are an integral part of a ship’s crew, and are an essential link in the efficient supply chain between ships and shore. They are experts in inventory management, ensuring the ship has whatever it requires to sail at any given time.

You are responsible for ordering and providing equipment and stores, such as ship parts, clothing, medical supplies, weapons and ammunition. Logistics Supply Specialists enjoy a balance of service at sea as part of a deployed force overseas, and ashore in Naval establishments in Auckland.

The initial parts of your career are spent ashore in the Naval Supply Depot in Devonport Naval Base with short postings to ships to consolidate your learning and put your skills to practice. Whilst serving on a ship, you will contribute to the ship’s communal effort. This ranges from firefighting or carrying out damage control, to being an active member of the ship’s boarding party, domestic cleanliness duties and general seamanship – just to name a few.

As you gain experience and rank, there will be further opportunities to post back to sea for supervisory and managerial positions. These can be supplemented with deployments to land-based missions in New Zealand as well as overseas, postings to tri-Service establishments and exchanges with the Canadian, UK or Australian Navy.

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Career progression and training

Career Progression

Basic Training

Job Training

Ongoing Training

Your hard work, experience, and training accomplishments as a Logistics Supply Specialist is rewarded by promotions in rank and salary. Following your initial training and consolidation, you can expect to have attained a basic level of competence within 18 months of joining. This will be supplemented by a sea posting and then further training to prepare you for promotion to a supervisory role.

Advanced training will involve both generic leadership skills and logistics supply specialist skills. Successful completion of these will qualify you for a promotion to Leading Hand, whereby you will be responsible for supervising a team of Logistics Supply Specialists, either at sea or ashore.

Employment opportunities for Logistics Supply Specialists within the Navy and the Defence are particularly varied. There are opportunities for Logistics Supply Specialists at sea, in Devonport, Wellington at Defence House and Joint Force Headquarters, and even further afield with deployed forces around the world.

Upon successful enlistment into the Navy you will be posted to Devonport, Auckland. Here you will do 16 weeks of basic military training to find out if you have what it takes to be in the Navy, and learn various subjects including:

  • Teamwork and support
  • Naval history and customs
  • Drill and parades
  • Core mariner skills and weapons training
  • First aid and firefighting
  • Physical fitness
  • Self-discipline

You will start your career with initial and professional training and will be employed at sea and ashore. By the end of your first professional course, you will be able to:

  • Identify NZDF logistics policies
  • Cover the end-to-end process of orders raised by departments
  • Know the different classes of supply
  • Identify Defence suppliers and civilian vendors
  • Process transactions on the inventory management systems of ships and ashore
  • Manage items required by departments
  • Assist with freight forwarding from the RNZN’s main warehouse – Naval Supply Depot.

Get ready for an exciting world ahead of you where you can put these skills to practice on both ships and ashore.

Further courses, training and promotions are provided as part of your career progression and you will gain several qualifications including Accredited Forklift Operator, Advanced First Aid and Firefighting, SAP Inventory Management and Hazardous Substances handling.

 

As your career progresses, you will undertake further training to develop your generic leadership skills and specialist skills. The ability to manage people effectively and efficiently is a key part of your development.

Your next two professional courses ensure you are prepared to lead a team of Logistics Supply Specialists and can:

  • Manage Logistics Operations and inventory on sea-going platforms, ranging from a Warship to an Inshore Patrol Vessel.
  • Manage the account in both land-based and ship inventory management systems
  • Provide advice on the preparation for an Operational Deployment
  • Manage Priority orders that impact the ship’s ability to deploy
  • Manage freight on ship or ashore
  • Manage stocktaking of inventory
  • Carry out Divisional responsibilities

This training will provide you with additional qualifications and expertise to assist with your career progression. Once complete, further opportunities to deploy on ship or ashore will occur including the opportunity to support Martine and Land Operations in a Tri-Service environment.

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Salary and benefits

Careers in the Navy are well-rewarded, as well as being diverse and exciting. As you become more experienced and move up through the ranks, gaining additional skills and qualifications, you will see your salary rise accordingly.

$50,597

Under Initial Training

$64,177

Starting Trade Training

$119,462

Future Potential Earnings

Figures updated on July 1st 2023

Benefits and allowances

Earn a competitive salary while training or learning your trade, along with additional allowances for time spent in the field, at sea, overseas, or deployed on operations.

In addition to salary and allowances, other benefits of joining the New Zealand Defence Force include:

Access to your Service marae or tūrangawaewae

Sponsored tertiary study programmes at all levels

Free access to gyms and swimming pools on camp and bases

Opportunities to travel

Free and subsidised medical and dental care

Subsidised food and accommodation on camps and bases

Free and subsidised insurance cover

Help to buy a home and save for retirement

Entry requirements

Basics

Education

Fitness and Medical

Citizenship

Period of Service

  • Be a minimum of 17 years of age upon entry.
  • Be free of any criminal convictions.

3 years secondary school. Note, qualifications may be used to assess trade suitability.

There are strict citizenship and security requirements to gain the CV security clearance required for this trade. You must be free of any criminal convictions for the previous two years.

Find out if you’re eligible here. 

There may be a return of service period for this trade.

Please contact our 0800 number or talk to your Candidate Experience Facilitator for more information.

 

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