Job Description
Mō tēnei tūranga mahi | About this role
- Opportunity for an experienced operational leader passionate about protecting and restoring nature.
- Combine your passion for people leadership, operations delivery, and conservation.
- Salary ranges from $113,712– $161,659 depending on skills and experience
- Full-time, permanent opportunity based in Renwick with regular regional travel.
Our vision: Nature is thriving in Aotearoa | Te Oranga o te Ao Tūroa
The Department of Conservation Te Papa Atawhai (DOC) serves to protect and restore nature across Aotearoa. When nature thrives, we all thrive.
He angitūtanga | About the role
We are looking for an experienced Operations Manager to rebuild our South Marlborough District Team in the Northern South Island.
Geographically, our South Marlborough District spans from the Mt Richmond Ranges in the west through to Kaikoura in the east, including a diversity of alpine tops, vast high-country drylands through to marine ecosystems. Whereas we provide for an extensive range of visitor experiences from family camping areas through to routes accessing New Zealand's highest alpine areas outside of the Southern Alps/ Kā Tiritiri o te Moana, it is the biodiversity values and challenges that must be a particularly strong focus of this role.
The district also spans from Te Tauihu rohe in the north to Ngāi Tahu's tākiwa in the south. Your ability to work with Treaty Partners will be exceptional.
We are focusing on rebuilding our team at both Renwick and Kaikoura, growing the much-needed support to the existing talented teams. You will be highly experienced in health, safety and wellbeing leadership.
Your proven operational and risk management experience will enable you to optimise operational demands and community interests across the diverse and often highly demanding landscapes. You will work in close partnership with teams and leaders across the DOC, being a key member of the Northern South Island regional leadership team.
Treaty Partner, community and business conservation leadership in the district is considerable. We seek someone who can continue to build strong relationships, partnering to achieve greater outcomes for nature than we can achieve alone.
We are looking for someone with the operational discipline to help the district thrive, able to identify and manage risks and issues that get in the way of achieving results, a problem solver and adapter to change.
This role involves travel, so you must be flexible to travel and work away from home as needed.
The position will be focussed on:
- Leading operational delivery of biodiversity and recreation work programmes including fulfilling our critical role in fire management, and large whale disentanglement
- Manage and develop a high-performing professional conservation team, focusing on their success, training and career progression
- Build strong relationships with iwi partners, community groups and key stakeholders
- Ensure achievement of our conservation priorities within national strategies and policies
- Lead budget planning, performance reporting and resource allocation
- Ensure compliance with statutory, regulatory and health and safety requirements.
Ngā pūkenga me ngā wheako | Skills and experience
You will be an experienced people leader who excels at inspiring, motivating, and directing teams that values continuous improvement. This role has a strong relationship management component, requiring effective collaboration with whānau, hapū, iwi, the community, businesses, and other stakeholders.
We are interested in hearing from experienced people managers who are seeking an opportunity to guide and lead this team working on some phenomenal projects.
If you have some of the following, we are keen to hear from you:
- Proven experience in conservation delivery with a strong understanding of biodiversity, visitor and heritage management.
- Strong leadership and people management skills.
- Excellent relationship-building, communication and stakeholder engagement skills.
- Strong experience in working with iwi and hapū, stakeholder and community partnerships.
- Strong planning, delivery and financial management skills and the ability to effectively prioritise workload across a team.
- Experience working within government and the public sector.
- Resilience to navigate through times of change, pressure, challenge, or ambiguity.
- A strong understanding of health and safety to enable a positive safety culture.
- A passion for Te Papa Atawhai's Kaupapa is essential as well as understanding of Māori Tikanga and Te Tiriti o Waitangi.
- Current full NZ drivers' licence
Ngā āhuatanga kei a mātou | What's in it for you?
DOC places importance on developing a culture where everyone can participate, thrive, and grow. We're working towards being an organisation that is diverse, equitable and inclusive by default. You can learn more about what we offer here.
Tono ināianei | Apply now
Apply online with a CV and cover letter that highlights your relevant skills, experience and motivation for joining Te Papa Atawhai. Please note, due to the high volume of applications, we are unable to accept direct or emailed applications and provide feedback to those not shortlisted.
If you require any accommodations or adjustments throughout the recruitment process, please do let us know.
The salary range for this position is $113,712 – $161,659 with the starting salary of the successful applicant being based on their relevant skills and experience.
Eligibility to work in New Zealand is mandatory – this includes holding a valid work visa that covers the whole period of employment.
Due to high volumes, we are not engaging with recruitment agencies for this role.
Rā katinga | Applications close at 11:59 pm on Thursday 5 June 2025.
Me he pātai anō | For further enquiries, contact Hayley Barlow Senior Recruitment Advisor, at hbarlow@doc.govt.nz
Taupānga | Job reference: DOC/1861909