Supervisor, Heritage and Visitors

Do you enjoy the outdoors, have lots of practical skills and enjoy coaching, mentoring, and leading a team?
- Do you thrive in a role with a diverse range of tasks and responsibilities?
- Permanent, full-time role based in Invercargill.

Toitū te marae a Tāne, toitū te marae a Tangaroa, toitū te tangata
If the land is well and the sea is well, the people will thrive

At Te Papa Atawhai, Department of Conservation (DOC) we express our spirit of service and serve Aotearoa through our purpose, Papatūānuku Thrives. Our organisational strategy, Te Kaupapa a Te Papa Atawhai, puts nature and people at the heart of everything we do. It is anchored by te reo Māori and te ao Māori, recognising that Te Tiriti o Waitangi and our whānau, hapū and iwi are central to all our mahi.

The Southland/Murihiku District is part of the Southern South Island Region and has 27 permanent staff primarily based in our Invercargill office along with a field base in Owaka in the Catlins. The Heritage and Visitor team works consists of three staff based in Invercargill and two in Owaka as well as fixed term staff and contractors.

He angitūtanga | About the role
This position is based in the Invercargill Office and works across the whole of the Murihiku District. Within the district there is a huge variety of public conservation land with significant recreational and heritage values including the Eyre Mountains, the Catlins, parts of the Te Araroa trail and various other reserves. We administer various historic sites and work with others to achieve recreational and heritage outcomes for the enjoyment of Southland residents and visitors to the district.
You will be part of the Senior Leadership Team and work closely with the Senior Ranger, Heritage and Visitor to provide advice to the Operations Manager on the district work program. You will be responsible for the delivery of the Heritage and Visitor work programmes including implementing the delivery of Heritage and Visitor work for the team of Rangers. These work programmes are broad and include asset maintenance (huts, bridges), track construction and maintenance along with working with community groups.
You will lead, coach, and inspire your team of rangers; plan, assign, monitor and review work with your team and foster a great working culture. This team is passionate about the work they do and has a culture of inclusiveness and support with whanau at the core and you will share those values and passion for the conservation that drives the team.
Strong relationships with your team will help them deliver great conservation. This will require you to spend periods of time in the field with your rangers, alongside ensuring delivery of office-based tasks are prioritised and delivered. Above all, the health, safety, and wellbeing of staff will be your highest priority.

Ngā pūkenga me ngā wheako | Skills and experience
You will be an experienced people leader or an up-and-coming leader, with demonstrated understanding of field operations. You will be skilled in leading, motivating, and coaching team members to achieve their full potential, have excellent interpersonal skills and be a confident relationship builder who can get along with people from all walks of life.

If you have the following attributes, we are keen to hear from you:

- Previous experience in Heritage and Visitor work including knowledge of native flora and fauna.
- Proven leadership abilities and able to mentor and manage staff
- Commitment to excellence - sets high personal and professional standards; assumes responsibility and accountability for the success of the team
- Demonstrated capability to plan, monitor and report on work delivery
- Great communication skills. The ability to get on with people, as well as supervise and lead a team, with Health and Safety as a priority
- A good level of fitness with remote area/ backcountry experience
- Technologically savvy and able to keep up with the changes in the digital space.
- Full NZ drivers' license.

**Desirable skills, experience, and qualifications**:

- Current first aid certificate.
- Previous experience engaging and working in partnership with iwi and tangata whenua, as well as an understanding of the implications of te Tiriti o te Waitangi (the Treaty of Waitangi) on today's society and conservation.
- A tertiary qualification in science or natural heritage management is desirable.

Most of all you will be approachable, enjoy working as part of a team and have a ‘can do attitude'.

Mō mātou | About us
Te Papa Atawhai is committed to fostering a diverse workforce that represents the communities we serve, and to creating an inclusive workplace culture. Our Te Kaupapa behaviours of whakatīnanatia (we deliver), atawhaitia a Papatūānuku (we love nature), whakawhānaungatanga (we build relationships) and whakaauaha (we innovate) guide what we need to do for Papatūānuku to Thrive.

Ko ngā hua| What we offer
We take pride in enabling our kaimahi