Ranger, Visitor Centre

Are you resourceful, adaptable, and able to work independently with a ‘can do' attitude and an affinity for people?
- Take advantage of a range of development and training opportunities across the organisation.
- 4 weeks + 3 days annual leave per year pro-rata.
- Two permanent, full-time roles based in Aoraki/Mount Cook.

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

Te Papa Atawhai, Department of Conservation (DOC) serves to protect and sustain nature across Aotearoa. We put nature and people at the heart of our mahi, guided by te reo Māori, te ao Māori and Te Tiriti o Waitangi. We do this by:

- protecting land, species, ecosystems, and cultural heritage for conservation purposes
- managing threats and adverse impacts
- being a voice for conservation
- connecting people to nature.

He angitūtanga | About the role
The front counter Visitor Centre position is one of the most public roles within the Department and is absolutely pivotal to our overall success. Effectively, as the Departmental host, you are responsible for ensuring that every person who walks through the door gets the best possible service, whether they are looking for information (or keas), checking out the displays, purchasing tramping equipment, or just escaping the rain. You will need to be friendly, knowledgeable, organised, quick thinking, and excel at customer service.
You will be part of a team focused on delivering excellent customer service. DOC's visitor centres are the gateway to conservation, providing visitors with information to enhance their recreation experiences.

**The position will be focussed on**:

- providing visitors with backcountry tramping information, weather conditions, condition of tracks and huts, local transport options, and safety recommendations
- providing visitors with up-to-date information about recreational opportunities and conservation projects, both locally and nationwide
- managing stock and selling quality, conservation-related merchandise
- promoting and selling national and local conservation recreation opportunities, including hut, and campsite bookings
- ensuring the visitor centre always looks tidy and presentable, shelves are fully stocked, and facilities are clean
- administration work which may include reconciling daily and weekly banking, data entry, invoicing, and retail stock control
- consistently ensuring high standards of service are delivered and visitor centre systems, processes, and operating procedures are followed
- helping to train and support temporary visitor centre rangers.

Ngā pūkenga me ngā wheako | Skills and experience
If you have the following attributes, we are keen to hear from you:

- experience/demonstrated competence in customer service, computer skills, sales, and retail
- understanding of recreation and tourism opportunities throughout New Zealand and knowledge of conservation or recreational activities available in Aoraki/Mount Cook and the wider Eastern South Island Region
- ability to convey visitor safety information clearly, concisely, and in a positive manner
- enjoy interacting with the public
- ability to deliver in a timely manner and maintain a high level of accuracy while dealing with conflicting demands
- problem solving abilities, initiative, and a positive ‘can-do' attitude
- experience managing/navigating databases
- enthusiasm for and an active interest in outdoor pursuits and conservation.

Mō te tīma | About the team
The Operations Group is responsible for delivering conservation work on the ground through our biodiversity, recreation/historic, community engagement and visitor centre teams.
We are a small, well-knitted team living and working together in Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park. Our district includes the council-like Local Body team, the Recreation/Historic, Search & Rescue and the Visitor Centre teams.

Ngā āhuatanga kei a mātou | What's in it for you?
Te Papa Atawhai is committed to fostering a diverse workforce that represents the communities we serve, creating an inclusive workplace culture, supporting the relationship between Māori and the Crown, and lifting our cultural capability. We encourage our people to bring their authentic self and unique perspectives to work, in pursuit of our collective aspirations. Our commitment to well-being and professional development includes:

- flexible working opportunities suited to your role
- career development, secondment and training opportunities to help you realise your goals
- study assistance in programmes that are relevant to your work
- Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) and discounted medical insurance
- great discounts on DOC accommodation and outdoor apparel and gear so you're ready for your next adventure
- Te Pukenga Atawhai - Cultural Capability Development Programme.

The salary range for this position is $53,684 to $64,578 with the starting salary of the successful a