Operations Manager

Operations Manager at Department of Conservation, Whangarei A rare opportunity for an operational leader passionate about protecting and restoring nature in Whangarei.Fantastic opportunity for an experienced leader who can deliver impact through their team, create balance across competing interests, and build strong relationships and confidence to achieve more for local and regional conservation.Full-time, permanent opportunity based in Whangarei with regular regional travel.If the land is well and the sea is well, the people will thrive.Department of Conservation Te Papa Atawhai (DOC) serves to protect and sustain nature across Aotearoa.
We put nature and people at the heart of our mahi, guided by te reo Maori, te ao Maori and Te Tiriti o Waitangi.He angitutanga: About the RoleWe have a fantastic opportunity for a passionate leader to become our next Operations Manager for the Whangarei district in our Northern North Island region.
This district's conservation work includes protecting NZ's most threatened bird the Tara Iti/NZ Fairy Tern, outstanding natural ecosystems such as Taranga and the Marotere Islands (Hen and Chickens Islands) and the Poor Knights Islands Marine Reserve, the significant heritage site Te Ruapekapeka Pa, and providing popular summer camping and walking opportunities around its coast.You will lead a busy team to deliver effective, high-quality conservation impact.
Our work programmes are diverse, fast-paced, and ambitious.
Your ability to foster and continuously enhance your team's wellbeing and culture through strong engagement, guidance, and ongoing development is critical.Your proven operational and risk management experience will enable you to balance operational demands and community interests across diverse and often high volume of work.
You will work in close partnership with teams and leaders across the DOC eco-system, especially as part of the Northern North Island regional team.We seek someone who can continue to build strong, credible relationships with Treaty partners and stakeholders, and secure opportunities that will result in greater impact for conservation priorities.We are looking for someone with the operational discipline to help the region thrive, able to identify and manage risks and issues that get in the way of achieving results, a problem solver and adapter to change.You will be an experienced people leader who excels at inspiring, motivating, and directing teams that value continuous improvement.
This role has a strong relationship management component, requiring effective collaboration with whanau, hapu, iwi, the community, businesses, and other stakeholders.If you have the following attributes, we are keen to hear from you:Strong people leadership capability - able to inspire and motivate others to take action.Experience in working with iwi and hapu, stakeholder and community partnerships.Strong planning, delivery and financial management skills and the ability to effectively prioritise workload across a team.Drives and supports training and development of their team.Resilience to navigate through times of pressure, challenge, or ambiguity.A strong understanding of health and safety to enable a positive safety culture.Experience in conservation management is desirable but not essential.The Department of Conservation /Te Papa Atawhai 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.Apply online via the DOC Careers Centre with a CV and cover letter that highlights your relevant skills experience and motivation for joining Te Papa Atawhai.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.Me he patai ano For further enquiries, please feel free to contact Carissa Hay, Recruitment Advisor at