Kaitiaki, Āo Hāpori Ranger Community

Are you looking for an opportunity to work with communities to make Papatūānuku thrive?
- Do you hold a collaborative style that allows you to share and transfer your funding skills to others?

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, 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.

He angitūtanga | About the role
As a Kaitiaki, Āo Hāpori, Community Ranger you will be joining our dedicated team to help grow conservation throughout the Waikato District. Your role will be diverse and involves working with others on a variety of conservation projects.
Our Community Team strives to develop and maintain positive working relationships with whānau, hapū and iwi as treaty partners and a wide range of stakeholders and community groups. We also advocate for the protection of conservation values, providing advice to decision makers for statutory processes, such as conservation concessions and permits. This is a full time, permanent role based in our Te Rapa office, Waikato.
The position is largely an outwardly focused role, and will involve
- Identifying funding opportunities to benefit conservation on public conservation lands and waters that can be utilised by community groups or DOC to achieve more.
- Supporting community and treaty partner conservation/restoration aspirations.
- Contributing to the delivery of high-quality engagement and education initiatives in our communities
- Coordinating and reporting advice, providing context, critical analysis, logical conclusions, and recommendations for decision-makers
- Consulting with whānau, hapū and iwi in relation to concessions for activities such as guiding, aircraft landings, sporting events, wildlife research.
- Coordinating local input into statutory land administration

Ngā pūkenga me ngā wheako | Skills and experience
Our Community Rangers work closely with our partners, community groups and public to educate and support the next generation in caring for nature. You will be a confident communicator, able to share your enthusiasm in ways which engage a wide range of people.
If you have the following attributes, we are keen to hear from you:

- Experience in working with statutory authorities, community groups, iwi or business groups, which demonstrates an ability to think critically and remove complexity without losing context/content
- Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, including a proven ability to write accurate, clear and concise reports.
- Relationship skills, strong networking skills, ability to share knowledge and skills and the ability to maintain positive working relationships with stakeholders.
- A ‘can do' attitude and excellent organisational skills, including the ability to balance competing demands, meet deadlines and have a problem-solving approach
- A track record for working well both independently and as part of a team
- Current full driving licence
- Be comfortable and effective with engaging and working in partnership with iwi and mana whenua and demonstrate an understanding of Te Tiriti in today's society and conservation
- Demonstrated experience identifying and securing funding opportunities
- Knowledge and experience in working with community groups and a range of public and private sector entities
- Proven negotiating and influencing skills
- Passion to involve others in conservation
- Experience in planning and organising projects and/or events

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 highly value new energy and fresh perspectives brought into our rohe. We are a fun, hardworking team with an appreciation for our differences and unique passions. In a supportive and collaborative working environment, this is your chance to contribute to our culture of continuous improvement and provide your existing expertise to the District. In return you will build great relationships and local conservation knowledge.
We take pride in enabling our kaimahi to bring their unique perspectives to mahi, in pursuit of our collective aspirations. Our commitment to well-being and professional development includes:

- Flexible working options where applicable
- Training and development opportuni