Duty Manager

Australian Wildlife Parks; Nulkaba; On-site; AUD 75,000 - 110,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Staff discounts at our Wildlife Parks

Experienced senior leadership team

Career progression opportunities

Picturesque working environment

Job summary

Australian Wildlife Parks is seeking a Duty Manager to oversee day-to-day operations across admissions, food & beverage and retail. You will lead a motivated team, deliver exceptional guest experiences and work to maintain high standards and safety within a popular wildlife park.

Reporting to the Manager of Operations and Compliance, you’ll balance people management with customer service, operational performance and revenue growth in a unique visitor attraction environment.

Qualifications

• Experience in supervisory/management role in hospitality, retail, tourism or attractions
• Strong leadership and coaching abilities
• Customer-focused mindset with a drive to deliver great guest experiences
• Commercial awareness: budgeting, sales performance and costs
• Excellent organisational and rostering skills
• Understanding of food safety, hygiene and WH&S requirements
• Clear communication and independent collaboration with managers
• Flexibility to work weekdays, weekends and public holidays

Responsibilities

• Lead and develop the team with clear direction, coaching and performance management
• Oversee guest interactions, service delivery, and maintain high presentation and product quality standards
• Drive revenue and commercial performance, monitor budgets and identify upselling opportunities
• Coordinate admissions, food & beverage and retail operations for efficiency and consistency
• Oversee stock, merchandising, stock takes and supplier invoices
• Ensure food safety, hygiene and workplace health and safety compliance
• Manage rosters, timesheets and payroll in line with budgets and industrial obligations
• Identify cost-saving improvements and support marketing promotions to boost guest satisfaction and revenue

Job description

Nulkaba, New South Wales 2325, Australia

Full-time Permanent Mid-level Senior

Posted 28 Oct 2026

Description

Hunter Valley Wildlife Park | Operations

Hunter Valley Wildlife Park is looking for an enthusiastic and commercially minded Duty Manager to help lead our daily operations across admissions, food and beverage, retail and workplace health and safety.

Hunter Valley Wildlife Park is home to a captivating and engaging collection of exotic and native animal species and is located just minutes from NSW’s premier wine region. The park is very popular with local families as well as school excursions from across the Hunter region and the Central Coast.

About the role

As Duty Manager, you’ll oversee and coordinate day-to-day operations across multiple guest-facing departments. You’ll lead by example, support your team to achieve business objectives and continually look for ways to improve the guest experience and operational performance.

Reporting to the Manager of Operations and Compliance, you’ll play a key role in ensuring our teams deliver outstanding service, maintain high operational standards and create memorable experiences for every guest who visits the park.

This is an exciting opportunity for a proactive leader who enjoys balancing people management, customer service, operational performance and revenue growth in a unique visitor attraction environment.

Key responsibilities include:

• Lead and develop the team: Provide clear direction, coaching and support, assist with recruitment and training, and manage performance to build a motivated, high-performing team.
• Deliver exceptional guest experiences: Oversee guest interactions and service delivery, maintaining high standards of presentation, product quality and customer satisfaction.
• Drive revenue and commercial performance: Monitor performance against budgets, identify opportunities to increase sales, promote effective upselling and implement initiatives that grow revenue.
• Oversee daily operations: Coordinate activities across admissions, food and beverage and retail, ensuring departments operate efficiently and consistently meet brand standards.
• Manage stock and merchandising: Oversee inventory, stock takes, supplier invoices, replenishment and retail presentation, maintaining appropriate stock levels and minimising waste.
• Maintain food safety and workplace safety: Ensure compliance with food safety requirements, hygiene standards, workplace health and safety legislation and park procedures.
• Coordinate rostering and payroll: Manage rosters, timesheet approvals and payroll requirements in line with budgets and applicable industrial obligations.
• Improve and innovate: Identify cost‑saving opportunities, refresh services and facilities, support marketing promotions and introduce ideas that enhance guest satisfaction and commercial results.

About you

You’re a confident, practical and customer-focused leader who can motivate a team, manage competing priorities and keep operations running smoothly. You understand that excellent guest experiences come from engaged employees, consistent standards and strong operational management.

You will ideally bring:

• Experience in a supervisory or management role within hospitality, retail, tourism, attractions or a similar customer-facing environment.
• Proven leadership skills, with the ability to coach, motivate and manage team performance.
• A strong customer service mindset and a commitment to creating positive guest experiences.
• Commercial awareness, including experience monitoring budgets, sales performance, costs and revenue opportunities.
• Strong organisational skills and the ability to manage staffing, rostering, stock control and operational priorities.
• An understanding of food safety, hygiene and workplace health and safety requirements.
• Clear communication skills, sound judgement and the ability to work independently while collaborating effectively with other managers.
• Flexibility to work a roster that includes weekdays, weekends and public holidays.

What you’ll bring to the team

• A hands‑on approach and a willingness to lead by example.
• A proactive mindset, with the confidence to identify problems and implement practical solutions.
• A focus on accountability, continuous improvement and operational excellence.
• The ability to balance guest satisfaction with business performance and budget expectations.
• A genuine commitment to maintaining a safe, clean, welcoming and well‑presented environment.

Why it’s great to work here!

• Staff discounts at our 3 Wildlife Parks
• Experienced senior leadership team
• Career progression opportunities
• Picturesque working environment

Australian Wildlife Parks is an equal opportunity employer and consideration will be given to all applications. However, due to the high level of applicants, only those progressing to the interview stage will be contacted.

Company Overview

Australian Wildlife Parks operates three unique wildlife destinations across New South Wales: Featherdale Sydney Wildlife Park, Mogo Wildlife Park and Hunter Valley Wildlife Park, caring for more than 3,000 native and exotic animals. Guided by animal first principles, we create unforgettable wildlife experiences that support conservation, education and community engagement.