Ecological Restoration Team Leader

Wildland Consultants; Christchurch; On-site; NZD 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Wildland Consultants in Christchurch is seeking an Ecological Restoration Team Leader to manage field teams of 1–4 staff, delivering pest plant and pest animal control, native planting and aftercare. You will mentor and train staff, supervise reporting and recordkeeping, and maintain health and safety standards on site.

The role involves liaising with clients and community groups, regular travel with occasional overnight stays in basic accommodation, and using GPS, TrapNZ and ArcGIS Field Maps

Qualifications

• Two years’ practical restoration experience.
• Ability to communicate effectively with teams, supervisor and manager; strong planning and problem-solving skills.
• Comfort using agrichemicals, vertebrate toxins, and traps; willingness to undertake training.

Responsibilities

• Lead field restoration teams (1–4 staff) in pest plant and pest animal control, native planting and aftercare.
• Mentor and train staff; maintain health and safety standards; manage basic reporting and recordkeeping.
• Liaise with client representatives and other stakeholders, including the public and community groups.

Skills

Team leadership

Ecological restoration

Pest control

GPS

Reporting

Health & Safety

Communication

Mentoring

Tools

TrapNZ

ArcGIS Field Maps

Excel

Job description

Wildland Consultants – Christchurch, South Island

WILDLANDS HAS A NEW ROLE AND IS SEEKING AN ECOLOGICAL RESTORATION TEAM LEADER – BASED IN CHRISTCHURCH.

Wildlands is seeking a full-time permanent Ecological Restoration Team Leader who will be based out of our Christchurch office. The role is to lead teams (1–4 staff) in the field undertaking ecological restoration works, comprising pest plant control, pest animal control and native planting and aftercare (maintenance). You will be mentoring and training staff, leading by example, undertake basic reporting and recordkeeping, ensuring the health and safety of your teams and encouraging and maintaining a positive team culture. There will be opportunities for liaising with client representatives and other stakeholders, including the general public and community groups.

We are looking for a Team Leader with a professional work ethic, and at least two years’ practical restoration experience. It is essential that you are able to communicate effectively with your teams, supervisor and manager, have excellent planning and problem-solving skills, and a positive and efficient work ethic. The work requires staff to use agrichemicals (herbicides), vertebrate toxins (poisons), and traps on a regular basis. Appropriate training will be provided for specialist areas of work if required. Regularly staying away up to week at a time in shared, sometimes basic, accommodation is an expectation of the role.

Skills, Knowledge, and Experience

• A genuine interest in working in the outdoors and achieving restoration goals.
• Mentoring skills and experience training existing and new staff.
• Thorough knowledge and proven experience of pest plant control, pest animal monitoring and control, and indigenous planting.
• Excellent plant identification.
• Good communication and interpersonal skills.
• Decision-making and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to work independently and within a team.
• A good work ethic, efficient, and H&S conscious.
• Handheld GPS and use of mobile phone apps (e.g. TrapNZ and ArcGIS Field Maps).
• Basic Microsoft Excel and report-writing ability.
• A good level of fitness, preferably with outdoor skills and experience (e.g. tramping, hunting, etc).
• Full NZ driver’s licence or overseas equivalent (manual – the majority of our fleet are manual vehicles).
• Can confidently tow a trailer.

Preferred applicant will hold CURRENT relevant qualifications and experience. These include Growsafe (Standard or Registered Chemical Applicator), First Aid, Chainsaw, 4WD, Controlled Substance Licence (CSL), ATV, and SiteSafe passport. A full driver's licence for manual vehicles is essential.