Ranger (Fixed-Term)

Department of Conservation; Awarua; On-site; NZD 62,000 - 67,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Accommodation options available

Job summary

Department of Conservation in Haast, South Westland, seeks Heritage and Visitor Rangers to maintain tracks, huts, and visitor facilities across front-country and backcountry sites. You will support visitor safety, provide information, and complete reports using mobile apps in a busy, remote setting.

The roles focus on maintaining front-country amenities, undertaking backcountry maintenance, and contributing to emergency response while working as part of a small, dedicated team.

Qualifications

• Full drivers' licence, ideally with the ability to manoeuvre a trailer.
• Strong practical, hands-on field skills for field-based work.
• Experience and NZQA qualifications with use of chainsaws, weed eaters, scrub bars and 4WDS.
• Strong health and safety focus
• High level of physical fitness for fieldwork in remote environments
• Good people skills with an ability to work as part of a team and independently.
• Tech savvy skills with the ability to use computer databases and mobile applications
• Current First Aid certificate

Responsibilities

• Maintain front-country amenities and tracks
• Undertake backcountry track and hut maintenance
• Provide visitor information and support visitor safety
• Complete work reports and timesheets using mobile applications
• Monitor and manage risks in high-use visitor areas
• Support emergency response and decision-making when required
• Contribute to the upkeep of huts and campgrounds including toilet cleaning

Skills

Full drivers' licence

Hands-on field skills

NZQA qualifications with chainsaws/4W

Health and safety focus

High physical fitness

People skills

Tech savvy (databases & apps)

First Aid certificate

Job description

• Mix of front-country and backcountry work, including tracks, huts, campsites, and visitor facilities.
• Develop practical conservation skills including asset maintenance, project delivery, and field operations.
• Diverse role across heritage, visitor, and conservation operations with no two days the same.
• $62,192–$67,446 depending on skills and experience.
• Full-time fixed-term position November – April 2027 based Haast, South Westland with accommodation options available

Our vision: Nature is thriving in Aotearoa | Te Oranga o te Ao Tūroa

Mŋ te tūdanga | About the role

As a Heritage and Visitor Ranger based in Haast within the Heritage and Visitor work group, these roles support the delivery of visitor services and facility maintenance across the South Westland District. The positions focus on maintaining tracks, huts, and visitor amenities across both front country and backcountry sites, while supporting visitor safety and conservation outcomes. You will work across a range of iconic locations, contributing to the upkeep and management of high-use visitor areas. The position will be focussed on:

• Maintain front-country amenities and tracks
• Undertake backcountry track and hut maintenance
• Provide visitor information and support visitor safety
• Complete work reports and timesheets using mobile applications
• Monitor and manage risks in high-use visitor areas
• Support emergency response and decision-making when required
• Contribute to the upkeep of key sites including huts and campgrounds including toilet cleaning

Ngą pūkenga me ngą wheako | Skills and experience

You will be versatile and resilient and able to tackle a variety of mahi. If you have the following attributes, we are keen to hear from you:

• Full drivers' licence, ideally with the ability to manoeuvre a trailer
• Strong practical, hands-on skills for field-based work
• Experience and NZQA qualifications with use of chainsaws, weed eaters, scrub bars and 4WDS.
• Strong health and safety focus
• High level of physical fitness for fieldwork in remote environments
• Good people skills with an ability to work as part of a team and independently.
• Tech savvy skills with the ability to use computer databases and mobile applications
• Current First Aid certificate

Even if you don’t tick all the boxes but believe your skills and experience closely align, then we still encourage you to submit an application.

Mŋ te tūma | About the team/Location

The South Westland Operations team consists of approximately 36 staff working across heritage and visitor, biodiversity, and community programmes. The Heritage and Visitor team includes 13 permanent staff across multiple sites, supported by seasonal staff during peak periods.

The district spans a large and diverse area from Haast Pass to the Waitaha River, including significant parts of the Te Wŋpounamu World Heritage Area. Key locations include Franz Josef and Fox Glaciers, Lake Matheson, Ship Creek, and the Copland Valley.

Haast is a small, remote township surrounded by rainforest, rivers, beaches, and wetlands, and is a gateway to both Mount Aspiring National Park and Westland Tai Poutini National Park. With a population of approximately 100 people, this number rises in the busier summer months. A vehicle is highly recommended; essentially no public transport is available. It is a 2-hour drive from Haast to Wănaka. The town is serviced by the Intercity bus which goes north to Greymouth and south to Queenstown daily. It provides both a passenger and limited freight service.

There are several weekday courier services. Haast has all the services necessary such as medical centre, small grocery store, community hall facilities, church services. For day-to-day living, and for airport access it is four hours to Hokitika, or two and a half hours to Queenstown.

He aha ngą pāinga mū? | What’s in it for you?

DOC is committed to a culture where everyone can participate, thrive, and grow. We’re driven by our values and behaviours, and are working towards being an organisation that is diverse, equitable, and inclusive by default. Want to know more?

RĊ whakakapi | Applications close

at 11:59 pm on Wednesday 21 October 2026.

Depending on the volume of applications received, we may close this advertisement early, so please submit your application as soon as possible

Me he pătŋa anŋ, whakapā mai | For further enquiries

please contact Binesh Naidu, Principal Ranger, [e-mail]

Salary: $62,192–$67,446 depending on skills and experience.

Eligibility: You must hold a valid NZ work visa that covers the duration of employment.