Ranger (Fixed-Term) – Department of Conservation – Aoraki / Mount Cook

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

Benefits offered by this job

Shared accommodation

Stunning location in national park

Job summary

Department of Conservation in Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park is seeking a Facilities Ranger to manage visitor facilities and parking at White Horse Hill, ensuring a positive visitor experience and compliance.

You will maintain campground and carpark infrastructure, engage with visitors, report on parking patterns, and support track and facility maintenance projects in a remote alpine setting. The role runs December–May 2027 with shared accommodation options.

Qualifications

• Strong customer service skills and ability to engage with a wide range of visitors.
• Clear and effective communication, and the ability to work with diverse cultural backgrounds.
• Calm, approachable manner with sound judgement in compliance and emergency situations.
• Current First Aid certificate and a Full New Zealand driver’s licence.
• Willingness to operate independently and as part of a team, in a remote park setting.

Responsibilities

• Assist with campground, carpark, and visitor facilities maintenance.
• Manage vehicle parking at White Horse Hill during peak periods to optimise space usage.
• Monitor parking behaviour and report issues including overflow onto adjacent roads.
• Engage with visitors, provide information on park rules and paid parking requirements.
• Inspect and maintain parking infrastructure (solar, batteries, cameras, kiosks, signage).
• Troubleshoot equipment issues and liaise with hardware providers as required.
• Download and report traffic data to DOC insights teams.
• Provide visitor information across front-country tracks and key visitor sites.
• Educate visitors on bylaws and elevate compliance when needed.
• Carry out campground fee compliance checks and concessionaire compliance checks.
• Support track and facility maintenance projects within the National Park.

Skills

Customer service

Communication

Diversity awareness

Compliance

Maintenance basics

Tech literacy

Teamwork

First Aid

Driver's licence

Independent worker

Tools

MS Office

Booking systems

Reporting systems

Job description

• Work where it matters – Spend your days in the stunning Aoraki / Mount Cook National Park, helping protect and manage one of New Zealand’s most iconic visitor destinations.
• Varied and hands-on role – A mix of visitor engagement, campground and carpark operations, compliance activities, facility maintenance, and conservation support ensures no two days are the same.
• $62,192-$67,446 depending on skills and experience.
• Full-time fixed-term position December – May 2027 based Aoraki Mt Cook, shared accommodation options available

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

Mō te tūranga | About the role

As a Facilities Ranger, this position plays a key role in managing visitor pressure at high-use sites, maintaining facilities, and supporting compliance and visitor experience outcomes. You will work across front-country areas, engaging with visitors, managing infrastructure, and contributing to the smooth operation of the White Horse Hill carpark and campground.
The position will be focussed on:

• Assist with maintenance of campground, carpark, and visitor facilities
• Manage vehicle parking at White Horse Hill carpark during peak periods to optimise space usage
• Monitor parking behaviour, and report on any issues, observations, and insights including overflow onto Hooker Valley Road and across the park
• Engage with visitors, providing information on paid parking requirements and park regulations
• Conduct inspections and basic maintenance of parking infrastructure (solar, batteries, cameras, kiosks, signage)
• Troubleshoot equipment issues and liaise with hardware providers as required
• Download and report traffic data to DOC insights teams
• Provide visitor information across front-country tracks and key visitor sites
• Educate visitors on National Park bylaws (e.g., dogs, drones) and elevate compliance issues where required
• Undertake campground fee compliance checks at White Horse Hill campground
• Carry out concessionaire compliance checks with tour operators and guides
• Support track and facility maintenance projects within the National Park

Ngā pūkenga me ngā 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:

• Strong customer service skills and ability to engage with a wide range of visitors
• Clear and effective communication skills
• Ability to work with people from diverse cultural backgrounds (additional languages an advantage)
• Calm, approachable manner with sound judgement in compliance and emergency situations
• Interest in conservation and understanding of National Park values
• Practical skills or experience in basic maintenance or field-based work
• Competence using technology, including Microsoft Office and booking/reporting systems
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team
• Current First Aid certificate
• Full New Zealand driver’s licence

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.

Mō te tīma | About the team/Location

You will be based in Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park, working alongside a small team across Visitor Centre and Community, Heritage and Visitor, Search and Rescue, and Local Body Services.

This role assists with maintenance of the campground, carpark, and visitor facilities, with the busiest facilities being at White Horse Hill, a key access point to popular tracks such as Hooker Valley, Kea Point, and Mueller Hut. The adjacent campground is DOC’s most visited, with around 102 campsites.

Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park is part of the Te Waipounamu UNESCO World Heritage Area, covering approximately 70,000 hectares of alpine landscape including Aoraki/Mount Cook, Tasman Glacier, and Hooker Valley. The village is a small, remote community with around 300 residents in summer, located 70km from Twizel and 200km from Timaru.

He aha ngā pāinga mōu? | 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?

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.

Rā whakakapi | Applications close at 11:59 pm on Wednesday 11 November 2026
Me he pātai anō, whakapā mai | For further enquiries, please contact Amanda Gray, Site Support Officer, [e-mail]

.