Ranger Project Lead, Community

Department of Conservation - Te Papa Atawhai; Hokitika; On-site; NZD 69,000 - 88,000; Full time

Job summary

The Department of Conservation - Te Papa Atawhai (DOC) Hokitika-based role leads statutory and conservation activities on public conservation land and supports community programmes. You will work with diverse partners, mentor colleagues, and represent DOC in cross-agency initiatives.

We seek strong statutory and relationship skills, with a focus on engagement, reporting, and Te Tiriti partnership. A full NZ driver licence is required; drone piloting is advantageous.

Qualifications

• Strong background in statutory processes, resource management, concessions and compliance monitoring.
• Strong relationship management and negotiation skills with diverse stakeholders.
• Experience in community engagement, consultation, or event planning.
• Ability to interpret and communicate technical information clearly.
• Strong planning, analytical, and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent writing skills, with concise reports and correspondence.
• Understanding Te Tiriti partnership and engaging with tangata whenua.
• Current full New Zealand driver licence.
• Drone piloting and 4WD certification advantageous.

Responsibilities

• Lead or support statutory, advocacy, and community conservation programmes.
• Engage with internal and external parties and mentor colleagues.
• Represent DOC in cross-agency and community initiatives.
• Assess applications for activities on public conservation land.
• Build relationships with Treaty partners, concessionaires, local authorities, businesses.
• Collaborate with biodiversity, recreation, visitor, heritage, compliance, and operations teams.

Skills

Statutory processes

Concessions & compliance

Relationship management

Negotiation skills

Community engagement

Technical communication

Planning & analysis

Report writing

Drone piloting

Tools

Drone piloting

Job description

Lead key statutory processes associated with activities on private and public conservation land. Grow relationships through engagement with stakeholders, concessionaires, local authorities, industry, iwi/hapū, community groups and other partners.

Salary range: $69,429 to $88,181 depending on skills and experience

Permanent full-time position based in Hokitika

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

About the role

In this role, you'll be part of the Hokitika Operations Team, working across the district to lead or support statutory, advocacy, and community conservation programmes. You’ll work with a variety of parties internally and externally and mentor colleagues and represent DOC in cross-agency and community initiatives.

Key areas of focus for this role include:

• Statutory Management – assess applications for, and manage, complex or high-risk activities on public conservation land.
• Advocacy and Outreach – represent DOC’s conservation interests in statutory planning, policy and Resource Management Act processes, while building community awareness and support for conservation.
• Monitoring and Compliance – undertake site inspections to assess compliance with approvals and conditions, and responding to findings as required.
• Stakeholder Engagement – build and maintain relationships with Treaty partners, concessionaires, local authorities, businesses, schools, community organisations, and other stakeholders.
• District Collaboration – work alongside biodiversity, recreation, visitor, heritage, compliance, and operations teams to deliver integrated conservation outcomes.

Ngā pūkenga me ngā wheako | Skills and experience

If you have some of following, we are keen to hear from you:

• Strong background and/or capability in statutory processes, resource management, concessions and compliance monitoring.
• Strong relationship management and negotiation skills, and experience working with a diverse range of stakeholders.
• Experience in community engagement, consultation, or event planning.
• Ability to interpret and communicate technical information clearly.
• Strong planning, analytical, and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent writing skills, including preparing clear and concise reports, assessments, and correspondence.
• Understanding of Te Tiriti partnership and comfort engaging with tangata whenua.
• A current full New Zealand driver licence.
• Drone pilot experience, 4WD certification and knowledge of mining operations would be advantageous.

He aha ngā pāinga mōu? | What’s in it for you?

DOC places importance on developing a culture where everyone can participate, thrive, and grow. We’re working towards being an organisation that is diverse, equitable and inclusive by default.

You can learn more about what we offer here. We support flexible work arrangements for our kaimahi who are working in a wide variety of roles and locations across Aotearoa. Flexible options will be considered based on your role and in discussion with your leader.

Salary

Salary: $69,429 to $88,181 with the starting salary of the successful applicant being based on their relevant skills and experience.

Eligibility

Eligibility: to work in New Zealand is mandatory – this includes holding a valid work visa that covers the whole period of employment.

Applications close

Applications close at 11:59 pm on Monday 2 November 2026. Depending on the volume of applications received, we may close this advertisement early, so please submit your application as soon as possible.

Further enquiries

For further enquiries, please contact Celine Stokowski, Principal Ranger Community and Regional Biodiversity, [e-mail].

Our vision

The Department of Conservation, Te Papa Atawhai (DOC) serves to protect and restore nature across Aotearoa. When nature thrives, we all thrive. Ko tā Te Papa Atawhai he tiaki, he whakarauora anō hoki i te taiao puta noa i Aotearoa. He oranga taiao, he oranga tangata. Our people bring this vision to life. Spread across Aotearoa, they care for our land, water, and native species. From frontline rangers and technical experts to vital support teams - we have a diverse range of roles. Read more about DOC