Ranger/Project Lead Community (Fixed term)

• Join a collaborative and supportive, high-performing District team.

• Lead meaningful community engagement initiatives that help protect Aotearoa New Zealand’s unique conservation values

• Partner with iwi, communities, and key stakeholders to deliver positive conservation outcomes

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

• Full time, fixed term opportunity through to June 2027 | based in either Auckland CBD or Warkworth

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

Mō te tūranga | About the role

As a Ranger/Project Lead Community, you’ll be part of the Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland Mainland Operations Team, working collaboratively with colleagues across district and national teams to ensure our community-led conservation and advocacy work is connected, consistent, and impactful.

You’ll play a critical role in a small team of community rangers to lead the planning and delivery of community conservation initiatives. With a wide variety in your tasks, you will collaborate with all workstreams of this District as well as technical experts, ensuring that essential engagement and advocacy planning, delivery and reviews are completed.

Key areas of focus for this role include:

• Community Conservation – manage key relationships with community groups working or wanting to work on public conservation land and supporting them to achieve success

• Advocacy and Outreach – planning and delivering campaigns that keep Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland’s natural environment at the forefront of Aucklanders’ minds and increase their connection to conservation, including digital and in-person outreach on key issues

• Support for the implementation of community-focussed wider national work programmes initiatives such as Tiakina Kauri and Predator Free 2050

• Collaborating and strengthening relationships with other key external stakeholders as required, including Treaty partners, businesses and institutions

You will have a mentor role for colleagues and will support capability building across the team. You will also represent DOC in cross-agency and community engagement initiatives.

Ngā pūkenga me ngā wheako | Skills and experience

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

• Significant practical community engagement experience and expertise.

• Strong interpersonal skills, able to establish and maintain effective working relationships to deliver successful outcomes

• Experience planning and delivering medium complexity projects on time and to budget.

• Analytical and critical thinking skills, with clear and concise writing ability.

• Strong business writing and public informational writing skills.

• A broad understanding of conservation management principles and how they contribute to a thriving Aotearoa New Zealand.

• Well-developed sense of cultural awareness, particularly in te ao Māori.

• A tertiary qualification (or equivalent experience) in conservation, project management or a related area.

• A current full New Zealand driver licence.

If you have the passion and capability to lead community engagement work and support community conservation outcomes — even if you don’t meet every requirement — we’d love to hear from you.

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.

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.

Tonoa inaiānei | Apply now

Apply online with a CV and cover letter that highlights your relevant skills, experience and motivation for joining Te Papa Atawhai. Please note, due to the high volume of applications, we are unable to accept direct or emailed applications and provide feedback to those not shortlisted.

If you require any accommodations or adjustments during the recruitment process, please let us know.

The salary range for this position is $69,429 to $88,181 with the starting salary of the successful applicant being based on their relevant skills and experience.

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

Due to high volumes, we are not engaging with recruitment agencies for this role.

Rā whakakapi | Applications close at 11.59pm Sunday 7th June 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 pātai anō, whakapā mai | For further enquiries , please contact Laura Chartres, Principal Ranger Community at lchartres@doc.govt.nz