Accommodation Provided  - Training Provided -  Competitive Salaries and Benefits
 

About Us

Rotoroa Island is an 80 hectare privately owned and run wildlife sanctuary open to the public and is located in the southern Hauraki Gulf. The island is managed by the Rotoroa Island Trust and owned by the Salvation Army. An extensive restoration programme was undertaken in the mid 2000’s when over 350,000 native trees were planted, animal pests eradicated, native species were able to recover and be translocated (e.g. takahē, tieke, Coromandel brown kiwi) and facilities renovated or built to celebrate the Salvation Army history and open the island to the public.

About the Role

Our Visitor Services and Support Ranger is a full-time role. It requires someone physically fit and experienced, a great level of initiative, a high level of organization, self-motivation, adaptablitiy and resourcefulness. It is best suited for a people person who can be a team player. You will support the Island Manager who has overall responsibility for the island and sets work programs, and you will live full-time on Rotoroa Island.
Your primary focus is on 2 key work areas:

1. The provision of Visitor Services (guided walks, accommodation, visitor facility servicing, volunteer program, and event management)
2. Island Administration (e.g. reporting requirements, emails, time sheets, ordering supplies). You will also assist with our  bio-security management system, which keeps us predator-free, and assist with grounds and infrastructure, machinery, and equipment maintenance. 

Rotoroa can be a high-pressure environment where the unexpected occurs on a regular basis. You must be trustworthy, calm under pressure, adaptable, practical and have a strong commitment to health and safety. 

This is a hands-on role, and you will be expected to balance the above key work areas with operational and administrative tasks and be able to work efficiently alone but also with other people, including staff, contractors and volunteers. You need strong initiative to be able to  anticipate and see work that needs doing and assist with its completion, whether it be mowing, cleaning a house or doing end-of-the-month reporting. You must be a people person as you will spend a considerable amount of time with our visitors.

Duties and Responsibilities

Accommodation and Visitor Facility Servicing 

• You will be responsible for the servicing of our 4 accommodation houses to set standards  which includes regular cleaning (including seasonal deep cleaning), a turnaround of  accommodation within a 24-hour period of departure of guests from each house, and  maintenance of the gardens and lawns around each house.  
• Servicing also includes laundry which is done on the island and the resupply of any item  that is supplied in the accommodation.  
• Daily cleaning of public facilities such as toilets, changing rooms and the visitor centre
• You will also assist the Island Manager with track, road, grounds and other facilities  maintenance 
   

Visitor and Event Support 

• Our visitors are our best brand ambassadors. The Visitor Services Ranger is our key visitor  liaison person and must be a people person who makes every visitor feel welcome. We  expect every person you meet on the island to be greeted warmly. This applies equally to  those who come by ferry or other means of public transport to our increasing boatie  visitors.  
• Island staff meet every ferry and commercial boat that comes to the island and give  visitors a welcome and safety talk. You will organise and train other personnel to assist  with this task
• The Rotoroa Island Trust is growing events on the island to attract more visitors. The  Ranger Visitor Services and Support will be responsible for liaising with prospective  groups which range from corporate days to self-catered weddings to snorkel days and other days run by specialist groups. This work would be guided by the Trust Marketing and  Operations Managers. Experience and/or an interest in running and organising events  would be useful.  

Guided Walks and Kiosk 

• We offer guided walks and run a kiosk for our visitors. These two services provide valuable  income, enhance visitor experience and are supported by our regular volunteers. You will  be responsible for these two work areas and will be expected to manage a roster of  people to do the work as well as participate in taking walks and staffing the kiosk.
• Kiosk work also requires keeping financial records and replenishing products, so they  don’t run out. In these roles you are the face of the Trust to the public and it is essential  that you are a good communicator and a people person. 

Volunteer programme management 

• Volunteers are an essential and growing part of the Rotoroa experience. Our volunteer  programme has regular volunteers who come more frequently and corporate volunteers  who tend to come once a year.  
• You will respond to applications from new volunteers in a timely manner as well as  induct, train and work with the Island Manager to set work for new and existing volunteers  suited to their skill level and time on island each time they visit. 
• Our volunteers are a great bunch, and the right person will enjoy working with them.

Island Administration

• You will be expected to coordinate and undertake administrative and reporting tasks to  ensure the efficient running of the island. This will include recording daily visitor &  volunteer numbers, ordering supplies, timesheets, emails, financial reporting and monthly record summaries. 
• You will also draft the monthly staff roster and need to be proficient with systems such  as Excel and Word.
• You need to have a basic understanding of financial procedures to manage landing fees  from boats and guided walk fees as well as receipts from items that are purchased as  part of running the island which may vary from stationery, supplies for the kiosk and holiday homes. 

Biosecurity

• Rotoroa Island is predator free. We maintain our predator free state with a network of  traps and tracking tunnels that are checked monthly and more often when an incursion (a rat or other pest ashore) is detected. Network records are maintained using Trap.NZ
• You will assist the Island Manager in this work which includes incursion response,  monthly checks, maintenance and replacement of devices, so they are always  maintained to a high standard of operational readiness. Methodical and timely work  habits are an essential requirement for this role.

Reporting Lines and Training

 The Visitor Services Ranger reports to the Island Manager who sets the annual work  programme. This role will not have any staff reports but will have regular opportunities to  lead groups of volunteers as well as looking after the island when the island manager has  days off.  

• Initial training will be undertaken by the Island Manager and RIT management team. 
• An island operations manual provides the detail around most tasks undertaken on the  island. 
• The Visitor Services Ranger will be expected to have a current driver’s licence and first aid  certificate.  
• Other external training required, such as food handlers, Grosafe (weed control) will be  undertaken soon after the handover has been completed. 

Application Instructions

Please ensure you read the job description and send a CV and a short letter to [email protected] detailing how you meet our requirements, including relevant experience by 4pm 17th October 2025. Preference will be given to applicants who are able to start by mid-November 2025.

To be eligible for this position you must currently reside in NZ and have a legal right to work permanently in this country.