Careers
Parks and Reserves Manager
Permanent | 40 hours per week
Champion the parks, reserves and public spaces that make Waimate one of New Zealand's most unique rural districts.
Waimate District Council is seeking a passionate and strategic Parks and Reserves Manager to lead an activity that is highly valued by our community and visitors.
This is an opportunity to make a visible difference every day. From award-winning gardens and well-loved recreational spaces to campgrounds, swimming pool, streetscapes, reserves and community facilities, you'll play a key role in ensuring Waimate continues to be a district we are proud to call home.
Located in the heart of South Canterbury, the Waimate District offers an enviable lifestyle, stunning natural surroundings and a strong sense of community. With its heritage streetscape, rolling countryside, iconic White Horse Monument, Waimate Lakes and genuine rural charm, this is a place where people take pride in and care about the spaces around them. Here, your work will have a real and visible impact on the everyday life of the community.
About the role
Reporting directly to the Asset Group Manager, you'll provide strategic and operational leadership for Council's Parks and Reserves Activity.
While a dedicated Parks Supervisor oversees the day-to-day operational delivery, your focus will be on the bigger picture: planning for the future, managing projects and assets, supporting your team, and ensuring our parks, facilities and recreational spaces continue to meet the needs of our growing community.
This is a genuinely diverse portfolio. You'll help oversee and plan for parks, reserves, gardens, cemeteries, campgrounds, playgrounds, streetscapes, recreational facilities, leases, contracts, asset management, seasonal pool operations and even our much-loved ‘zoo’ (as the staff affectionately call it).
Working closely with the Parks Supervisor and wider team, you’ll provide the leadership, direction and oversight needed to keep these valued community spaces safe, attractive, welcoming and well cared for.
What you'll be doing
- Setting the strategic direction for Waimate's parks, reserves and public spaces.
- Planning and maintaining the places our community relies on, including sports fields, gardens, playgrounds, cemeteries, campgrounds, streetscapes and public facilities.
- Planning ahead for key seasonal operations, including the Waimate Lakes Camping Area and the Norman Kirk Memorial Swimming Pool.
- Turning ideas into projects that enhance the spaces our community loves.
- Managing budgets, contracts, assets, leases, compliance requirements and reporting to Council.
- Supporting strong health and safety practices across the activity.
- Building positive relationships with community groups, stakeholders and residents.
- Helping ensure our parks, facilities and public spaces remain safe, attractive, welcoming and well cared for.
Please refer to the Position Description for the full breakdown of responsibilities.
About you
We are open to candidates from a variety of backgrounds.
You may be an experienced parks, horticulture or reserves professional with a passion for maintaining and enhancing public spaces. Equally, you may be a proven people leader, operations manager, project manager or asset manager looking for an opportunity to apply your skills in a role that makes a genuine difference to a community.
You'll bring
- Strong leadership and people management skills.
- Strategic thinking and the ability to balance long-term planning with operational delivery.
- Experience managing budgets, projects and contracts.
- Excellent communication and relationship management skills.
- An understanding of asset management principles.
- A commitment to health, safety and continuous improvement.
- A relevant qualification in horticulture, parks management, asset management, project management or a related field, or equivalent experience.
Local government experience would be advantageous but is not essential.
Why join us?
Working at Waimate District Council is about more than just a job. It's about being part of a community that takes pride in where it lives and values the people who help make it a great place to call home.
Along with a diverse and rewarding role, we offer birthday leave, professional development opportunities, a supportive team culture, and the chance to enjoy the benefits of South Canterbury living. Whether you're drawn by the lifestyle, the variety of work, or the opportunity to make a real impact, you'll find plenty to love about Waimate.
Click HERE to apply.
Applications close Wednesday 16 September 2026.
Please note: You must have and maintain the legal right to work in New Zealand and hold a full, current driver's licence. This position is subject to satisfactory Police and Credit checks.
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Part-Time Trainee Lifeguards
Make a splash this summer – join the pool team!
The Norman Kirk Memorial Swimming Pool is getting ready for another busy season, and we're looking for enthusiastic people to join our lifeguard team.
We have three part-time Trainee Lifeguard positions and one casual Trainee Lifeguard position available for the 2026/27 season. These roles are suitable for people wanting to train as lifeguards, and we also welcome applications from those who are already trained or qualified.
These positions would suit school students aged 16+ or anyone looking for part-time seasonal work. We are advertising early so successful applicants can begin paid lifeguard training before the pool opens. Applicants will need to be available for the full season which runs from Tuesday 27 October 2026 to Sunday 14 March 2027.
Positions available
2 x Weekend Trainee Lifeguards
- One weekend shift per week (Saturday or Sunday)
- Shifts between 11am and 5:30pm
- Ideal for school students or anyone looking for part-time work
- Once trained, there may be opportunities to pick up extra shifts during the school holidays, before and after school, and on early morning shifts starting at 6am.
1 x Morning Trainee Lifeguard
- 6am to 9am, four days per week
- One six-hour weekend shift each week
1 x Casual Trainee Lifeguard
What you'll be doing
Being a lifeguard is about much more than sitting at the poolside. You'll help:
- Keep pool users safe
- Supervise swimmers and respond to emergencies
- Support children, families and visitors
- Maintain a clean, welcoming facility
- Be part of a team that helps keep our community active and connected
What we're looking for
- Aged 16 years or older
- Confident swimmers willing to learn
- Friendly, reliable and responsible
- Able to stay calm under pressure
- Available for weekend, evening and some early morning shifts
- Able and willing to complete the required training, including First Aid and the Pool Lifeguard Practicing Certificate (PLPC).
- If you already hold a Pool Lifeguard Practicing Certificate or First Aid Certificate, that's a bonus.
Click HERE to view the Position Description.
Keen to Dive In?
Send your CV and cover letter to grace.aikman@waimatedc.govt.nz
Applications close Sunday 13 September 2026.
We encourage early applications and may interview and appoint before the closing date. The successful applicants will be required to undergo a Police Vetting check and must have, and maintain, the legal right to work in New Zealand.
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Equal Employment Opportunities Statement
The Waimate District Council is committed to the principles and practices of Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) as a means of ensuring that its current and potential employees have an equal opportunity to achieve their potential.
The Council therefore strives to implement a purposeful programme of action to ensure its recruitment practices and procedures, conditions of employment and employee training and promotion opportunities are carried out with an awareness of and an intent to eliminate any unfair discrimination on the grounds of race, colour, ethnic or national origin, gender, disability, religion, sexual orientation, age, marital status, family responsibilities or political opinion.
