Senior Ranger

Senior Ranger (AO5) - Asset Maintenance & Heavy Plant Coordination
Location: Northern Region (Cairns-based or as negotiated)
Focus Area: Asset Maintenance, Heavy Plant Management & Project Coordination
Keep Queensland's National Parks Functioning and Flourishing

Our parks are world-renowned for their beauty, but their success relies on robust infrastructure behind the scenes. We're seeking a driven and capable Senior Ranger (AO5) to lead regional maintenance and asset management across the Northern Region. Based in Cairns (or negotiated), you'll ensure walking tracks, water systems, facilities, and heavy plant machinery are operating safely and efficiently.

This is a hybrid role, part field, part coordination, where you'll combine project delivery, contractor oversight, and digital systems to support park accessibility, safety, and conservation.

Travel across multiple protected areas is required.

In this key role, you will:
- Coordinate the delivery of planned and reactive asset maintenance works across the region
- Lead the Heavy Plant Unit, overseeing scheduling, servicing, and deployment to support field teams
- Manage budgets and provide reporting for transparency and value-for-money outcomes
- Lead procurement and contract management for complex projects, working with contractors, engineers, and trades
- Ensure works meet safety, environmental, and heritage standards through robust oversight
- Train and support staff in using asset databases, mobile tools, and field systems
- Maintain accurate records in line with DESI policies and systems such as QPAMS, SAP, and GIS
- Support long-term maintenance planning, drawing from field knowledge to inform future priorities

What You'll Love About This Role:
- Purpose-driven work - Help maintain the infrastructure that makes parks safe, resilient, and accessible
- Diverse responsibilities - Shift between field inspections, strategic planning, and system reporting
- Regional impact - Influence conservation outcomes across iconic landscapes from the Wet Tropics to Cape York
- Stakeholder engagement - Collaborate with Traditional Owners, contractors, engineers, and local rangers
- Professional development - Build career-shaping skills in asset systems, procurement, and project delivery
- Leadership with autonomy - Manage your own projects and help foster a strong maintenance culture

Who We're Looking For:
You're a hands-on, detail-oriented professional who's just as confident in steel capped boots as you are planning budgets or updating databases. You understand the importance of good infrastructure in protecting world-class environments.

You'll bring:
- Experience in construction, project, or asset management, especially in public, environmental, or rural settings
- Solid understanding of procurement and contractor management practices
- Technical confidence with platforms like QPAMS, SAP, GIS, or equivalent systems
- Excellent communication skills and an ability to engage with varied stakeholders
- A strong commitment to safety, environmental responsibility, and quality outcomes

This is a chance to lead from the ground up, bringing together people, tools, and timelines to support Queensland's protected areas. If you're ready for a meaningful role where every project helps protect the places Queenslanders love, we want to hear from you.

Applications to remain current for 12 months. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Australia License.