Experience Manager - Manapouri & Doubtful Sound

Lead one of New Zealand's most iconic tourism experiences in the heart of Fiordland.

RealNZ is looking for an inspiring and experienced Experience Manager to lead our Doubtful Sound operations. This is a unique opportunity to shape the delivery of one of Aotearoa's most unforgettable visitor experiences, leading exceptional people, driving operational excellence, and creating moments that leave a lasting impression on every guest.

As Experience Manager, you'll have overall responsibility for the delivery of our Manapouri and Doubtful Sound experiences. You'll lead a team of experienced operational leaders, ensuring our people are engaged, our operations run safely and efficiently, and every guest receives the exceptional service RealNZ is known for.

Working closely with teams across the business, you'll continuously look for ways to enhance the guest journey, improve operational performance, and support the long-term success of these iconic experiences. You'll also play an important role in developing future experiences, driving commercial performance, and fostering a culture where our people can thrive.

What You'll Be Doing

• Leading and developing high-performing teams across our Manapouri and Doubtful Sound operations.
• Creating a culture that reflects RealNZ's values and delivers consistently outstanding guest experiences.
• Ensuring safe, compliant, and efficient day-to-day operations across vessels, facilities, and guest touchpoints.
• Partnering with Asset Management to maintain operational readiness of vessels and infrastructure.
• Driving continuous improvement by reviewing guest feedback, identifying opportunities, and implementing enhancements.
• Working closely with culinary, development, sales, and marketing teams to evolve our food & beverage offering and maximise commercial opportunities.
• Managing operational budgets and financial performance while maintaining exceptional guest experiences.
• Championing health, safety, environmental responsibility, and emergency preparedness across the operation.
• Coaching and mentoring leaders to build capability, succession, and a high-performance culture.

What You'll Bring

• 10+ years' leadership experience within tourism, marine, hospitality, or another guest-focused operational environment.
• Proven success leading large, complex operational teams with multiple stakeholders.
• A passion for delivering exceptional guest experiences and creating memorable moments.
• Strong commercial acumen, with experience managing budgets and driving business performance.
• Demonstrated ability to coach, develop, and inspire high-performing teams.
• Excellent communication and relationship-building skills.
• Experience leading health & safety, operational risk, and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Knowledge of Fiordland operations or New Zealand National Park environments will be highly regarded.

What's in it for you?

• Lead one of New Zealand's most iconic tourism experiences and make a genuine impact on the future of the operation.
• Join a business that cares deeply about its people, conservation, and creating unforgettable guest experiences.
• Enjoy incredible staff benefits, including discounted access to RealNZ experiences for you and your friends—from Milford and Doubtful Sound to the Te Anau Glowworm Caves, Walter Peak, and Rakiura.
• Medical insurance cover.
• Ongoing leadership development and opportunities to grow your career within one of New Zealand's leading tourism businesses.

Real People, Real Places, Real Experiences. Welcome To Real.

When's the best time to join the Real whānau? Now's good.

We're the conservation business that's enabled by tourism. We're helping the world, one guest at a time, fall in love with conservation. We're inspiring people to leave the places they visit better than they found them, while delivering Aotearoa's most unforgettable experiences.

Working at RealNZ means your office could be a secluded fiord, a mountain lake, or one of New Zealand's most spectacular natural environments. No two days are the same, and that's exactly how we like it.

At RealNZ, we're committed to Equity, Diversity and Inclusion. Guided by our values of Pono (Keep it real) and He waka eke noa (We're all in this together), we welcome people from all backgrounds and celebrate the unique perspectives that make our team stronger.

How To Apply

Click Apply to be taken to our careers page.

Please note we'll be reviewing applications as they are received and may close the role early if we find the right person.

Job Details

Company RealNZ Reference # 43551 Posted on 02 Jul 2026 Closes on 22 Jul 2026 17:00 Location(s) Doubtful Sound, Manapouri, Te Anau, Wanaka Expertise Administration, Health & Safety, Human Resources, Management - Branch/Supervisory/Coordinator, Manager – Conservation, Management - Senior Executive, Manager - Operations, Personal Assistants, Support, Management/Administration Job level(s) Management, Executive Work type(s) Permanent - Full Time More details (document) PD_Experience Manager - Manapouri & Doubtful July 26.pdf

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