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New Zealand
Stargazing – Guide Full Time
Ever dreamed of working in a National Park with the vast expanse of the Milky Way forming part of your office? Would you love to talk with people about the planets, stars, and galaxies visible in the beautiful skies of the Aoraki Mackenzie International Dark Sky Reserve? If you are an inspiring, energetic, passionate, and outgoing astronomy enthusiast with excellent communication skills, we want to hear from you!
We are searching for a Stargazing Guide/Supervisor to join our operation. Positive, energetic, and upbeat by nature with genuine charisma and a natural ability to lead both small boutique tours and larger groups, this is an excellent opportunity to work in the exciting field of Astro tourism.
Come and join our team of guides who provide informative and entertaining commentary on the spectacular Southern Hemisphere night sky to our guests. Stargazing tour guiding can last up to 4-5 hours per evening, hosting both indoor (planetarium) and outdoor stargazing experiences, with the remaining time on-shift working closely with the Guest Services team.
Examples of common topics we discuss in our tours, and questions asked by our guests include the stars, their formation, fusion, evolution, and fates. The Big Bang, cosmology, and galaxies, planets and moons, constellations and the celestial sphere, Celestial navigational using the Southern Cross (Crux) and other stars, the night sky phenomena such as meteors, auroras, and satellites. And a firm favorite, the Northern vs Southern Hemisphere night sky.
Qualities of an ideal candidate:
- Previous experience as a stargazing or astronomy guide is preferred, and/or other backgrounds in astronomy are desirable.
- Previous experience working with telescopes is preferred.
- Previous experience working in a planetarium (we use SkySkan’s DigitalSky Dark Matter software) is ideal, but not essential.
You have the ability to comfortably articulate complex scientific information in a clear and engaging way to an audience. Using your knowledge and enthusiasm for astronomy and working knowledge of a range of concepts in space science.
You will be an outgoing, confident and collaborative personality who works well with audiences of various sizes and people from all walks of life. You will possess highly effective interpersonal communication skills, a passion for guest experiences. Previous experience working in a retail, front desk or other customer service environment would be useful.
Ideally, you will hold a New Zealand Full Driver License with Passenger endorsement. Class 2 Driver License would be very desirable, but it is not essentially. You are a keen follower of all safety processes in relation to each activity and tour, and have a strong sense of responsibility, commitment, and reliability with the flexibility to work across different experiences and products.
Further information:
- The training required for the role is extensive, so we are ideally looking for applicants available to work for a minimum of 6-12 months. However, we can be flexible depending on previous experience in stargazing.
- Accommodation in Aoraki/Mount Cook Village is at subsidized rents, with Wi-Fi and power included.
- Minimum 60hour per fortnight contract. Pay range is from $28.18 to $32.00
- Free access to all activities offered by the Hermitage Hotel, along with discounts on food and beverage, available from your first day on the job.
- Opportunities to grow, develop and upskill, along with working in other departments to broaden your experience.
- And did we mention, stunning surroundings and unparalleled views living and working in Aoraki/Mt Cook National Park. Explore hiking tracks, mountain ranges and other adventure activities nearby.
