Job Opportunities

Work at Milford Sound Lodge

Live and work in one of the most spectacular places on earth

Here at Milford Sound Lodge, we live and work in one of New Zealand’s most beautiful wilderness locations. But that doesn’t mean we can kick back and take it easy while soaking in the scenery. Operating a large property in a remote wilderness location comes with challenges … and rewards!

What's it like to work at Milford Sound Lodge?

Out here, we rely on the resilience, patience and intelligence of our team to make incredible experiences for our guests. And the reward for all the hard work is having World-Heritage-listed Fiordland National Park as your playground. Here, you can explore incredible hikes like Routeburn and Caples tracks or the challenging Greenstone Track. The opportunities to walk, explore and learn are endless.

Milford Sound Lodge operates 24 chalets, a campervan park (with kitchen and laundry facilities) and the incredible Pio Pio restaurant. Typically, we are fully booked every night from October to May. Our team members appreciate what it means to operate an exceptionally busy lodge in a World Heritage area. We take care of our team and our guests at the same time as taking care of our environment. See our Environmental Journey for our approach to sustainability in Milford Sound.

Milford Sound Lodge offers a great opportunity to live cheaply so you can save hard for your next adventure.

Milford Lodge Staff Members

Are you our next team member?

We operate in an extraordinary part of the world, and we like our team members to be extraordinary as well. For many of our guests, this is their bucket list moment and we want to make it unforgettable and seamless. We look for special people who can put in the extra effort to ensure our guests receive the best service, helpful advice and a good dose of kiwi hospitality while staying with us.

A position at Milford Sound Lodge is a lifestyle rather than a job. We are one big team and we treat each other like family. Our team live on-site, and because we live and work together, we need people who are team players. If you are a happy, positive, relaxed person who has a can-do attitude, then you will fit right in. And if you love the outdoors and have a good knowledge of Fiordland or keen to learn then you’re a perfect match. Part of our role is to help guests experience the very best of Fiordland, and the best way to do that is through first-hand knowledge and insights.

If you have a passion for the outdoors and think you would fit our team, have a read of the information below before checking our current vacancies.

Information about working at Milford Sound Lodge

  • Seasonal Work: The main tourist season at Milford Sound Lodge runs from September to the end of May. We operate year-round, but our staff requirements are reduced between May and October.
  • Live-in with food: All positions at Milford Sound Lodge are “live-in” with accommodation and a staff kitchen that is completely stocked for self-catering. This is provided for you by Milford Sound on site for a heavily subsidised fee.  Milford Sound Lodge offers a great opportunity to live cheaply so you can save hard for your next adventure.
  • Flexible hours: Rosters vary depending on the position, but are designed to offer a good balance for our team to enjoy the surrounding wilderness and its activities, or to escape Milford for a burst of city living.
  • Visa requirements: We only accept applications from overseas applicants if they have a valid transferable work visa.

CURRENT VACANCIES AT MILFORD SOUND LODGE

LODGE CHEF DE PARTIE + LODGE HOSTS

We have 4 positions available for the coming summer season, 2 chef de partie and 2 lodge hosts, these must be in the make up of 2 couples due to our staff accommodation availability!

If this is you please read on....

Amazing opportunity for the right candidates to join the team at Pio Pio, Milford Sounds’ only restaurant located right in the heart of Fiordland National Park.  Pio Pio offers high quality, locally sourced and Kiwi inspired a la carte breakfast, lunch and evening dining. Excellent people and culinary skills are a must to join our dedicated team and ensure our reputation of excellent dining and truly ‘hosting’ our guests is upheld.

WHAT IS PIOPIO?

Named after the Māori name for Milford Sound, Piopiotahi, Pio Pio is Milford Sound Lodge’s onsite restaurant, catering for our lodge guests and locals, approximately 100 diners each evening over the summer months.

WHO ARE OUR PEOPLE?

We welcome guests from all over the world and all walks of life, all here to visit the 8th wonder of the world and tick off a major bucket list destination. Likewise, our team is made up of 25+ motivated and enthusiastic customer service professionals from all over the world, here to truly experience our internationally renowned attraction. Together we look after the Reception (reservations, information service, activity bookings and sales, nature guides) Housekeeping (daily turnover and servicing of 24 guest rooms and facilities) Pio Pio (front of house and chefs running a busy restaurant serving quality breakfast, lunch and dinner). Our current chef team is made up of 5 international professionals with an array of excellent talents and a creative skillset and all passionate about being in this amazing place.

WHO ARE WE LOOKING FOR?

The successful Chef will…

  • Have previous experience
  • Be passionate about food, people, the mountains
  • Have the passion and skills to deliver high quality meals in a remote, fast paced and busy environment
  • Have the skills to think and act quickly, remote locations can lead to testing situations, forward planning and resourcefulness are essential
  • Have outstanding interpersonal skills, professionally working alongside team members and guests
  • Genuinely enjoy teamwork and motivating each other to get the best out of themselves
  • Be bright, energetic, motivated and enthusiastic
  • Be organised, well-structured, a dynamic thinker, responsible, reliable and professional
  • Be excited by remote locations, the mountains, wilderness, the outdoors. Being close to nature will be a big contributor to what makes this role so appealing.

FAQs

  • Candidates must be legal to work in New Zealand (work visa / resident)
  • Hourly rate to be discussed
  • Accommodation, board & food heavily subsidised so you can save for your adventures (accommodated in Milford Sound, onsite at the lodge)
  • 9 days on, 5 days off
  • Fixed term - full-time position

To apply, please send your CV to manager@milfordlodge.com

LODGE HOSTS

Located in Fiordland National Park, surrounded by nature & wilderness the lodge hosts up to 200 guests each night in either our luxury chalets or our rainforest campervan park, we also offer local information about the nature and activities in the area, as well as act as a booking service for local operators. We have an onsite restaurant which offers excellent a la carte dining.

Our Team

Made up of 25+ motivated and enthusiastic customer service professionals who thrive on adventuring, working and socialising together amid the Fiordland Mountains. Come join us if you…

  • Are people focused and passionate about working with people, exceptional customer service skills are priority!
  • Ideally have previous hospitality and tourism experience but for the right people we can offer on-site training and upskilling
  • Are hands-on, self-motivated, see what needs to be done and do it
  • Have an eye for detail
  • Are bright, energetic, motivated and enthusiastic
  • Are organised, well-structured, a dynamic thinker, responsible, reliable and professional
  • Think ‘Green’, Think ‘Nature’
  • Love adventures with likeminded people
  • Thrive in remote environments (and know this from experience)
  • Thrive sharing your home (and lives) with others, communal living can be very exciting

A Lodge Host may include the following roles:

Reception Team

Trusted with our guests First Impressions and for facilitating guest connections with our incredible wilderness environment.

MUST be excellent with PEOPLE

Front of House Professionals

Famous ‘kiwi’ hospitality in our onsite restaurant. From morning to evening service, beautifully presented and deliciously tasty a la carte menus paired with a local wine list and craft beer menu, all served in style with a genuine smile.

MUST know F+B or willing to learn

Housekeepers

Luxury, remote wilderness lodges come with high expectations, excel at ensuring every detail is perfect.

MUST care about the little things

The Details

  • Applicants must legally work in NZ (sponsorships not offered)
  • Accommodated in Milford Sound, onsite at the lodge in a couples private room with shared facilities.  Heavily subsidised accommodation which allows you to save hard for your next adventure.
  • Roster that allows for adventures…. 9 days on, 5 days off
  • Hourly rate and heavily subsidised living expenses
  • Start date late October / early November - end of April minimum commitment 

To apply, please send your CV to manager@milfordlodge.com