Transport Jobs
Drive some of the best alpine buses on some of the most scenic roads in NZ! We have an awesome team that will help you improve your career in driving while having a great time.
We offer a unique working environment with pay in line with the wider transport industry. The Transport Department was set up with one goal in mind, happy guests. Since 2008, we've heavily invested in custom-built vehicles for our alpine locations with ongoing yearly fleet replenishment. We are one of the larger departments in the business and in a normal year, we employ around 60 staff including drivers, team leaders, administration and various other support staff.
Bus Drivers
Our bus drivers transport our guests from Queenstown to the mountains as well as for the ski field staff. On any day you may be driving to Coronet Peak or Remarkables, but wherever you go, we expect you to warmly greet and safely transport our guests and staff, provide current road, weather & snow conditions, answer any queries, help with ski gear and provide honest service level updates whilst maintaining a high standard of presentation of yourself and your vehicle.
Shuttle Drivers
Our Shuttle Drivers are responsible for transporting our ski field guests from the car parks to the base area and back again at the end of the day. Shuttle Drivers also service the iconic Homeward run if based at The Remarkables. On any day you may be driving to Coronet Peak or Remarkables, but wherever you go, we expect you to warmly greet and safely transport our guests, provide up to date weather, lift & snow conditions, answer any queries, help with ski gear, inform guests of where they are parked and provide honest service level updates whilst maintaining a high standard of presentation of yourself and your vehicle.
Dispatchers
Our Dispatchers keep us moving by directing our day to day transport operations from Queenstown to the mountains. On any day you may be overseeing Coronet Peak or Remarkables, but wherever you go, we expect you to warmly greet our guests and staff, coordinate bus movements to and from the ski fields safely, be mindful of our resources, adhere to any agreed service levels, manage any queues, respond to weather and road conditions, answer any queries, help with ticket validation and provide honest service level updates whilst maintaining a high standard of presentation.
Transport Assistants
Transport Assistants play a varied, supportive and crucial role within the team. Their role is split into three primary tasks: assisting drivers with chain fitting, hosting and custodial. On any day you may be assisting with chain fitting in the morning, queue management in the afternoon and helping our drivers with cleaning vehicles in the evening. Wherever you go, we expect you to warmly greet our guests and staff, be mindful of our resources, keep it safe, manage any queues, answer any queries, help with ticket validation and provide honest service level updates whilst maintaining a high standard of presentation.
What We Look for in Our Team
Dispatchers
Experience in this role is not essential as full training will be given. We are looking for people who are:
- Welcoming and engaging and are able to communicate effectively
- Ability to balance a large amount of information at a time and be good with numbers
- Able to think decisively on your feet while remain calm under pressure
- Work well within a large team and confident speaking to crowds of people
We offer you a work environment like no other, a welcoming team, ongoing training, competitive remuneration and of course a ski pass to enjoy all our mountains!
Bus Drivers
Experience in this role is not essential as full training will be given. We are looking for are people who have:
- At least NZ Class 2 Drivers License and a Passenger endorsement.
- Ability to follow instructions and adhere to processes.
- An awareness of the BCA Alpine Code of Practice.
We offer you a work environment like no other, a welcoming team, a purpose-built and well-maintained fleet, ongoing training, help with gaining licencing, competitive remuneration and of course a ski pass to enjoy all our mountains!
Shuttle Drivers
Experience in this role is not essential as full training will be given. In Shuttle Driver roles, we are looking for are people who have:
- At least NZ Class 1 Drivers License and a Passenger endorsement (Or willingness to apply for one. We may be able to assist with this as part of our Rookie program).
- Ability to follow instructions and adhere to processes.
- An awareness of the BCA Alpine Code of Practice.
We offer you a work environment like no other, a welcoming team, a purpose built and well-maintained fleet, ongoing training, help with gaining licencing to move into our larger vehicles as part of your career progression, competitive remuneration and of course a ski pass to enjoy all our mountains!
Transport Assistants
Experience in this role is not essential as full training will be given. We are looking for Transport Assistants who are:
- Welcoming and engaging and are able to communicate effectively.
- Ability to follow instructions and adhere to processes.
- Work well within a large team and confident speaking to crowds of people.
- Physically fit, this role requires some heavy lifting and long hours on your feet.
We offer you a work environment like no other, a welcoming team, a split shift so you can ski or ride every day, competitive remuneration and of course a ski pass to enjoy all our mountains!
Our Team Values
Express Service
This is a very economical service that runs regularly to Coronet Peak and The Remarkables from the Snow Centre in central Queenstown (Duke St), as well as stops along the way. Approximately 100,000 passengers travel to the ski fields on this service each season.
Staff Transport
Arguably our most important run of each day, the first few buses of the day are allocated just for staff, others will be transported part of our Service from the Station.
Car Park Shuttles
As the car parks at both ski areas are very large and spread out, we offer a complimentary service for the guests and their equipment to and from each car park to the base buildings.
Homeward Shuttles
Two of The Remarkables’ most popular and iconic runs are “Homeward” and “Outward”, which run from the top of Shadow Basin and finish about a kilometre below the base area. The service runs from 10.00 till 3.30 pm each day, weather and conditions permitting. Once the guests have skied or ridden down to the pick-up point, they are delivered by us back to the base area. The Homeward shuttle is run in conjunction with the Remarkables Carpark shuttle.
Freight
We are also responsible for running everything else that a ski area might need, mainly daily stock for Food & Beverage, Rentals, Retail and the generated recycling and waste but the odd event requires challenging deliveries.
Transport FAQS
I’ve got the equivalent license in another country, can I apply?
All of our commercial driving jobs require a Full New Zealand Licence of the appropriate vehicle class and endorsement. As a minimum, our smallest passenger vehicle requires a Class 1 license, equivalent to a car licence in most countries with a Passenger Endorsement, however a Class 2 license, two axles over 3500 kilograms known as Medium Rigid Vehicle in Australia or Category C in the UK, is recommended to enable more vehicles to be driven. You may be eligible to convert your overseas license to a New Zealand license; please see below for more information. Please note that you need at least two years of driving experience on a full equivalent car licence to apply for a Passenger Endorsement.
I don’t have any commercial licensing at the moment, are there any options for me?
Our team is also recruiting for Dispatchers, Administrators, Transport Assistants and Rookie Driver Positions. If you would like further information on these roles please visit the links above for more information, contact us directly or check out our General Recruiting page to work with one of our other teams.
How to Convert an Overseas License
Some countries require similar driving skills and have similar licensing systems to New Zealand’s. These countries are considered exempt countries and, in most cases, converting your licence is an administrative task:
Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom & United States of America
If your licence is not from one of the countries listed above, then you must pass a New Zealand theory test and a practical driving test to convert your licence, more details in the link below.
How Can I Apply for a Passenger Endorsement?
You must have held a current New Zealand full car licence (class 1) for at least two years to get a P endorsement. Holding an equivalent overseas licence doesn’t meet this requirement, but you may be able to apply for an exemption to get your overseas driving experience recognised. Waka Kotahi/NZTA will check to see if you’re a fit and proper person, this will check on things like transport-related offences, criminal convictions, and past complaints about you. Serious criminal convictions may prevent you from ever receiving a passenger endorsement. You don’t need to provide evidence of your immigration status to Waka Kotahi/NZTA, however you will need to provide a medical certificate, to prove you are in good health. This will include an Eye test to confirm your vision.
What would my expected hours be?
This varies from day to day, but most of our drivers begin their shifts around 6.30am. The actual start time would be communicated to you the day before. Our finish times are not scheduled and vary depending on the days business levels and other operational factors; however, the majority of our drivers typically finish between 5.30pm and 6.30pm each day.
I haven’t done any alpine specific driving, should I apply?
Yes! The more experience driving in alpine conditions the better, however we provide comprehensive training and assessment to all our drivers. What we look for in you is excellent customer service, good communication and a commitment to health & safety not only for you, but your guests and colleagues also.
What types of vehicles would I be expected to drive?
Our bus fleet stretches from 19-seater shuttles through to 58-seater touring coaches; however, the majority of our fleet is made up of 44 seat four-wheel drive MAN buses custom built for our alpine environment. Specific training and/or assessment is delivered for each of our vehicle types. The expectation is to drive all of these vehicles depending on your license class and once you are trained and signed off. For operational flexibility, we don’t allocate drivers to individual vehicles or vehicle types.
If I’m employed as a bus driver, what else am I expected to do during the day?
Support each other, every team member is expected to help out one another and to undertake tasks that are delegated by our leadership team. This may include, covering carpark shuttle driver breaks, helping to load each other’s buses, checking passes etc.
Do you do drug testing?
Yes. All drivers must undertake a pre-season drug test. We also test randomly throughout the season and post-incident for drugs and alcohol.
Do I get to ski or snowboard?
Yes! You are encouraged to get out and enjoy the slopes as much as possible! Your lunch break will be taken on the ski area each day (pending operational requirements) and you will have a minimum of one hour as a break to use as you wish. In addition to that, depending on business levels, your lunch break may extend into ‘Standby Time’ when you can still ski or ride if you are in touch with Dispatch and are available to return to your bus at short notice. Many first-year drivers can get despondent early on as the July school holidays are our busiest time and you may find it difficult to get out and ride as often as you expected, please do not let this deter you, there is plenty of skiing and riding for all through August, September, and October.
Is there anything else I need to know in advance?
Yes. You will require a smartphone (either iPhone or Android) to perform some aspects of your job. This includes access to team communication, signing on and off shifts and vehicle inspections. Free data is provided in the areas you will be expecting to use your device.