Billie-Rae Russell
Aoraki Mount Cook,CAN
Summary
Offering a diverse skill set cultivated in hospitality, customer service, and outdoor recreation. Experienced in management roles with great ability in both back-office administration and hands-on fieldwork. Can demonstrate practical problem-solving abilities and adaptability in fast-paced environments and thrive both in team settings and when working autonomously.
Overview
12
12
years of professional experience
Work History
Park Ranger
Department Of Conservation
11.2022 - Current
- Maintain all park infrastructure, including tracks, toilets, huts, signs, and fences.
- Oversee Front Country Facilities Maintenance, accommodating up to 2,000 visitors daily.
- Conduct maintenance of Backcountry and Alpine Hut infrastructure to ensure safety and usability.
- Ensure overall park compliance with regulations and standards.
- Manage vegetation control using a variety of powered and hand tools.
- Perform weed spraying to control invasive species and maintain park health.
- Support emergency response efforts as part of the incident management team, ensuring swift and effective action during crises.
- Train and mentor new park rangers and team members, providing comprehensive instruction on operations and policies while offering ongoing support.
- Working with helicopters for slinging loads into and out of high alpine work sites, facilitating the transport of materials and equipment.
Dog Sled Tour Guide
Winterdance Dog Sled Tours
11.2021 - 04.2022
- Manage daily feeding, health checks, and overall well-being of 150 Huskies.
- Lead and facilitate engaging sled tours, ensuring a memorable experience for guests.
- Instruct customers on safety protocols and sled operation for a safe adventure.
- Ensure trails are well-maintained and groomed for optimal tour conditions.
- Efficiently set up and close down the tour site, including handling equipment.
- Perform general maintenance and labor to keep the operations site in excellent condition.
Grounds and Husky Manager
Arctic Chalet Resort and Adventure Tours
09.2020 - 09.2021
- Provide daily care and management for 33 Huskies, including feeding, health monitoring, and exercise six days a week.
- Lead and supervise dog sled tours, ensuring safety and delivering a memorable experience for guests.
- Brief customers on safety protocols and instruct them on sled operation.
- Regularly groom and maintain trail systems for safe and enjoyable sledding conditions.
- Assist with office operations and backend business activities for smooth daily functioning.
- Oversee staff duties, provide guidance, and report to the owner on performance and operational needs.
- Perform housekeeping tasks to maintain cleanliness and order in the 9 bookable chalets on-site.
- Carry out general labor and maintenance tasks to support overall site functionality.
- Assist in planning and executing building projects to aid in site development and improvements.
Administrative Assistant
Pain Specialists Australia
07.2019 - 02.2020
- Delivering friendly and helpful assistance to all customers and ensuring they are comfortable and happy.
- Maintained the diary of up to 12 medical professionals to make sure time was utilised effectively.
- Provided supportive and sincere help, advice and care for our patients that are struggling with pain in their life.
- Answered phones and responded to emails promptly.
- Maintained confidentiality of sensitive information by adhering to strict privacy policies and implementing secure filing systems.
Clinic Support Officer
National Hearing Care
05.2018 - 06.2019
- Deliver exceptional service by listening to customer concerns and answering questions.
- Provide Audiologists with clinical support, including fixing hearing aids, performing hearing tests, and handling general admin duties.
- Promote local area marketing to grow the clinic's patient database by reaching out to local pharmacies and medical practices.
Cafe Manager and All Rounder
Bond Street Kitchen
09.2016 - 04.2018
- Opening and closing of the shop and all money handling and reconciling
- Interviewing, hiring and training of all new staff
- Ensuring all procedures were met to the highest standard and everyone was performing their daily duties effectively and competently
- Ordering and maintaining stock levels and dealing directly with suppliers
Cafe Worker
Druids Cafe
06.2015 - 04.2016
- Acted as the first point of contact for customers, ensuring their needs were met and they were satisfied with their purchases.
- Ran the sandwich bar through busy lunch periods.
- Processed orders and managed cash transactions efficiently.
- Provided support across all areas of the café as needed.
- Handled opening and closing duties, including money management and reconciliation.
- Delivered food to tables and cleared them promptly.
- Assisted the Barista with coffee preparation.
Deli Manager and Specialist
Mercato LTD
08.2014 - 05.2015
- Oversaw the opening and closing of the shop, including all cash handling responsibilities.
- Provided exceptional service at the deli, ensuring all stock levels were maintained and all aspects of the deli were managed effectively.
- Handled stock ordering and liaised with suppliers.
- Performed weekly stock takes to minimize waste and achieve KPIs.
- Delivered high-quality sales and customer service.
- Supported the café kitchen with food preparation as needed.
Commis Chef
Edesia Restaurant
07.2012 - 07.2014
- Enhanced culinary skills by assisting in the preparation of various dishes under the guidance of experienced chefs.
- Contributed to a well-organized and efficient kitchen by maintaining clean workstations and following sanitation guidelines.
- Spent 1.5 years as the entree and dessert chef.
- 6 months spent as the breakfast and lunch chef.
- Streamlined food preparation processes with proper mise en place, reducing waste and optimizing kitchen efficiency.
- Worked functions for up to 100 guests with set menus.
Education
Certificate - Basic Construction Skills
BCITO
Aoraki Mount Cook02.2024
Certificate (Level 4) - Conservation (Operations)
NMIT
Nelson, NZ06.2023
NCEA Level 1,2 and 3 - High School
Ashburton College
Ashburton, Canterbury01.2010
Skills
- Grounds Maintenance
- Basic Chainsaw Felling Cert
- Incident Management
- Working at heights Cert
- Scaffolding Cert
- Grow-safe Cert
- Outdoor Recreation Management
- Small Team Management
- Physical Fitness
- Trail maintenance
- Backcountry travel
- Rural Firefighting
Volunteer Experience
- Teaching English as a Foreign Language in Venezuela for 7 weeks
- Volunteered in the state election in Melbourne
- Volunteer for Abel Tasman Birdsong trust for trap lines and tree planting
- Volunteer for Forest and Bird for tree planting and flood clean up
References
- Robert Stewart, Supervisor Department of Conservation - 027 214 2043 - rostewart@doc.govt.nz
- Judi Falsnes, Owner/Operator Arctic Chalet - +1 867 678 5822 - judi@arcticchalet.com
- Claudia Margach, Manager at Pain Specialists Australia - +61 402 787 677 - c.margach@painspecialistsaustralia.com.au
Timeline
Park Ranger
Department Of Conservation
11.2022 - Current
Dog Sled Tour Guide
Winterdance Dog Sled Tours
11.2021 - 04.2022
Grounds and Husky Manager
Arctic Chalet Resort and Adventure Tours
09.2020 - 09.2021
Administrative Assistant
Pain Specialists Australia
07.2019 - 02.2020
Clinic Support Officer
National Hearing Care
05.2018 - 06.2019
Cafe Manager and All Rounder
Bond Street Kitchen
09.2016 - 04.2018
Cafe Worker
Druids Cafe
06.2015 - 04.2016
Deli Manager and Specialist
Mercato LTD
08.2014 - 05.2015
Commis Chef
Edesia Restaurant
07.2012 - 07.2014
Certificate - Basic Construction Skills
BCITO
Certificate (Level 4) - Conservation (Operations)
NMIT
NCEA Level 1,2 and 3 - High School
Ashburton College
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