Rachel Smith
Auckland,New Zealand
Summary
Student Services and Operations Coordinator | Applied Psychology background | Multicultural team leadership
Applied psychology graduate with clinical specialisation, seven years of operational leadership across hospitality and reception management, and student-support experience across secondary education internships. Known for building structure from chaos, leading multicultural teams, and acting as the communication hub between frontline staff, management, and external stakeholders. Currently moving into student services, programme coordination, and community wellbeing roles in Tāmaki Makaurau, drawing on a combined background in applied psychology, pastoral support, and end-to-end operations.
Overview
7
7
years of professional experience
Work History
Retail Assistant
Global Culture
Queenstown, New Zealand
12.2025 - 03.2026
- Delivered customer service across a premium possum and merino retail brand, advising customers on product range and care.
- Operated POS, processed deliveries and returns, supported visual merchandising, restocking, and inventory accuracy.
- Met daily and weekly sales targets and supported peak-period trading.
Housekeeping and Hotel Service Manager
Nomads
Queenstown, New Zealand
05.2024 - 12.2025
- Built end-to-end housekeeping operations from scratch for a large hostel property, leading approximately 35 people including paid housekeepers and volunteers.
- Designed and implemented core operating systems in Excel: rosters, schedules, inventory tracking, supplier ordering, training manuals, and quality-control checklists.
- Acted as the central communication hub between housekeeping, reception, maintenance, and management.
- Improved measurable guest experience outcomes, contributing to stronger review scores.
- Recruited, onboarded, and trained staff and volunteers including health and safety procedures.
Assistant Manager
Hippo Lodge
Queenstown, New Zealand
10.2023 - 12.2023
- Retrained and supervised housekeeping staff and rebuilt cleaning routines.
- Managed OTA payments, front-desk operations, and complaints handling.
- Partnered with owners to plan lodge improvements and gather guest feedback.
Reception Supervisor and Reception Manager (addendum)
Pinewood Lodge
Queenstown, New Zealand
04.2023 - 10.2023
- Trained and supervised reception staff and developed updated training manuals and admin processes.
- Managed OTA payments, bank reconciliations, online reviews, room optimisation, and refunds.
- Used the Newbook property management system across bookings and reporting.
Farm and Agricultural Operations
01.2019 - 01.2023
- Performed grain sampling, weighbridge quality testing, tractor operation, and pesticide application.
- Completed NZ and Australian farm safety induction and obtained chemical handling licence.
- Produced building and property plans and health and safety documentation.
Skills
Communication and stakeholder engagement Multi-stakeholder liaison, cross-cultural communication, conflict de-escalation, written and verbal reporting, parent and whānau communication, professional boundaries
Student and youth support Pastoral support, personal coaching programmes, intelligence-testing administration, care-team participation, behaviour and learning challenge support, intercultural work, support for neurodiverse and ADHD learners
Programme and operations management Rostering, scheduling, deep-clean and inventory planning, multi-team coordination, project planning, continuous improvement, vendor and supplier liaison, OTA platform management
Team leadership, coaching, and training Led teams of up to 35 paid staff and volunteers, designed onboarding and training manuals, supervised performance, ran team meetings, coached and provided feedback, managed difficult conversations including exits
Process design, documentation, and quality control SOPs, checklists, quality assurance, audit-ready records, room and property inspections, health and safety documentation
Applied psychology and research Quantitative research design, SPSS, reliability and validity analysis, Y-OQ-30 outcome measurement, group dynamics, applied behavioural understanding
Data and systems Microsoft Excel (intermediate to advanced), Word, Outlook, SPSS, Muse property management system, Bookingcom, Hostelworld and other OTA platforms, POS systems, banking and reconciliation sheets
Cultural and emotional intelligence Comfortable in multicultural teams across paid staff and volunteers, committed to ongoing learning in te ao Māori, Te Tiriti o Waitangi, and Pasifika models of practice
Languages Dutch (native), English (fluent professional)
Student support and teaching experience
Graduate research intern
Karakter Child and Youth Psychiatry, Netherlands. February 2018 to January 2019. ● Designed and delivered graduate research on the reliability and validity of the Y-OQ- 30 questionnaire as an outcome measure for treatment with children and young people. ● Conducted statistical analysis in SPSS and presented findings. Student support and pastoral intern (expertise point, reporting point, trajectory class)
AOC Oost, Almelo, Netherlands. September 2017 to February 2018. ● Supported high-school students with learning and behavioural challenges through personal coaching programmes.● Administered intelligence tests under supervision and contributed to detention and trajectory-class support. ● Communicated regularly with parents, teachers, and students; participated in care- team meetings; maintained online administration of student records. History teaching intern, secondary education Bonhoeffer College, Enschede. February 2013 to September 2013. ● Taught Higher General Secondary and Gymnasium classes, set and marked assessments, ran reflection sessions, and contributed to inter-teacher progress meetings. Esdal College, Emmen. February 2012 to September 2012. ● Taught junior secondary students, administered tests, and participated in intervision.
Education and research
Bachelor of Applied Psychology, Saxion University of Applied Sciences, Deventer, Netherlands. 2014 to 2018.
● Modules across clinical, neuro, business, and behaviour and technology psychology.
● Specialisation: Clinical Psychology.
● Minor: Intercultural Work.
● Graduate research: Reliability and validity of the Y-OQ-30 questionnaire at Karakter Child and Youth Psychiatry. SPSS used for statistical analysis.
History Teaching programme, Windesheim University, Zwolle. 2012 to 2014. ● Coursework toward secondary school teaching of history.
HAVO Diploma, CSG Het Noordik, Almelo. 2007 to 2012.
Professional Development In Progress
- Mental Health 101 and Youth Mental Health First Aid (planned)
- Te Tiriti
- Waitangi short course (planned)
- Google Project Management Certificate, Coursera (planned)
- Excel intermediate to advanced, LinkedIn Learning (planned)
Certifications, licenses and screening readiness
Chemical Handling Licence (Australia)
Typsy Reception Courses
Available for NZ Police vetting and Children's Worker safety check under the Children's Act 2014.
Willing to undertake provider-specific induction for kaupapa Māori and Pasifika settings.
Training
- Rock and Water — Psycho-physical training in conflict response and protective intervention with students.
- Together to get There — Effective team development.
- In de Put, Uit de Put — Practical skills for working with people in low-mood states.
Education And Research
- Prevention Developer for migrants, Alifa North, Enschede, Netherlands, 2017
- Youth Council member, Jeugdraad Twenterand, Vriezenveen, Netherlands, 2016-2017
- Fossil preparation volunteer, Megafauna Museum, Alice Springs, Australia, 2021
Timeline
Retail Assistant
Global Culture
12.2025 - 03.2026
Housekeeping and Hotel Service Manager
Nomads
05.2024 - 12.2025
Assistant Manager
Hippo Lodge
10.2023 - 12.2023
Reception Supervisor and Reception Manager (addendum)
Pinewood Lodge
04.2023 - 10.2023
Farm and Agricultural Operations
01.2019 - 01.2023