Join Kiwis at Scott Base, they are hiring plenty
Scott Base - Now’s the chance to join the team that supports Antarctic research at Scott Base and in the field for the 2023/24 season.
Antarctica NZ is seeking a team of about 40 people from engineers and mechanics, to cleaners and chefs to keep New Zealand’s research station running in one of the most beautiful yet challenging environments on the planet.
The crew keeps the home fires burning, as well as supporting field camps and the traverse across the Ross Ice Shelf.
Scott Base has been the hub of New Zealand's activities in Antarctica since 1957. By joining the legacy, Kiwis are able to make a hands-on contribution to scientific research informing the response to climate change, Antarctica New Zealand’s chief executive Sarah Williamson says.
“The effects of climate change are here, and the work done in Antarctica has never been more critical. We need good people on the ground who are willing to get stuck in and support our scientists. The Scott Base crew makes a hands-on contribution to that research.”
Antarctica NZ’;s mission is to ensure Antarctica and the Southern Ocean are valued, protected and understood. They support world-leading science and environmental protection of the globally significant continent and surrounding Southern Ocean.
Scott Base is the place to watch history unfold. As well as supporting scientific endeavours, enabling works for the Scott Base Redevelopment are underway on the ice.
Many people have a dream to visit and work in Antarctica, but not many get the chance to live it, Williamson says.
The small team that works at the amazing location needs to work well together, focus on safety, and integrate successfully into a tight, high-functioning community.
The full range of jobs include chef, domestic, medic, base engineers for power and water, carpenter, electrician, mechanic, technical support, traverse and field camp roles, operations scheduler, field support and field training instructors.
The fixed-term roles vary, but most require a commitment from August 2023 to February 2024. For more information about the roles, how to apply and about Scott Base life, see Antarctica New Zealand’s jobs page. Further roles may be added in coming months, and expressions of interest can be made throughout the year.
Lisa was born in Auckland at the start of the 1970s, living in a small campsite community on the North Shore called Browns Bay. She spent a significant part of her life with her grandparents, often hanging out at the beaches. Lisa has many happy memories from those days at Browns Bay beach, where fish were plentiful on the point and the ocean was rich in seaweed. She played in the water for hours, going home totally “sun-kissed.” “An adorable time to grow up,” Lisa tells me.
Lisa enjoyed many sports; she was a keen tennis player and netballer, playing in the top teams for her age right up until the family moved to Wellington. Lisa was fifteen years old, which unfortunately marked the end of her sporting career. Local teams were well established in Wellington, and her attention was drawn elsewhere.