Trip Manager: New Zealand 2025

The role of Trip Manager for Contiki is a demanding yet fulfilling one. Our Trip Managers are responsible for the day-to-day running of trips we operate in New Zealand

The TM role requires a lot - like getting our travellers from city to city, pointing out the best sights and sounds of the unique places we visit, making and confirming bookings/keeping the schedule on track and making sure everyone has a great time along the way. So having said all of that, it’s only natural we look for people with personality and passion, who are fun, friendly, organised and approachable and most of all who enjoy looking after other people.

Applications for 2025 are now closed, but stay tuned for updates on future openings!

We’ve been delivering social travel for 18-35s since 1962 and still have the same passion, spirit of adventure, love of people, along with a drive to connect local cultures, traditions, and nature with our travellers.   

When working for us you're undertaking not only a job but a lifestyle. A lifestyle that involves travelling to some of the most incredible destinations in the world with some of the most diverse and amazing people you'll ever meet.   

As a member of our Team, you will be the face of Contiki, leading our travellers each day and ensuring that they have the holiday of a lifetime! Our travellers have high expectations of us so naturally we have the same high expectations of our Team - only the best will do. We've been at the top of our game for the past 60 years and that's where we intend to stay!

To be a part of our team you'll need to:

• Be passionate about travel and the New Zealand region - you must be willing to learn and have the desire to keep on learning.   

• Be enthusiastic and motivated - we expect you to work hard for our travellers and the brand.   

• Have great time management and organisational skills.  

• Be responsible and professional all whilst having fun.  

• Have the ability to deal with all types of people - our travellers come from all around the globe; they speak many languages and have many different expectations.   

• Enjoy a challenge - our training trip and the job itself will constantly present you with many different and difficult situations.   

• Be positive and have the ability to deal with all situations in a calm and mature manner.   

• Be a problem solver - you will have to assist travellers with lost items, when they have injuries or need to visit a hospital, conflict of personalities, and the list goes on.   

• Work well as part of a team - when you are on your trip you will be working with your local guide, hotels, restaurants, local suppliers and of course one of our Contiki Drivers - you will be a part of a very big picture.

To find out more about what its like to work as a Trip Manager with Contiki, visit our “meet your trip team” page.

You must be a NZ citizen or are a NZ resident and hold a valid work visa. 

Although not required, the following will be of benefit to you in your application for this position:  

• Experience with leading groups.  

• Confidence when speaking in front of a group.  

• Experience with Microsoft Excel.  

• Previous travel in New Zealand.  

• Having previously travelled with Contiki or participated in a group tour of some description.  

• Once we have reviewed your application you will hear from us via email. If we think you may be suitable for a position, we’ll send you a more job specific application form for you to fill out and return.  

• The next stage will be an invitation to participate in one of our group interviews which you may be asked to attend in mid to late March. For this interview you will be asked to prepare a short talk on a subject - we will choose a topic for you to prepare ahead of time with specific guidelines. On the same day as your group interview with your introduction and topic talk, we will invite you to an individual interview; this individual interview will typically take 10-30mins.  

• Following a successful individual interview, you will be offered a position on our 2025 Training Trip to commence in Auckland in May/June 2025.  

• Prior to starting your training trip, you will be issued with an assignment. This assignment will help you begin learning about the New Zealand’s history, geography, politics and current events as well as the Contiki product. All of these aspects of knowledge are vital for becoming a successful Trip Manager. Typically training will be 3 weeks long and cover our Ultimate New Zealand itinerary.  

• You will visit most of our major destinations throughout the New Zealand and along the way learn the skills of Trip Managing – the Contiki way. Our training trips are renowned for being intense and very challenging so the more advance preparation you undertake the better off you will be. Allocation to a trip will not be made until you have successfully completed the full training trip.  

• When you work for Contiki you are joining a global brand; your opportunities to further your expertise stretch from Europe to Australia, Asia, Africa, Latin America, and New Zealand – if you have the right to work there and the interest in tackling a new region, we want you! Given the reputation of our training program, you will always go far in the fields of travel, tourism and beyond.