Who's game for landing a dream job?

Rob Pitkethley is leaving Eastern Region Fish and Game to take up a new role with the Rotorua District Council. Photo / Stephen Parker

It's a dream job for wildlife enthusiasts, with one of the best office settings in the country.

Now Eastern Region Fish and Game is hunting a new manager, with current boss Rob Pitkethley leaving later this month.

Eastern chairman Murray Ferris is gutted to be losing the popular Pitkethley, who has been snapped up for a new role as sport and recreation manager at the Rotorua District Council.

But he's confident the manager's position, based at the Ngongotaha Hatchery amid fresh water creeks and ponds full of trout, will attract a large pool of quality contenders.

"This is an amazing role for someone with a passion for trout and game and great leadership skills," Mr Ferris said.

"Rob's something of a rarity — most Fish and Game managers last until they're old and wrinkly. We fully understand his decision to move on though, even if we're very sorry to lose him, and it gives someone else a chance to land an amazing job."

A background in biological sciences would also be helpful for the new recruit, he said, with the skills to manage 10 highly experienced staff.

Eastern Fish and Game is one of New Zealand's biggest game regions, encompassing the Western Bay of Plenty, Rotorua and Taupo areas, right out to the East Cape and down through Waikaremoana to Wairoa.

It has one of the largest Fish and Game budgets in the country too, courtesy of revenue from licence sales in the world-class fishing and game-bird habitats.

"We've got a number of challenges facing all Fish and Game councils in the future and we have to make every dollar work hard for our licence holders."

Eastern Fish and Game staff members, meanwhile, have been busy preparing for the new fishing season starting on October 1, undertaking wetland development and taking advocacy and lobbying roles in the resource management area.

Pitkethley even joined them on one last drift-dive down the Tarawera River, conducting trout counts to assess spawning and fish management.