Recreation Ranger

What you’ll do…

As a Recreation Ranger, you will play a key role in delivering an outstanding visitor experience at Haldon Forest Park. Working both independently and alongside the wider Visitor Services team, you will help ensure the site remains safe, welcoming and well maintained. Responsibilities include inspecting and maintaining facilities, building effective relationships with site partners, monitoring service delivery contracts, and supervising staff, contractors and volunteers. This role involves regular weekend and public holiday working to support the visitor offer.

Please see the job description below for more information and details about what we need from you.

Where you’ll work…

Haldon Forest Park, Kennford, Near Exeter, EX6 7XR

Key responsibilities & accountabilities

Provide a built estate that is fit for purpose for all users

• Carry out facility and trail inspections and ensure that defects are properly recorded and rectified in a timely manner.
• Carry out maintenance tasks and engage with contractors where necessary.
• Liaise with and support the local Civil Engineer, Buildings Surveyor and Estates Team to aid timely delivery of scheduled works and address any reactive works required.
• Work with the forestry team to ensure that forest operations are carried out safely with minimum disruption to our visitor experience.

Embed a safety-first culture in our teams

• Input incidents and accidents into Work Wallet, collating all relevant information. Such live incidents (lost children, cycle accidents, antisocial behaviour...) will be dealt with professionally and efficiently.
• Ensure personal safety by using Peoplesafe (lone working system) and by carrying out PPE and safety checks, in compliance with policy guidance.
• Use and review risk assessments to ensure safe working practices and safe provision of facilities
• Ensure vehicles, machinery and equipment is properly maintained and service records kept

Increase our capacity and effectiveness through partnership working

• Build good relationships and provide a point of contact for nominated third party businesses that operate on-site by carrying out regular formal KPI and site partner meetings
• Liaise with ticket machine companies to ensure the smooth running of our car parking facilities
• Support Events and Permission holders to increase and improve the recreational offer

Increase our value for money, and maximise opportunities to increase income

• Procure goods and services in line with Forestry England guidance.
• Supervise nominated service contracts, undertaking monthly monitoring
• Help lead in the planning and delivery of business plan objectives within the allocated financial year, with a particular focus on cycling.
• Promote sites and activities in conjunction with the marketing and communications team

Provide everyone with a clear purpose and equip them to do their jobs

• Supervise volunteers, taking responsibility for work parties and potentially looking for opportunities to increase the volunteer offer.
• A Recreation Ranger may be asked to act as supervisor or to support to a Visitor Services Officer (VSO), Recreation Craftsperson, or equivalent officer.
• Oversee management of the visitor welcome, ensuring adequate staffing (VSO or volunteers) during peak periods
• Contribute to regular ranger team meeting to share information and best practise.

The key work areas detailed are the typical duties expected of the role but are not an exhaustive list. And any other tasks, reasonably requested by your line manager.

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours.

How to apply…

We cannot accept applications via email. Please follow the steps outlined below. Any CVs and/or personal statements sent outside the system will not be considered for shortlisting.

You will be asked to write a 200 word statement on your relevant experience and career history, along with a personal statement of no more than 500 words. You will be assessed on both during sifting. More details about how to apply are listed on the application form.

The Behaviours being assessed at interview are –

• Seeing the Big Picture
• Making Effective Decisions
• Managing a Quality Service
• Communicating and Influencing

You may also be assessed on Experience and Strength based questions at the interview.

Successful candidates will undergo a criminal record check and the government baseline personnel security standard check.

If you require any reasonable adjustments, please email fcrecruitmentteam@forestryengland.uk.

If you're planning to use AI to support your application, please ensure you've read our guidelines here first.

Read more about our application process and working with us on the Forestry England website.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.