Community Ranger Shropshire hills

Key responsibilities & accountabilities

In this role, you'll have the opportunity to work with communities in your area, ensuring that everyone is welcome and recreational facilities are well maintained and appropriate for the communities they serve.

Here's a snapshot of your responsibilities:

Be the face of Forestry England: you'll be a visible and welcoming presence for your local communities, working with them to ensure that the nation's forests are welcoming and meet the needs of all users.

Maintain safe and enjoyable sites: carry out regular inspections of car parks, cycle routes, and recreational facilities, including play areas and litter management, so the forests you are responsible for are safe and enjoyable.

Support operational programmes: help deliver projects using internal guidance and district plans to promote sustainable and responsible forestry practices.

Ensure health and safety: Coordinate emergency procedures, provide first aid assistance, complete accident and incident reports, and adhere to health and safety guidelines.

Promote responsible behaviour: deliver appropriate messages about responsible visitor behaviour and professionally manage and resolve potential conflicts.

Collaborate with staff: support your colleagues to manage public access during planning and implementing land management operations.

Manage stakeholder relationships: build strong relationships with external partners, tenants, and concession operators. Collaborate with local agencies, such as the National Park Authority Ranger team, to co-ordinate multi-agency work during peak times and reduce visitor impact and arson risks.

Strengthen community engagement: develop community involvement and recreation opportunities that create meaningful connections between visitors and the nation's forests.

Be inspiring: plan, lead, and safely manage volunteer groups and programmes connecting volunteers and local communities with the nations forests.

And any other tasks, reasonably requested by your line manager.

Skills, knowledge & experience

Essential professional and technical experience

Experience of working in a public-facing role delivering high quality customer service requiring excellent spoken and written communication skills both in person and using a variety of digital platforms.

Willing and able to work outdoors in all weathers and to carry out manual tasks.

Practical experience of planning and delivering public engagement activities.

Excellent team-working skills and can work with dispersed team members.

Practical understanding of health and safety best practices and committed to a positive health and safety culture in an outdoor environment.

Competent IT user with experience in MS Office suite of applications.

Desirable professional and technical experience

Experience working with various social media platforms.

Experience of project and contract management.

Experience in working with volunteers.

Qualifications

Essential

Full UK driving licence

A GCSE in Maths and English or functional skills equivalent.

Desirable

HND or equivalent in land or recreation management, tourism or leisure or similar

Emergency First Aid at work or similar

health and safety qualification.