Retail Development Ranger

Overview

Moors Valley Country Park is one of Dorset’s most popular outdoor destinations, offering adventurous play areas, walking and cycling trails, a narrow-gauge steam railway, a Go Ape! high ropes course and a wealth of nature and wellbeing opportunities. We’re looking for an enthusiastic and motivated individual to take on a key role in our Ranger team, managing the park’s thriving Gift Shop and supporting the wider visitor experience.

What’s in it for you

You’ll join a passionate team who care deeply about maintaining and improving this much-loved country park. You’ll enjoy a varied role in a stunning natural setting, where no two days are the same. We’ll provide on-the-job training and support to help you grow your retail, management and customer service skills. You’ll also benefit from Dorset Council’s generous employment package, flexible working culture and opportunities for progression.

What you’ll be doing

You’ll be responsible for the day-to-day management of the Moors Valley Gift Shop — a busy and successful retail area offering over 2,000 product lines from more than 40 suppliers, with around 60,000 sales each year. You’ll coordinate purchasing, manage stock levels and budgets, design displays, and identify new retail opportunities to enhance the shop’s offer. Alongside this, you’ll support other areas of park life, from visitor services and events to helping with general operational duties and emergency procedures.

About you

• has experience in retail purchasing or management, ideally within a busy visitor destination
• provides excellent customer service and enjoys engaging with the public
• is organised, reliable and comfortable managing multiple priorities
• has strong communication and teamwork skills
• is creative and confident in visual merchandising and product presentation
• is willing to work flexibly, including weekends and evenings as part of a rota
• holds enthusiasm for the countryside and outdoor learning

This is a full-time role (37 hours per week) worked across five days, including weekends and evenings on rotation. Uniform and full training will be provided.

Further Information

For an informal confidential discussion about this role, please contact Kerri Downton 01425 470721 or via email; kerri.downton@dorsetcouncil.gov.uk.

About Us

At Dorset Council, we are working together to create a fairer, more prosperous, and more sustainable Dorset for everyone, now and in the future.

We:

• provide essential services that support over 380,000 residents
• work in partnership to make a real difference
• value every role and the impact it has on our communities
• support our employees to grow, develop, and thrive

You will:

• be part of a team that works together for a better Dorset
• have access to a range of benefits and support
• have access to range of training opportunities which will help with your personal development and career progression

We are committed to building a diverse and inclusive organisation where different skills, perspectives, and backgrounds strengthen both our council and the communities we serve.

We welcome applications from everyone and are proud to be a Disability Confident Employer. If you declare a disability and meet the essential criteria for the role, we will offer you an interview. We also want our recruitment process to be accessible. If you need any reasonable adjustments, just let us know on your application.

This role is UK-based, and we will need to confirm your Right to Work as part of the appointment process. We use generic job descriptions and person specifications, so the job title in any attachments may differ from the advert. If needed, we will provide additional details in a context statement.

If you’re passionate about making a difference, we’d love you to join us.

Find out more about how to apply.