Wildlife Ranger in Taunton

We are Forestry England. We live and breathe forests.

Salary: £34,793 per annum

Contract type: Fixed Term until 31st March 2029 with the possibility of extension or permanency

Hours: 44 hours per week

Vacancy closes: 7th September, 23:58

What you’ll do

You will work as part of the district's wildlife management team, protecting forests and supporting conservation priorities, including mammal management. You will be a champion for our health and safety culture by demonstrating our value of ‘look out and look after’.

Where you’ll work

• Exmoor & Quantocks – Somerset Beat Office, Cockercombe, Nr Taunton, TA5 1HJ
• South Devon & Dartmoor – Bullers Hill Office, Bullers Hill, Kennford, Exeter EX6 7XR
• East Devon – Neroche Forest Office, Staple Fitzpaine, Nr Taunton TA3 5BN
• Herefordshire – Castlemain Depot, Parkend, Nr Lydney GL15 4HH
• Forest of Dean - Castlemain Depot, Parkend, Nr Lydney GL15 4HH

Hours of work: The position is a full-time post to work 44 hours per week. Due to the nature of the Wildlife Ranger role, the hours are worked flexibly according to the season.

Travel: The postholder will be expected to travel to remotely located woods & forests to undertake the role of Wildlife Ranger. A bespoke Forestry England vehicle will be provided for work purposes; therefore, a current driving licence is an essential requirement of the role. The postholder will be part of the Wildlife team led by one of two Wildlife Managers.

Benefits

Alongside your salary, Forestry England contributes an average of 28.97% towards your pension. You will become a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension Scheme. 25 days holiday a year, raising by one day every year’s service, up to 30 days (pro-rated for part-time employees) plus additional days off such as bank holidays. STaR is our employee benefits scheme offering discounts on everyday supermarket shopping, as well as other things such as hotel stays, clothes, mobile phones, other electrical items, medical and car insurance, holidays, gym discounts, household bills, Headspace wellbeing app, free parking at Forestry England sites and free entry to our National Arboretums at Westonbirt and Bedgebury. A commitment to lifelong learning through career development. Forestry England will support your career development in a variety of ways, including continual professional development, support for individual learning plans and sponsored membership of professional bodies.

Interview process

At interview, you will be assessed on your experience and technical knowledge along with behavioural questions. Candidates will be asked to undertake a skills test as part of the interview process; a rifle can be provided if required. The behaviours being assessed at interview are – Making effective decisions, Communicating and Influencing, Working together, Managing a quality service. If candidates pass the interview but are not the leading candidate, they can be placed on a reserve list. We may offer candidates on the reserve list for this role the opportunity to be considered for other roles at the same or lower pay bands. 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.

Nationality requirements

Read more about nationality requirements here.

Working for the Civil Service

Forestry England is part of the Civil Service. The Civil Service has a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS). This means candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria during the application process will be guaranteed an interview. We also offer a Redeployment Interview Scheme to current civil servants who are at risk of redundancy and who meet the minimum requirements for the role. This role is also part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans and Prison Leaver Recruitment initiative. Within Part 7 of the Immigration Act 2016, it is essential that applicants should have the ability to provide conversation in accurate spoken English. Our recruitment process makes appointments based on fair and open competition and merit, as outlined in the Civil Service Commissioners’ Recruitment Principles. If you feel your application has not been treated in line with/according to these principles and you wish to make a complaint, please email: englandhr.services@forestryengland.uk.

Funding and support

This role is funded by DEFRA rather than through Forestry England generated revenue, and is therefore subject to government spending reviews. While DEFRA has indicated long-term support for the Biodiversity Programme and we expect funding to continue, it is possible that funding levels may change at the end of any financial year depending on DEFRA’s budget allocations. In the event of funding changes, we would prioritise retaining staff posts wherever possible. This approach is consistent for roles within publicly funded organisations. We are committed to keeping staff informed and supported through any changes.