Ranger in Manchester

About The Role

Working Hours: 35 Hours Per Week (will include weekend and evening working)

Contract Type: Full-Time, Permanent

Additional Payments: Casual Car Allowance and 6.7% Flexibility Payment

Closing Date: 11 February 2026

Closing time: 11.59pm

Interview Method: Face to Face

This role is subject to - 2 References - where possible we require 3 years' history.

Casual Car Documentation: The successful candidate will be a designated Casual Car User which means that car journeys may be necessary on an occasional basis, but are not essential to the role. If you do drive, you must always hold a full valid driving licence and provide your own car for use at work, as well as provide all the appropriate documentation. You will receive an allowance per mile of business use.

Driving Licence: The successful candidate should hold a full clean driving licence as you will be required to drive a vehicle adhering to council regulations.

DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) clearance: this post is covered by the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (amended in 2013). Appointable candidates will be required to apply for a Standard/ an Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check. Information provided by you or the DBS will be dealt with in a confidential manner and in accordance with the DBS Code of Practice.

Love connecting with people and making a real difference. Join us as a Park Ranger and help shape the future of Manchester’s parks and green spaces! Engagement is at the very heart of this role — you’ll build strong, meaningful relationships with local communities, Friends of the Parks groups, Elected Members, and colleagues across the council. As the primary point of contact, you’ll ensure stakeholders' voices are heard and their ideas help to shape how our parks evolve.

Why this role matters: This role truly matters because our parks are more than green spaces—they’re vital community hubs that bring people together, support wellbeing, and celebrate nature. By leading community events, developing Park Plans, and activating spaces with exciting initiatives, you’ll create places that inspire pride and belonging. If you’re passionate about people, partnerships, and making a lasting impact, this is your chance to be at the heart of something special.

Responsibilities:

• The Park Ranger role is centred on fostering strong relationships with key stakeholders, including Friends of the Parks groups, Park Users, MCC colleagues, and Elected Members.
• They serve as the primary point of contact, ensuring stakeholder enquiries are addressed promptly and effectively.
• The Park Ranger actively participates in stakeholder meetings, such as Friends of the Parks groups, within the parks and green spaces they cover.
• Throughout the year, the Park Ranger leads on a variety of activities and community engagement initiatives across the Parks and Green Spaces in their care.
• A key part of the role involves leading the development and update of Park Plans, ensuring the community has a meaningful voice in shaping the future of their parks and how they are activated.
• The Park Ranger collaborates closely with colleagues across the Parks team, wider council departments, and external partners to create a welcoming environment and ensure visitors have an enjoyable experience.
• They also lead on community events and activities.

About the Candidate Key Skills and Behaviours:

• Communication Skills: You’ll listen attentively, understand diverse perspectives, and communicate clearly and practically with stakeholders, colleagues, and the community.
• Analytical Skills: You can identify stakeholder needs and know how to gather and interpret the right information to inform decisions.
• Planning and Organisation: You’re highly organised, able to manage multiple tasks effectively, prioritising time and resources to meet deadlines.
• Project Management: You can map out actions and milestones to achieve outcomes, using monitoring techniques to track progress.
• Problem Solving and Decision Making: You make sound, timely decisions, take ownership, and accelerate issues appropriately, explaining your reasoning clearly.
• Creative Skills: You think outside the box, developing innovative solutions and new approaches to challenges.
• Strategic Thinking: You contribute to shaping future plans and strategies that enhance our parks and green spaces.
• Commissioning Skills: You maintain strong partner relationships, manage enquiries, evaluate feedback, and ensure data quality and performance standards.
• ICT Skills: You’re confident using digital tools to analyse data and present information effectively.
• Financial Management: You handle numbers accurately, maintain reliable records, and support monitoring of financial resources.
• People Management: You can organise your own work and coordinate activities with others, ensuring smooth operational planning.

About Us: We’re the local council for one of the UK’s most vibrant and diverse cities. Working for Manchester isn’t just a job – it’s an opportunity to contribute to a city that leads change and transforms lives. Whether it’s strengthening communities or driving innovation in public services, you’ll play a vital role in creating opportunities and shaping a brighter future for everyone.

Our Manchester is our vision for a fairer, greener, and healthier city – a vision shaped by the people of Manchester. It guides everything we do at the Council and is brought to life through the Our Manchester behaviours:

• We take time to listen and understand
• We work together and trust each other
• We show that we value our differences and treat each other fairly
• We ‘own it’ and we’re not afraid to try new things
• We’re proud and passionate about Manchester

Benefits we offer:

• Generous holiday allowance: Enjoy up to 26 days annual leave per year plus bank holidays. Increasing to 31 days after five years of local government service. Want more leave? You can purchase up to two additional weeks.
• A buzzing pension: You’ll be enrolled in the UK’s largest local government pension scheme, with plenty of options to top up your benefits. Includes life cover of three-times your salary as a lump sum.
• Enhanced parental and carers leave: Take advantage of our enhanced family leave options, designed to provide ample time for you to bond with your newborn or support your family during critical life events.
• Brilliant perks: Access a range of discounts, from saving on the weekly shop to holidays and days out with MCR+. Plus discounts on phone contracts, cycle to work scheme, free flu jabs and eye tests, and more.
• Learn and grow: We are dedicated to nurturing talent and providing you with the tools to thrive. Take part in a diverse set of learning opportunities, from workshops and training sessions through to apprenticeships and qualifications. All this begins with our comprehensive onboarding process.
• A Good Employment Charter member: We are committed to offering secure, flexible work and embedding fairness into everything we do. We review pay annually, recognize three trade unions, and are constantly working to offer the best possible health and wellbeing support throughout all stages of your working life.
• Up to 3 days volunteering leave: Give back to the community with three days pro-rate of paid volunteering leave, in addition to existing benefits.

Creating an Inclusive Team at Manchester City Council: At Manchester City Council, we’re dedicated to creating a workplace that truly reflects the diversity of the communities we serve. We actively welcome applications from people of all ages and backgrounds, particularly from Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic communities, Disabled people and young people.

Support During the Process: Interview Adjustments: Let us know if you need any adjustments to demonstrate your suitability during the interview. Accessible Formats: Our ReciteMe tool can be accessed through the "Accessibility tools" button at the top of our careers page. This tool offers features like text-to-speech, translation into multiple languages, and adjustable text size and colour to make our site more accessible for everyone.

Guaranteed Assessment Scheme: We guarantee assessments for applicants who meet the recruiting panel's minimum shortlisting requirements for the role and identify with at least one of the criteria below:

• Members of the Armed Forces members or veterans
• Current or former care leavers
• Have a disability or long-term condition

If you have completed the GM Elevate (Leadership Development) Programme or any MCC positive action programme, please indicate this within the Supporting Statement section of your application.

When You Join Us: We’re a Disability Confident Employer, offering:

• A workplace adjustment hub which provides specialist support, advice and guidance to ensure you have the adjustments needed to thrive at work.
• Disabled Staff Network, Neurodiversity Staff Network and Mental Health Staff Network that provides a safe inclusive space to share experiences and opportunities to influence council practice.
• A strong commitment to ensuring all information adheres to accessibility standards and that our workplaces are accessible and disability-friendly.

For more information about the role or any adjustments, email jobs@manchester.gov.uk.

What we will need from you if you’re successful: In accordance with Home Office guidance, successful candidates must evidence their right to work in the UK before commencement of employment. This is not a role we consider to be eligible for sponsorship under the Skilled Worker route based on Manchester City Council policy. Candidates are therefore encouraged to consider their own right to work options without the requirement for Manchester City Council sponsorship.

Pre-Employment Checks: If you are successful in securing a position with us, the pre-employment checks required will depend on the role you’ve applied for. As a guide, these checks may include:

• Proof of Right to Work: You’ll need to provide documentary evidence of your right to work in the UK. Please note, visa sponsorship is not guaranteed for this role.
• References: We’ll require references from your current and previous employer(s).
• Proof of Qualifications: Evidence of qualifications relevant to the role will be required.
• Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) Check: A criminal record check may be necessary, depending on the role.
• Proof of Manchester Residency: For some roles, you may need to demonstrate that you reside within the boundaries of Manchester City Council.
• Police Vetting: Some roles may require police vetting to ensure suitability for accessing sensitive law enforcement systems or information.
• Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS) Clearance: BPSS clearance is primarily used for roles that involve access to government data, systems, or assets. It ensures that individuals meet basic security requirements and can be trusted with sensitive information.
• Driving Licence: If the role requires driving, we’ll need evidence of your valid driving licence.

These checks are an important part of our commitment to ensuring the safety and security of our workforce and the community we serve.

Other relevant information: We want everyone to be able to be themselves at work and give their best. If you need additional support to undertake the duties of the role, we’ll make every effort to source any necessary aids, adaptations or equipment. If, however, any task proves to be unachievable, we will look at redesigning parts of the role.

For more information about the role, please ensure that you read the role profile attached.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI): Artificial Intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action.

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