Find More Than 10K+
United Kingdom Jobs

Team: Place and Communities - Leisure, Libraries and Countryside

Job Family: CBG8 - Providing

Salary: £26,845 - £29,586 per annum pro rata
Hours: 37 hours per week

Base Location: Houghton Hall Park, Houghton Regis
Contract Type: Permanent - Fixed

Closing date: Sunday 30th April 2023

Interview date: TBC

About Us

Central Bedfordshire is an ambitious authority, determined to be an exemplary one. Our strategic location and high quality of life mean we are one of the fastest growing areas in the country.

As a council we face the same challenges every business does - investing in the right places and delivering great results. Except for us, it’s all about our 289,000 residents. We’re totally focused on helping to improve their lives and making Central Bedfordshire a great place to live and work.

We have set values and principles to represent the way we work and how we operate as an organization. You can view a list of these in detail on our website.

This is a great time to join us on our journey.

About the role

Houghton Hall Park is a 17 hectare publicly accessible park located centrally within the town of Houghton Regis. It’s a vital asset for our community – and it is getting even better. Thanks to an exciting project, the park has benefitted from large-scale restoration and investment. By improving this fantastic place, we’re making Central Bedfordshire a great place to work and live. As Community Ranger, you will hold an integral role within the park team.

Central Bedfordshire Council and Houghton Regis Town Council have teamed up for this Heritage Lottery Fund and Big Lottery ‘Parks for People’ funded project. Extensive landscape restoration work took place in 2016, including the recreation of the original formal and kitchen garden. Work has continued, with the construction of a visitor centre and installation of play features around the park alongside the introduction of a thriving events and activity programme.

We are now looking for an experienced Community Ranger to lead a variety of outdoor activities with park visitors, families, organised groups and a growing base of talented volunteers. This hands-on role will require a love of the outdoors as well as a practical knowledge of habitat management. A high level of ability in public engagement is essential and you’ll be working alongside the community spanning a wide range of ages, demographics and abilities.

As a skilled professional, you will:

• Thrive to engage the community in a range of practical tasks.
• Recognise the priorities in maintaining different landscapes within the park including woodlands and grassland meadows.
• Bring a considerable level of experience of working in ranger roles within country parks or similar sites.
• Demonstrate experience of coordinating and supervising volunteers as well as engaging with members of the public and stakeholders.
• Have strong communication and interpersonal skills to help you inspire your volunteer team and interact with a diverse range of people.
• Ensure the site is safe at all times, undertake inspections of play equipment (training provided) within the park and nearby locations and pro-actively manage any possible risks or issues.
• Have experience in planning and delivering activities in publicly accessible spaces including conducting risk assessments and evaluations.
• Integrate seamlessly into the existing team and work alongside the Park Manager, Community Gardener and Activity Officer to achieve joint outcomes.
• Work flexibly to undertake some weekend work (recovered as Time Off in Lieu)

Join us, and you will enjoy excellent benefits plus training opportunities. Even better, you will find your greatness by developing this special place which is already so valued by those who live, visit, or work in Houghton Regis. The starting salary for this position is £26,845.

What we can offer you

As well as joining a friendly, dedicated, and hardworking team you will have access to numerous benefits, including:

• A comprehensive IT package to support you to work safely and effectively.
• The ability to work abroad for up to a month a year.
• Generous family friendly policies and practices
• A welcoming and inclusive environment that empowers differences.
• Friendly and supportive staff networks
• Annual leave allowance 24 days + statutory holidays rising to 31 days with length of service.
• Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS). This is a valuable part of our rewards package for employees and includes Life Assurance. You can find out more on the Bedfordshire Pension Fund website.
• An exceptional Employee Assistance Program which helps support employees with workplace changes as well as other work, family and personal issues.
• A huge variety of courses and role-specific training and learning to help you succeed and develop.
• Access to discounts on top UK retailers and local retailers

Central Bedfordshire Council has its own vision and values that are integral to everything we do. Our area vision is to make Central Bedfordshire 'A great place to live and work’.

Sustainability matters to us. We aim to lead by example in tackling climate change. Read more about the action we’re taking on our website: Climate change – tackling it and our strategy

Our aspiration is to be a truly flexible employer. We welcome discussion on location, hours and working pattern as part of the application process.

-

You will be expected to demonstrate how you meet the key accountabilities and competencies detailed within this Recruitment Pack

For more information or an informal discussion please contact: Rachel O’Leary, Houghton Hall Park Manager [email protected] or Howard Hughes, Active Lifestyles Manager [email protected]

For queries related to the recruitment of this vacancy, please contact: The Recruitment Team at [email protected]

-

Safeguarding

Central Bedfordshire Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects all employees, volunteers and contractors to share this commitment. This post is subject to the disclosure of criminal records.

Central Bedfordshire Council is an equal opportunities employer. We are committed to improving the diversity of our workforce to better reflect the communities we serve. Therefore we welcome applications from everyone. In addition we are a Disability Confident employer, we are working to become a Disability Confident leader in our community.

To maintain a fair and consistent approach for applicants, it is Central Bedfordshire Council's policy to only consider applications made via our online application system and we therefore thank you for not submitting your application offline.

If you require assistance to apply for our roles, help with writing your CV, interview techniques or careers advice please contact our team of careers advisors at [email protected] Our service is confidential, impartial and free for all.