Ranger Bradford, Yorkshire and the Humber, England
Job description
£21,833 - £27,291
Location: Western House, Bradford (Office) / South Yorkshire (Territory covered)
As one of the largest landowners in Yorkshire and the UK, Yorkshire Water has a total holding of 30,518 hectares. Across this land holding we provide car parks, footpaths, bridleways, and a wealth of recreational opportunities for our visitors to come and enjoy our land and what it has to offer.
We have a unique and exciting opportunity for three people to join the Conservation, Access & Recreation Team, within the Land & Property Team, here at Yorkshire Water. You will be part of a newly established team of Rangers, something that we’ve never had before, who will deliver Yorkshire Water’s policies on public safety, access, and conservation across its recreational sites throughout the Yorkshire region. The Rangers will ultimately be organised into north, west and southern areas; the role will however be regionally based and during the early days of development the team will be expected to work wherever required.
What it's like to work here
Many of our recreational sites are located in some of Yorkshire’s most picturesque and famous countryside, ranging from the Peak District National Park in the south, along the Pennine hills in the west of the county and up to the Nidderdale AONB, the Yorkshire Dales National Park and the North York Moors National Park in the north. Working within the CAR (Conservation, Access & Recreation) Team, you’ll work with a small but enthusiastic and dedicated team of countryside professionals delivering a fantastic, safe, and dependable countryside and recreation service to Yorkshire Water’s customers and visitors.
What you'll be doing
You will help form, establish, and lead Yorkshire Water’s first ever ranger team who will help the CAR Team manage its recreation provision. You will ensure the team has a strong focus on public safety and engagement across the range of sites, supporting the monitoring and maintenance of these sites to a high standard, ensuring they are safe and welcoming for all visitors, meeting the necessary health and safety requirements and standards. Sites are open 7 days a week and the new ranger team will need to cover all days with flexible working hours and patterns.
Who we're looking for
We’re looking for people with a demonstrable experience of working as part of ranger team, or similar team of outdoor, countryside professionals. You must be an enthusiastic individual with high standards, an attention to detail and who works well as part of a team. You’ll be experienced in engaging with visitors and members of the public, managing recreation and conservation sites and also have an excellent knowledge of all health and safety requirements relevant to a countryside setting with experience of managing operational risk.
Knowledge & Skills Required
Essential:
- Practical experience in relevant land, conservation and access management, supported by appropriate qualifications to level 5 or above (or equivalent level of vocational experience).
- Experience of engaging with visitors and members of the public.
- Experience of dealing with confrontational situations e.g. conflict amongst different user groups such as cyclists and horse riders.
- Good people skills enabling strong relationships both internally and externally, to be built and maintained.
- Demonstrable experience of working as part of a team.
- Commitment to excellent customer service standards and experience of its delivery.
- Knowledge of Health & Safety compliance requirements and experience of producing risk assessments for day-to-day operations.
- Good written and verbal communication skills.
- Experience of lone working autonomously in the outdoors
- Knowledge and experience of safe working in outdoor, sometimes remote, locations with varying terrain and in all weather conditions.
- Competent at assessing conditions and making safe judgements in relation to appropriateness of work task.
- Self-motivated with an ability to work in a team and individually, under pressure and to deadlines
Desirable
- Demonstrable competence and qualifications (e.g. NPTC) for the use of equipment such as brush-cutters and chainsaws.
- First Aid Training
- Working knowledge of health and safety issues related to the public at recreation and conservation sites, including relevant site visit inspections, risk assessment development, programming of systematic asset inspection.
- Working knowledge of wildlife, highway, countryside, tenancy, Health & Safety and The Equality Act legislation.
- A working knowledge of Public Rights of Way legislation.
- Working knowledge of map reading and navigation.
- Working knowledge or experience of organising recreation and conservation events to engage with visitors.
- Working knowledge of tree safety.
- Knowledge of a broad range of recreational users and their needs.
- Understand the needs of catchment management for water quality.
What's in it for you?
We are committed to attracting and developing the best people across our business. Our success relies on our ability to provide a supportive, inclusive and motivating environment where everyone has a role to play in supporting the delivery of outstanding service to our customers.
We offer excellent career opportunities to our colleagues, in an environment that is challenging and rewarding.
We are looking for highly talented people who can demonstrate an affinity with our values to help us achieve our vision of 'taking responsibility for the water environment for good'. In return, we offer a lively and diverse environment in which people can build a long and varied career, rewarded with an excellent salary and benefits package.
