Assistant Ranger

Job description

With its rolling Downland and spectacular coastal views, the South Downs East estate includes some of the most iconic countryside sites in Sussex, from the white cliffs at Birling Gap to the Iron Age hill forts at Ditchling Beacon, Devil’s Dyke and Cissbury Ring our sites are special places for people and wildlife.

The South Downs East estate stretches over 1,800 hectares and is a complex mix of chalk downland, farmland, woodland and floodplain. The estate lies within the busy South Downs National Park and thousands of visitors come to our sites to walk, cycle, picnic and even paraglide.

Here we manage landscapes, and work with our graziers, farm tenants, partners and stakeholders to ensure that we are achieving the best for wildlife and our visitors, and ensuring that we protect the nature, beauty, and history or these special places for everyone, for ever.

This is a fixed term contract for 6 months from September 2021 to February 2022

Salary: £17,375

Hours: 37.5 hours a week

The South Downs East estate is part of the much larger South Downs portfolio.

Our Ranger team consists of a Lead Ranger, two Area Rangers, 4 Rangers and large support group of volunteers.

You’ll be part of an experienced Ranger team who are working at a landscape scale to ensure that we meet our nature conservation objectives in line with our Land, Outdoors and Nature ambitions.

This is a really exciting opportunity to work in one of the most spectacular landscapes in the South East. It will be challenging and hard work, but there is a great Ranger team to support and develop you.

Based from our office at Birling Gap, you’ll be assisting the Ranger team in carrying out practical habitat management work across our sites over the busy autumn and winter months. The work will be varied. Woodland work including- coppicing; ride side management/ improvement; tree safety management and silvicultural respacing to promote future timber value. Downland and access management including scrub bashing, dew pond maintenance, stock fencing and gate/stile repairs.

Due to the nature of the woodland management work it is desirable for application to hold a chainsaw and brushcutter certificate.

You’ll also be working with volunteers and will be involved in conversations with our graziers and farm tenants.

The nature of the role will require some lone working. Occasional weekend working is part of the role and is coordinated through a rota and for which time off in lieu will be arranged.

Please also read the full role profile, attached to this advert.

To deliver this role successfully, you’ll need to:

• Demonstrate a passion for nature and the outdoors

• Have good verbal communication and customer service skills, able to interact confidently customers and colleagues

• Have good people skills able to build strong relationships externally and internally with volunteers and employees.
  • In this role you’ll be working alongside volunteers, assigning tasks and supporting them to perform at their best

• Practical experience in land, conservation and access management, to level 2 (or equivalent level of vocational experience)

• Familiarity with machinery/equipment and practical certificates as required by the property

Benefits for working at the National Trust:

• Flexible working whenever possible

• Free parking at most locations

• Discounts in high street stores, cinemas, National Trust properties and cafes.

• Free entry to our properties for you, a guest and your children (under 18)

• Generous annual leave

• Subsidised health cash plan

• Free 24-hour support service

• Substantial pension scheme of up to 10% basic salary

• Training & Development tailored to you

• Up to 5 days of paid volunteering for you.

Click here to find out more about the benefits we offer to support you.