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Location
About the job
Job summary
Forestry England is a world leader in sustainable forestry and is the largest provider of outdoor recreation opportunities in the country. The nation’s forests are managed via six Forest Districts with High Lodge located in East England.
High Lodge is located within Thetford Forest which is the UK’s largest man-made lowland forest. The forest offers a wide range of places to visit with High Lodge attracting over 500k visitors each year. High Lodge provides a gateway for visitors to explore the forest and provides high quality facilities, play and heritage trails, cycling, Go Ape, catering and events.
A key aim at High Lodge is to grow and diversify the business in an appropriate and sustainable way, while attracting and engaging new and repeat visitors.
Job description
This is an exciting opportunity to join an experienced team at a regional outdoor attraction. As a Recreational Ranger you will co-ordinate recreation delivery and development at High Lodge, Thetford Forest. You will inspect and maintain recreation facilities to national standards by working with colleagues both inside and outside of your immediate team. You will be required to use your own initiative, engage with, and supervise staff members, volunteers and contractors.
You will play an active role in managing, promoting, and developing recreation facilities and opportunities. You will support the wider site team and maintaining excellent relations with on-site partners, concessions, and volunteers.
The successful person will support on events and permissions taking place to ensure they are delivered safely without impacting operational workings of the forest.
Act as site Duty Manager on a rota basis with weekend/Bank Holiday working essential. You will help to strengthen the health and safety culture as Forestry England strives to fulfil our corporate value of ‘Look Out & Look After’.
High Lodge’s recreation and visitor experience business plays an essential role in fulfilling the aims of Forestry England and delivering health and wellbeing for all through connections with nature in our nation’s forests.
The post holder will report to the Operations Manager at High Lodge, Thetford Forest.
Responsibilities:
- Develop a strong safety culture within the site team and ensure everyone’s behaviours match Forestry England’s values, attitudes and commitment to health and safety.
- Act as a duty manager which requires working regular weekends (currently 1 in 4 weekends), holidays and other peak periods. Share this role with other team members.
- Maintain and develop the recreational facilities (e.g play equipment and cycling trails) so they provide a fun but safe experience for visitors.
- Achieve value for money through open and fair procurement. Manage the contract administration and performance of contractors, including health and safety and CDM regulations.
- Understand and comply with legislation, policy and promote best practice by following relevant guidance.
- Oversee an inspection regime to ensure safety of recreation facilities and ensure all works are conducted in compliance with our health & safety policies and suitably supervised.
- Working to your delegated financial limits procure goods and services to ensure value for money and conduct in a fair, open and transparent manner.
- To Support Operations manager with facility inspections
- Use Eco-online to record accidents and near misses linked to the recreational facilities. When requested lead on the investigation, identify recommendations and lessons learnt.
- To support with facility statutory inspections
- Support with events at High Lodge so they are delivered safely for the public whilst also in harmony with our land management operations.
- Deputies for the Operations Manager when requested.
Person specification
Essential experience & technical expertise:
- Outdoor recreation experience, including contract management and health and safety requirements.
- Full UK driving licence.
- Excellent personal management skills and high standards of customer service and workplace values.
- Competent in the use of IT systems, such as Microsoft Office and social media.
- A customer focused approach which enables you to effectively deal with visitors in a variety of situations.
- Excellent organisational and time management skills.
- An understanding of operational environmental, health and safety standards.
- Experience of working in a team.
Desirable experience and technical expertise:
- IOSH qualification
- Event management qualification
- First Aid at Work
- ROSPA Operation inspection course
- A recognised qualification (i.e. NVQ, HND, degree) in a relevant discipline.
Behaviours
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
- Working Together
- Making Effective Decisions
- Managing a Quality Service
Benefits
- Learning and development tailored to your role
- An environment with flexible working options
- A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
- A Civil Service pension with an average employer contribution of 27%
Things you need to know
Selection process details
- A CV setting out your career history, with key responsibilities and achievements. Please ensure you have provided reasons for any gaps within the last two years.
- A Statement of Suitability (500 words) explaining how you consider your personal skills, qualities and experience are suitable for the role, with particular reference to the essential criteria in the person specification.
Should a large number of applications be received, the initial sift may be conducted using CV only. Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift, or progressed straight to assessment/interview.
Failure to complete both sections (CV and Statement of Suitability) will mean the panel only have limited information on which to assess your application against the criteria in the person specification. A panel will look for applications that demonstrate the best fit with the role by considering the evidence you have provided against the criteria set out in the Job Description and Responsibilities. Failure to address any or all of these criteria may affect your application.
We will be conducting the interview in person at High Lodge, Thetford Forest based on Behaviours and Strengths questions..
We expect to sift applications by w/c Monday 26th February 2024
We expect interviews w/c Monday 4th March 2024
Further Information
A reserve list may be held for a period of 6 months from which further appointments can be made.
Any move to Forestry Commission from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax Free Childcare. Determine your eligibility at https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk
If successful and transferring from another Government Department a criminal record check may be carried out.
In order to process applications without delay, we will be sending a Criminal Record Check to Disclosure and Barring Service on your behalf.
However, we recognise in exceptional circumstances some candidates will want to send their completed forms direct. If you will be doing this, please advise Government Recruitment Service of your intention by emailing Pre-EmploymentChecks.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk stating the job reference number in the subject heading.
New entrants are expected to join on the minimum of the pay band.
The role is being advertised as full time and will be delivered as part of a site rota. Hours worked will vary alongside the increase and de-crease in the operational requirements of the site and will include regular weekends, school and public holidays. However applicants who wish to work an alternative pattern are welcome to apply. However your preferred working pattern may not be available and you should discuss this with the vacancy holder before applying.
The duties of this post require the applicant to have a full current driving licence that enables them to drive in the UK. However, the Forestry Commission is willing to consider any proposals put forward by applicants that would allow them to do the job by any other means.
Where a role has been identified as one which falls under the scope of the Public Sector English Language Requirements, within Part 7 of the Immigration Act 2016, it is essential that applicants should have the ability to converse at ease with members of the public and provide advice in accurate spoken English. Applicants will be assessed in the selection process in accordance with the requirements.
Reasonable Adjustment
If a person with disabilities is put at a substantial disadvantage compared to a non-disabled person, we have a duty to make reasonable changes to our processes.
If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should:
Contact Government Recruitment Service via FCERecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.
Complete the ‘Assistance required’ section in the ‘Additional requirements’ page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need further on in the recruitment process. For instance, you may need wheelchair access at interview, or if you’re deaf, a Language Service Professional.
If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the 'Contact point for applicants' section.
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
Security
Nationality requirements
This job is broadly open to the following groups:
- UK nationals
- nationals of the Republic of Ireland
- nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
- nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
- nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
- individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
- Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service
Working for the Civil Service
We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window).
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Contact point for applicants
Job contact :
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