Part-time Countryside Ranger (Habitats) - Teignbridge District Council

Countryside Classroom; Exeter; Remote; GBP 29,000 - 31,000; Part time

Benefits offered by this job

Local Government Pension Scheme

Generous annual leave and wellbeing

Discounted leisure centre membership

Cycle to Work Scheme

Career and self-development

Employee discount access and support

Job summary

You'll work with the Ridgetop Park team, promote sites through events and interpretation, and manage volunteers. A countryside management qualification and fitness for outdoor work are preferred.

Qualifications

• Full UK driving license.
• Substantial practical ranger experience in countryside management.
• Experience planning and leading events and activities with public engagement.
• Can-do, flexible and safety-conscious attitude.

Responsibilities

• Lead on habitat restoration and management across eight reserves.
• Coordinate with Ridgetop Park ranger and team for seasonal tasks.
• Promote sites via interpretation, events and visitor engagement.
• Oversee safety, use of tools and volunteers during works.
• Support site maintenance, events and outreach during spring/summer.

Skills

Driving license

Ranger experience

Event planning

Public engagement

Safety awareness

Education

Countryside management qualification

Job description

Fixed-term contract for up to 4 years to support the delivery of externally funded biodiversity uplift works

£28,608 - £30,515 (pro rata) per annum

29.6 hours per week over 4 days

We do things well and keep developing.

Love all things involving wildlife and people.

An exciting opportunity is available for a Countryside Ranger for up to four years. The purpose is to lead on and undertake a packed program of practical hands-on habitat restoration and improvement works across eight of our wonderful diverse Local Nature Reserves and County Wildlife Sites. These works will be concentrated outside of the bird nesting season during the cooler autumn and winter months.

For efficacy and safety, you will be assisted by the ranger for Ridgetop Park, who will work alongside you for most of the time during these months, and on occasions by the wider experienced and friendly ranger team, as required. Much of the work will involve the use of power tools such as chainsaws, brushcutters, mowers and chippers. There will also be an element of recruiting, leading and working with local volunteers using hand tools.

The aim is to realise the full biodiversity value of these sites by reinstating a high level of traditional habitat maintenance uplift tasks and interventions that have not been possible with reduced staffing levels over recent years. Works will include a review of specially commissioned species & habitat survey data to help inform approach, undertaking targeted scrub management, control of invasive non-native species and rotational reedbed, and heathland management. The Senior Ranger will oversee and support the work.

During the spring and summer months, you will reciprocate for autumn and winter assistance by assisting the ranger for Ridgetop Park in site maintenance, events and visitor outreach at Ridgetop Park. This is a new countryside park in Matford, near Exeter. As a Suitable Alternative Natural Greenspace (SANG) it is designed to absorb some of the visitor pressure from the Exe Estuary, Dawlish Warren and Pebblebed Heaths, all internationally important nature sites. Effective promotion is key to the efficacy of this SANG’s protective role.

You will have a full valid driving license and strong practical habitat management experience and skills alongside good experience of promotion of sites via interpretation, events and engagement. You will ideally have a countryside management qualification. You will need to be physically fit to undertake a physically demanding, primarily practical role undertaken across a variety of natural terrains.

You will need a positive ‘can do’ attitude and flexible approach to accommodate the vagaries of the British weather and associated changes of priority that can result. You will be capable and willing to work in all weathers (PPE supplied). You will have an excellent regard for your own safety and that of others.

To be successful in this role, you will have:

• A full UK driving license.
• Substantial practical experience in a ranger role and related environmental/countryside management qualification with training certifications.
• Experience of, and an enthusiasm for, planning and leading events and activities, a genuine liking for people and an interest in British wildlife and the countryside, with a strong passion for sharing it.
• A can-do, flexible and responsible approach with a desire to work as part of a supportive and successful ranger team.

We can offer:

• Generous Local Government Pension Scheme.
• Generous annual leave and wellbeing package.
• Heavily discounted membership at Teignbridge District Council Leisure Centres.
• Cycle to Work Scheme.
• Opportunities for career and self-development.
• 24/7 employee discount access and employee assistance support.

We’re better together.

You will enjoy working together as part of a team to deliver on our vision of making Teignbridge a healthy and desirable place where people want to live, work and visit.

We are an equal opportunities employer committed to a diverse and inclusive organisation. We welcome applications from all qualified candidates regardless of their age, disability, sex, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sexual orientation, caring responsibilities, and socio-economic status. We also welcome applications from military veterans and their families.

It is vital to read the job description and person specification for this role - it will help you understand whether your knowledge, skills and experience match the job requirements. In your supporting statement please tell us how you meet each of the essential criteria we ask for in the person specification.

Closing Date: Monday 19th October 2026 @ midnight

Interview Date: Monday 2nd November 2026