Recreation Ranger

Government Recruitment Service; Exeter; On-site; GBP 27,000 - 33,000; Full time

Job summary

Government Recruitment Service is seeking a Recreation Ranger to help deliver an outstanding visitor experience at Haldon Forest Park. You will inspect facilities, manage safety, supervise staff and volunteers, and coordinate with contractors to keep the site welcoming and well maintained.

The role involves weekend and public holiday work, close ties with the forestry team, and a focus on improving the visitor offer while ensuring safe operations and efficient service delivery.

Responsibilities

• Carry out facility and trail inspections and ensure defects are properly recorded and rectified in a timely manner.
• Carry out maintenance tasks and engage with contractors where necessary.
• Liaise with and support the local Civil Engineer, Buildings Surveyor and Estates Team to aid timely delivery of scheduled works and address any reactive works required.
• Work with the forestry team to ensure that forest operations are carried out safely with minimum disruption to our visitor experience.
• Input incidents and accidents into Work Wallet, collating all relevant information.
• Ensure personal safety by using Peoplesafe (lone working system) and by carrying out PPE and safety checks, in compliance with policy guidance.
• Use and review risk assessments to ensure safe working practices and safe provision of facilities
• Ensure vehicles, machinery and equipment is properly maintained and service records kept
• Build good relationships and provide a point of contact for nominated third party businesses that operate on-site by carrying out regular formal KPI and site partner meetings
• Liaise with ticket machine companies to ensure the smooth running of our car parking facilities
• Support Events and Permission holders to increase and improve the recreational offer
• Procure goods and services in line with Forestry England guidance.
• Supervise nominated service contracts, undertaking monthly monitoring
• Help lead in the planning and delivery of business plan objectives within the allocated financial year, with a particular focus on cycling.
• Promote sites and activities in conjunction with the marketing and communications team
• Supervise volunteers, taking responsibility for work parties and potentially looking for opportunities to increase the volunteer offer.
• A Recreation Ranger may be asked to act as supervisor or to support to a Visitor Services Officer (VSO), Recreation Craftsperson, or equivalent officer.
• Oversee management of the visitor welcome, ensuring adequate staffing (VSO or volunteers) during peak periods
• Contribute to regular ranger team meeting to share information and best practise.

Job description

As a Recreation Ranger, you will play a key role in delivering an outstanding visitor experience at Haldon Forest Park. Working both independently and alongside the wider Visitor Services team, you will help ensure the site remains safe, welcoming and well maintained. Responsibilities include inspecting and maintaining facilities, building effective relationships with site partners, monitoring service delivery contracts, and supervising staff, contractors and volunteers. This role involves regular weekend and public holiday working to support the visitor offer.

Please see the job description below for more information and details about what we need from you.

Where you’ll work…

Key responsibilities & accountabilities

Provide a built estate that is fit for purpose for all users

• Carry out facility and trail inspections and ensure that defects are properly recorded and rectified in a timely manner.
• Carry out maintenance tasks and engage with contractors where necessary.
• Liaise with and support the local Civil Engineer, Buildings Surveyor and Estates Team to aid timely delivery of scheduled works and address any reactive works required.
• Work with the forestry team to ensure that forest operations are carried out safely with minimum disruption to our visitor experience.

Embed a safety-first culture in our teams

• Input incidents and accidents into Work Wallet, collating all relevant information. Such live incidents (lost children, cycle accidents, antisocial behaviour...) will be dealt with professionally and efficiently.
• Ensure personal safety by using Peoplesafe (lone working system) and by carrying out PPE and safety checks, in compliance with policy guidance.
• Use and review risk assessments to ensure safe working practices and safe provision of facilities
• Ensure vehicles, machinery and equipment is properly maintained and service records kept

Increase our capacity and effectiveness through partnership working

• Build good relationships and provide a point of contact for nominated third party businesses that operate on-site by carrying out regular formal KPI and site partner meetings
• Liaise with ticket machine companies to ensure the smooth running of our car parking facilities
• Support Events and Permission holders to increase and improve the recreational offer

Increase our value for money, and maximise opportunities to increase income

• Procure goods and services in line with Forestry England guidance.
• Supervise nominated service contracts, undertaking monthly monitoring
• Help lead in the planning and delivery of business plan objectives within the allocated financial year, with a particular focus on cycling.
• Promote sites and activities in conjunction with the marketing and communications team

Provide everyone with a clear purpose and equip them to do their jobs

• Supervise volunteers, taking responsibility for work parties and potentially looking for opportunities to increase the volunteer offer.
• A Recreation Ranger may be asked to act as supervisor or to support to a Visitor Services Officer (VSO), Recreation Craftsperson, or equivalent officer.
• Oversee management of the visitor welcome, ensuring adequate staffing (VSO or volunteers) during peak periods
• Contribute to regular ranger team meeting to share information and best practise.

The key work areas detailed are the typical duties expected of the role but are not an exhaustive list. And any other tasks, reasonably requested by your line manager.

Proud member of the Disability Confident employer scheme

Recreation Ranger

Company: Government Recruitment Service

Salary: £30,105 to £30,105 a year

Hours: Full-time

Location: EX6 7XR

Job type: Temporary

Posting date: 21 Oct 2026

Closing date: 2 Nov 2026