Wildlife Ranger

Forestry England; Coleford; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 40,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Civil Service Pension

Holiday entitlement 25–30 days

STaRis discount scheme

Free parking

Learning & development

Job summary

Forestry England is seeking a Wildlife Ranger in West England to protect forests and support conservation priorities, including mammal management. You will travel to remote woods and operate within a dedicated wildlife team, with a strong emphasis on health and safety.

The role is full-time (44 hours/week), fixed-term until 31 March 2029 with a potential extension. Salary £34,793 per annum, plus Civil Service pension and employee benefits.

Qualifications

• Experience and technical knowledge will be assessed at interview.
• Be prepared to undertake a skills test; rifle may be provided if required.
• Health & safety culture is emphasised with the value 'look out and look after'.

Responsibilities

• Protect forests and support conservation priorities, including mammal management.
• Work as part of the district wildlife management team.

Skills

Wildlife management

Health & safety

Driving licence

Job description

The following content displays a map of the jobs location - Forest of Dean 2 posts, Taunton 2 posts and Exeter 1 post

Job Reference forestryengland/TP/1895/758

Number of Positions:

5

Contract Type:

Fixed Term Appointment

Working Hours:

44

Location:

Forest of Dean 2 posts, Taunton 2 posts and Exeter 1 post

Closing Date:

07/09/2026

Job Category:

Operations

Region:

West

Business Unit:

West

Job Introduction

We are Forestry England.

We live and breathe forests.

Job title – Wildlife Ranger, West England

Salary- £34,793 per annum

Contract type – Fixed Term until 31st March 2029 with the possibility of extension or permanency

Vacancy closes - 7th September, 23:58

Join us. We're foresters, professionals and experts. We are a passionate team who love to share our enthusiasm and want to make a positive difference for you and the environment.

Together, we're using our scale and expertise to grow the nation's forests for everyone. We're already adapting our landscapes for tomorrow, and getting stuff done today, like creating amazing places and experiences for you to enjoy. We're providing vital homes for wildlife, making our air cleaner to breathe and producing sustainable timber.

What you'll do...

You will work as part of the district's wildlife management team, protecting forests and supporting conservation priorities, including mammal management. You will be a champion for our health and safety culture by demonstrating our value of 'look out and look after'.

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

Where you'll work...

West Forest District is responsible for the sustainable management of over 37,000ha of the nation's forests and woodlands in the West and South West of England.

The district team extends to some 170 employees, with frontline delivery through our 17 remotely located delivery teams (5 forest centre and 12 forest beats) which are supported by our network of highly valued volunteers and contractors.

We have 5 positions available at the following locations:

• Exmoor &Quantocks -Somerset Beat Office, Cockercombe, Nr Taunton, TA5 1HJ.
• Forest of Dean- Castlemain Depot, Parkend, Nr Lydney GL15 4HH

Hours of work: The position is a full-time post to work 44 hours per week. Due to the nature of the Wildlife Ranger role the hours are worked flexibly according to the season.

Travel: The postholder will be expected to travel to remotely located woods & forests to undertake the role of Wildlife Ranger. A bespoke Forestry England vehicle will be provided for work purposes; therefore a current driving licence is essential requirement of the role.

The postholder will be part of the Wildlife team led by one of two Wildlife Managers

Alongside your salary, Forestry England contributes an average of 28.97% towards your pension. You will become a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension Scheme.

• 25 days holiday a year, raising by one day every year’s service, up to 30 days (pro-rated for part time employees) plus additional days off such as bank holidays.
• STaRis our employee benefits scheme offering discounts on everyday supermarket shopping, as well as other things such as hotel stays clothes, mobile phones, other electrical items, medical and car insurance, holidays, gym discounts, household bills, Headspace wellbeing app.
• free parking at Forestry England sites and free entry to our National Arboretums at Westonbirt and Bedgebury.
• a commitment to lifelong learning through career development. Forestry England will support your career development in a variety of ways, including continual professional development, support for individual learning plans and sponsored membership of professional bodies.

At interview you will be assessed on your experience and technical knowledge along with behavioural questions, please see below.

Candidates will be asked to undertake a skills test as part of the interview process an rifle can be provided if required.

If candidates pass the interview but are not the leading candidate they can be placed on a reserve list. We may offer candidates on the reserve list for this role the opportunity to be considered for other roles at the same or lower pay bands.

Working for the Civil Service...

Forestry England is part of the Civil Service. The Civil Service has a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS). This means candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria during the application process will be guaranteed an interview. We also offer a Redeployment Interview Scheme to current civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the role. This role is also part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans and Prison Leaver Recruitment initiative.

Within Part 7 of the Immigration Act 2016, it is essential that applicants should have the ability to provide conversation in accurate spoken English.

Our recruitment process makes appointments based on fair and open competition and merit, as outlined in the Civil Service Commissioners’ Recruitment Principles. If you feel your application has not been treated in in line with/according to these principles and you wish to make a complaint, please email: [e-mail] .

This role is funded by DEFRA rather than through Forestry England generated revenue, and is therefore subject to government spending reviews. While DEFRA has indicated long term support for the Biodiversity Programme and we expect funding to continue, it is possible that funding levels may change at the end of any financial year depending on DEFRA’s budget allocations. In the event of funding changes, we would prioritise retaining staff posts wherever possible. This approach is consistent for roles within publicly funded organisations. We are committed to keeping staff informed and supported through any changes.