Wildlife Ranger

Forestry England; Corby; On-site; GBP 32,000 - 42,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Pension contribution

25 days holiday (pro-rated for part‑t​

STaRis discounts

Free parking

Free entry to National Arboretums

Career development

Job summary

Forestry England is seeking two enthusiastic professionals to join the Central England forest resilience project team, focusing on Rockingham forest in Northamptonshire. You will help protect forests, support conservation priorities, and assist with mammal management under the guidance of the Project Wildlife manager.

The role requires readiness for a firearms skills test at interview, with a primary focus on safety and responsible handling in all activities.

Responsibilities

• Protecting forests and supporting conservation priorities, including mammal management.
• Reporting to the Project Wildlife manager and collaborating with the wider wildlife team.
• Acting as a champion for health and safety under the value 'look out and look after'.
• Undertaking the firearms skills test during interview.

Job description

The following content displays a map of the jobs location - Fineshade, Corby, Northamptonshire

Job Reference forestryengland/TP/758/811

Number of Positions:

2

Contract Type:

Fixed Term Appointment

Working Hours:

44

Location:

Fineshade, Corby, Northamptonshire

Closing Date:

15/10/2026

Job Category:

Land Management

Region:

Central

Business Unit:

Central

Job Introduction

We are Forestry England.

We live and breathe forests.

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

Vacancy closes - Thursday 15th October, 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 Central England’s forest resilience project team focusing on work within the Rockingham forest area, Northamptonshire. You will be responsible for protecting forests and supporting conservation priorities, including mammal management. The role will report to the Project Wildlife manager, but will be expected to also be part of the wider district wildlife team. 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…

The role will be based within Central England FD, predominately based at:

Forestry England, Fineshade, Corby NN17 3BB

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.

Candidates will be expected at interview to also undertake a firearms skills test.

The firearms skills test will be held on the FE zeroing area at Sherwood Pines and will follow the format of the DMQ Level 1 skills test. Candidates should arrive at interview with an already zeroed rifle and known point of aim. They should bring all the equipment they require for a stalking outing e.g. shooting sticks, bipod etc, have enough Lead Free ammunition for which their rifle is zeroed to complete the skills test. The test will comprise of 3 shots into a zeroing target followed by 6 shots into a roe deer silhouette target (chest shots), three different positions at 3 different ranges. There will be a final 2 shots into a roe deer head silhouette target to simulate close range dispatch. A second attempt at the targets will be allowed if the candidates are not happy with their first attempt. The candidates will be judged as much on their firearms handling, safety and behaviour on the range as their marksmanship.

You may also be assessed on Experience based questions, and/or the Technical Success Profile at the interview. The technical element could include a presentation, practical or written task.

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

If you're planning to use AI to support your application, please ensure you've read our guidelines here first.

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 this 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.