Senior Ranger - Snibston & Heart of the Forest

Job Description

Organisation: Leicestershire County Council

Work Location: Snibston Colliery Park Ashby Road, Coalville LE67 3LN

Salary: £32,070 - £34,359 per annum (Pro rata for part time) Pay award pending

Working Hours: 37 per week

Contract Type: Permanent

Closing Date: 29th May 2026

Interview Date(s):TBC

Are you passionate about managing high‑quality country parks and leading teams in the outdoors?
Do you want a senior role where you can shape visitor experiences, conservation outcomes and community engagement?

About the role

We are seeking an experienced and motivated Senior Ranger to lead the ongoing management, maintenance and enhancement of Snibston Colliery Park and a wider portfolio of Country Parks across the Heart of the Forest area in North West Leicestershire.

You will be responsible for one of the service’s principal destination sites, alongside a number of satellite parks, working closely with colleagues, partners and stakeholders including local communities and volunteer groups. The role includes staff and volunteer management, site standards, health and safety leadership, budget control, and contributing to income generation through activities, events and partnerships.

This is a highly visible role, requiring strong leadership, operational experience and the ability to balance conservation, access, visitor experience and commercial awareness.

You will take a lead role in the ongoing management, maintenance and enhancement of a varied estate, ensuring high standards of presentation, safety and visitor experience across all sites. Working closely with the Head Ranger and Country Parks Team Leader, you will manage Ranger, Warden, casual and volunteer teams, ensuring effective cover, supervision and performance management.

The role involves budget management, contributing to and implementing management plans, coordinating projects, and supporting the delivery of events and activities that generate income and help achieve wider service objectives. You will also build strong relationships with partners, local communities and external organisations, including the National Forest Company, and play a key role in developing volunteering opportunities and educational activity.

Regular interaction with the public is a core element of the role, alongside responsibility for health and safety, equality and accessibility matters across the sites. Weekend and bank holiday working forms part of the role through an established country parks rota.

About You

To apply for this post, you must be able to evidence in your application how you meet the following criteria:

• A qualification in Countryside Management (minimum NVQ Level 4) or a relevant degree, or equivalent professional experience
• Substantial practical experience of estate and countryside management within a country park or similar environment
• Proven experience of managing and leading teams, including Rangers, Wardens, casual staff and volunteers
• Experience of visitor management, public engagement and responding to customer enquiries
• Experience of budget management, event delivery and contributing to income generation
• Strong knowledge of habitat and ecosystem management, and health & safety in an outdoor setting
• Excellent communication skills and the ability to provide clear advice in accurate spoken English

In addition, we also expect you to share our commitment to our values and to delivering accessible and inclusive services which meet the needs of all of our residents. You will be asked to demonstrate your understanding of these commitments as part of the selection process.

Reasonable adjustments will be considered for applicants with a disability. We are a Disability Confident Employer.

This post is covered by Part 7 of the Immigration Act (2016) and therefore the ability to speak fluent English is an essential requirement for this role.

Interested in Flexible Working?

We are open to discussions about flexible working, which may include part time working, job sharing, term-time working, flexible start and finish times, and hybrid working, depending on the requirements of the role and the service. If you would like to discuss the possible flexible working options that might be applicable to this role, please contact the person named below.

For more information or an informal discussion, please contact:

James Lovatt – Head Ranger & Country Parks Team Leader
Telephone: 07717808974
Email: James.Lovatt@Leics.gov.uk

How to Apply

At Leicestershire County Council we’re looking for top talent from all walks of life. Whoever you are, wherever you’re from, and whatever your background - we care about what you bring to our organisation, not just what’s on your CV. That’s why we’ve designed a recruitment process that’s fair, accessible, and focused on potential. And with benefits that support people at every age and stage of life, we make sure you can thrive - both personally and professionally.

If you share our passion to make a difference for the people of Leicestershire, we’d love to hear from you. Click the apply button to submit your application, ensuring that you upload a supporting statement that explains how you meet the criteria listed in the ‘About You’ section above. Without this information, we won’t be able to assess your suitability for the role, and your application will be rejected. For tips on how to write your statement, see the How to Apply section on our career site.

We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive sufficient applications for the role. Therefore, if you are interested, please submit your application as early as possible.

If you have any technical issues when trying to apply for this post or you want to request an application pack in an alternative format, please contact our Employee Service Centre by telephoning 0300 3030222 (select option 2) or raising a ticket via our online portal: https://emss.org.uk/support.

By applying for this post, you agree to our Terms and Conditions.

About us

About Leicestershire County Council

At Leicestershire County Council, we're committed to making a real difference in people's lives. Our aim is to work with communities and partners to deliver public services that make Leicestershire the best possible place to live and work for everyone.

Our employees play a key role in supporting this goal and helping us deliver the vital services we provide to the people of Leicestershire. Whether you're starting your career or looking for your next challenge, you'll find a place with us where your ideas are valued, and your work has purpose.

For further information on what it’s like to work for us and the benefits we offer, please refer to the following:

Our Recruitment Process
Our Organisational Values
Our Employee Benefits
Working for Us