Moors Valley Duty Ranger

Moors Valley is managed in partnership between Dorset Council and Forestry England. The Dorset Council Rangers are responsible for the management of; play areas, lakes, rivers, meadows and woodland extending north up to and including Potterne Wood. They also provide environmental education sessions for school groups, operate a fleet of hire bikes, manage an 18-hole miniature golf course and electric land rover experience for children, organise and run an events programme, run a Gift Shop and provide visitor services in the Visitor Centre.

You will get involved in and be responsible for all aspects of this busy Country Park, primarily the day to day running of the Visitor Centre and associated facilities. The posts main responsibility is having operational responsibility for the Visitor Centre building and being the first point of contact for all staff and on-site concessions.

You will be responsible for communicating with contractors on site, have daily oversight of the Ranger Team, managing the Information Point and Gift Shop area and providing Visitor Service support and cover as required. You will also be expected to deal with tasks such as regular facility inspections, sitewide litter picking and generally supporting the day to day functions of the site.

This role is designed to help ensure the efficient delivery of an effective and reputable Country Park, so being organised with good customer service skills and the ability to manage a varied and changeable workload is essential. 

Other duties include being involved in the organisational aspect of the visitor services provision and assisting with the various add-on activities the site offers, such as Cycle Hire, Adventure Valley, Ranger Den and the Retail section of the Country Park.

The ideal candidate will have; experience of working in a busy customer facing environment, excellent communication and organisation skills and a background in completing operational tasks within a similar working environment. Onsite training will be provided to the successful candidate, along with practical training and knowledge.

This post will involve working 37hrs per week, spread over 5 days, to include varied weekends and evenings. You must be willing to wear a uniform and work during school holidays.

For an informal confidential discussion about this role, please contact Kerri Downton on 01425 470721. Internal candidates expressing an interest must do so by: 10.03.25, via email; [email protected]

We’re passionate about making Dorset a great place to live, work and visit. Working for us should be no exception. 

At Dorset Council we: 

• provide more than 450 services to over 300,000 residents 
• have ambitious aspirations  
• are excited about our future 
• care about Dorset and all the people who live here 
• know that all roles make a difference and that our employees are key to our success 

You will: 

• have access to a range of employee benefits  
• be part of an organisation that supports each other to grow and succeed 
• have access to range of training opportunities which will help with your personal development and career progression 

We are challenging ourselves to become a more diverse and inclusive organisation. We recognise that recruitment and inclusion of individuals with diverse skills, perspectives and backgrounds will bring real strength to the council and our communities. We have a commitment to equality and welcome applications from everyone. 

We are proud to be a Disability Confident Employer. We offer an interview to everyone who declares a disability and meets the essential criteria for the role. We are keen to make our interviews accessible. Let us know on your job application if you have a disability and need any reasonable adjustments. 

We also look for applicants who share our commitment to our values. We will ask you to evidence when you have demonstrated them as part of the selection process. 

This role is UK based and we will need to establish your Right to Work as part of the appointment process. 

We use generic job descriptions and person specifications. This means the job title on any attachments may differ from the job title in the advert. We may provide specific information in a context statement if relevant. 

Find out more about how to apply.