City of London

Conservation Ranger / Ecologist

Contract type: permanent

Closing date: Noon, 4 October 2023

Salary Range: £35,670 - £40,360 inclusive of Outer London Weighting dependent on experience

Location: Merlewood Estate Office, Caterham, Surrey

This is an exciting opportunity to play a leading role in protecting and enhancing exceptional nature reserves as part of the City of London’s Natural Environment Division. You will join the team at West Wickham and Coulsdon Commons helping manage these nationally recognised sites.

You will support the teams responsible for our nature reserve management, helping to develop management plans and polices, delivering ecological surveying and conservation projects. You will monitor the impacts of our management and operations, advising on changes to work programmes or grazing regimes. This role will coordinate the administration of local agri-environment agreements and work closely with other staff to engage with emerging policy and develop opportunities to deliver work programmes and nature recovery across The Commons.

Additionally, you will raise awareness of wildlife and heritage conservation challenges and successes, and the work of the City of London Corporation across all sectors of our local communities, including schools and colleges.

We are looking for an enthusiastic and professional officer who is organised and motivated and able to prioritise their workload to help ensure our open spaces remain outstanding areas for biodiversity. You will need to have the ability and confidence to work independently using your own initiative but also work effectively as part of a wider team.

You will be office and field based, you will need to write reports, collect evidence and engage with a variety of stakeholders in the private and public sectors. The ability to communicate well both in writing and verbally is therefore essential for this role.

This role will offer opportunities to look outwards, working closely with our neighbours and colleagues in other organisations looking to deliver nature’s recovery on a landscape scale.

What we need from you

• Degree-level qualification in a relevant subject or ability to show equivalent work experience.
• Experience of managing projects and working to survey, protect and /or manage important sites, species or habitats.
• Excellent communication skills (verbal, written and presentational) – including an ability to speak confidently and cogently in public and advocating a position to those who may have a different view.
• Strong and effective self-management and organisational skills.
• The ability to use specialised IT systems, such as GIS
• Ability to form effective teams and work effectively as a team player and leader.
• Sufficient understanding of landscape scale conservation; land use and management; planning systems; to be able to lead casework response and advise staff on appropriate responses and interventions.
• Hold a current full UK valid licence to drive fleet vehicles.

    
You will work 35 hours per week, your duties will often require you to work outside and also occasional weekends and evenings.

You will be based at the Merlewood Estate Office in Caterham, Surrey which serves both the Coulsdon and the West Wickham Commons.

Starting salary will be dependent upon qualifications and experience. For further information about West Wickham and Coulsdon Commons you can visit our website

Closing date: Noon, 4 October 2023

To apply online please click here

Alternatively, please contact 020 7332 3978 (24 hr answerphone) quoting reference number OENV0184. A minicom service for the hearing impaired is available on 020 7332 3732.

This post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act and as part of the selection process the successful applicant will be required to obtain an enhanced Disclosure & Barring Service check.

The City of London Corporation is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.

The City of London Corporation is committed to Equal Opportunities and welcomes applications from all sections of the community.

Closing Date: 04/10/2023  Location: Merlewood Estate Office, Caterham, Surrey