Manchester City Council
Head Ranger
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Location: Boggart-hole-Clough, Charlestown Road, Blackley, Manchester, M9 7DH
Working Hours: 35 Hours Per Week
Contract Type: Full-Time Permanent
Additional Payments: Casual Car Allowance
Closing Date: 18 August 2026
Closing time: 11.59pm
Interview Method: Face to Face
Legal Right to Work: In accordance with Home Office guidance, successful candidates must evidence their right to work in the UK before commencement of employment
Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI): Artificial Intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application. However, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action
This role is subject to -
2 References - where possible we require 3 years' history.
DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) clearance - this post is covered by the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (amended in 2013). Appointable candidates will be required to apply for a Standard Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check. Information provided by you or the DBS will be dealt with in a confidential manner and in accordance with the DBS Code of Practice which can be viewed here (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/dbs-code-of-practice). We have a policy on the Employment of Ex-Offenders and it is available upon request.
Casual Car Documentation - The successful candidate will be a designated Casual Car User which means that car journeys may be necessary on an occasional basis, but are not essential to the role. If you do drive, you must always hold a full valid driving licence and provide your own car for use at work, as well as provide all the appropriate documentation. You will receive an allowance per mile of business use.
If you're successful in securing the Head Ranger role, you'll have the opportunity to help shape the future of Manchester's parks and green spaces, helping to ensure they remain welcoming, vibrant, and accessible places for residents and visitors alike.
This is an exciting role because it combines leadership, community engagement, event management, and service development, allowing you to make a visible difference to the quality of life across the city. Manchester's parks are essential community spaces that support health, wellbeing, biodiversity, recreation, and social connection, and the Head Ranger plays a pivotal role in maximising their value and impact.
No two days are the same for a Head Ranger - the role offers the opportunity to work collaboratively with local communities, Friends of Parks groups, councillors, partners, contractors, volunteers, and colleagues across the Council to deliver initiatives that encourage people to use, enjoy, and take pride in their local green spaces.
You will help lead a team of Rangers and Estate Officers drive quality and engagement across Manchester parks. You will be supporting the delivery of park plans, events (big and small), engagement activities, and improvement projects, and contribute directly to Manchester City Council's ambition to create cleaner, greener, healthier neighbourhoods for everyone.
For an informal discussion about the role, please contact the hiring manager, Jenni Butler on 07788978723 or jenni.butler@manchester.gov.uk
We would love to hear from you if you are a passionate, motivated and experienced parks professional who is committed to improving green spaces, engaging communities, and leading teams to deliver high-quality services. The successful candidate will be an effective leader with a strong track record of partnership working, stakeholder engagement, and performance monitoring.
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Essential Requirements For The Role
Candidates must be able to demonstrate experience of:
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Communication Skills: Demonstrates an understanding of the views of others and communicates in a realistic and practical manner using appropriate language and medium; listens attentively to views and issues of others and responds to issues arising.
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Analytical Skills: Able and confident to resolve moderately complicated queries in their area of knowledge using logical thinking to explain reasoning behind decisions or actions taken.
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Planning and Organisation: Demonstrate the ability to organise multiple tasks in the most effective way, and allocate time and energy according to task complexity and priority.
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Project Management: Planning skills to map the achievement of a desired outcome through a series of actions and milestones with an ability to implement monitoring techniques to capture progress made.
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Problem Solving and Decision Making: Ability to analyse situations, diagnose problems, identify the key issues, establish and evaluate alternative courses of action and produce a logical, practical and acceptable solution.
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Creative Skills: Ability to think creatively and provide innovative solutions to problems. Has ability to develop new approaches to finding solutions outside of existing parameters.
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Strategic Thinking: Contributes to the development, implementation and evaluation of strategy to shape future plans.
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Commissioning Skills: Understands how to work with contractors and has experience in maintaining quality of work through the commissioning process.
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ICT Skills: Skills to use ICT systems to obtain and analyse data and present it effectively through a variety of ICT channels.
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Financial Management: Ability to monitor expenditure against budget and seek value for money.
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Commercial Skills: Ability to collect and report on supplier performance data and apply basic procurement processes to routine procurement situations.
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People Management: Ability to organise own and others activities with an ability to carry out operational planning for a specific service area
The candidate must hold a full UK driving licence and being willing to travel across the city as required for operational purposes.
Desirable requirements that would be useful in this role
The Ideal Candidate May Also Have
- Experience of managing volunteers, Friends of Parks groups or community-led projects.
- Experience of working within local government or a large public-sector organisation.
- Knowledge of environmental sustainability, biodiversity improvement and green space management.
- Experience of securing external funding, grants or sponsorship opportunities.
- Experience of organising public events, educational programmes or community activities.
- Experience of working with enforcement, neighbourhood, environmental or community safety partners.
- Experience of working with third-sector organisations and external partners to deliver community outcomes.
We Are Looking For Someone Who Is
- Passionate about parks, green spaces and community wellbeing.
- A visible and inspiring leader who can motivate and support others.
- Customer-focused and committed to delivering excellent services.
- Collaborative, approachable and able to build trust with stakeholders.
- Innovative and proactive in identifying opportunities for improvement.
- Committed to Manchester City Council's values and ambitions for creating cleaner, greener and more connected neighbourhoods.
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We’re the local council for one of the UK’s most vibrant and diverse cities.
Working for Manchester isn’t just a job - it’s an opportunity to contribute to a city that leads change and transforms lives. Whether it’s strengthening communities or driving innovation in public services, you’ll play a vital role in creating opportunities and shaping a brighter future for everyone.
Our Manchester Is Our Vision For a Fairer, Greener, And Healthier City - a Vision Shaped By The People Of Manchester. It Guides Everything We Do At The Council And Is Brought To Life Through The Our Manchester Behaviours
- We take time to listen and understand
- We work together and trust each other
- We show that we value our differences and treat each other fairly
- We ‘own it’ and we’re not afraid to try new things
- We’re proud and passionate about Manchester
Benefits We Offer
- Generous holiday allowance - Enjoy up to 26 days annual leave per year plus bank holidays. Increasing to 31 days after five years of local government service. Want more leave? You can purchase up to two additional weeks during our annual leave purchase period.
- A buzzing pension - You’ll be enrolled in the UK’s largest local government pension scheme, with plenty of options to top up your benefits. Includes life cover of three-times your salary as a lump sum.
- Enhanced parental and carers leave - Take advantage of our enhanced family leave options, designed to provide ample time for you to bond with your new born or support your family during critical life events.
- Brilliant perks - Access a range of discounts, from saving on the weekly shop to holidays and days out with MCR+. Plus discounts on phone contracts, cycle to work scheme, free flu jabs and eye tests, and more.
- Learn and grow - We are dedicated to nurturing talent and providing you with the tools to thrive. Take part in a diverse set of learning opportunities, from workshops and training sessions through to apprenticeships and qualifications. All this begins with our comprehensive onboarding process.
- A Good Employment Charter member - We are committed to offering secure, flexible work and embedding fairness into everything we do. We review pay annually, recognize three trade unions, and are constantly working to offer the best possible health and wellbeing support throughout all stages of your working life.
- Up to 3 days volunteering leave - Give back to the community with three days pro-rate of paid volunteering leave, in addition to existing benefits.
Creating an Inclusive Team at Manchester City Council
At Manchester City Council, we’re dedicated to creating a workplace that truly reflects the diversity of the communities we serve. We actively welcome applications from people of all ages and backgrounds, particularly from Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic communities, Disabled people and young people.
Support During the Process
- Interview Adjustments: Let us know if you need any adjustments to demonstrate your suitability during the interview.
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