Overview

Horsham District Council are looking for a Countryside Warden to work across the Parks and Countryside estate. This includes the Warnham Local Nature Reserve, and Southwater Country Park and a range of other sites from an urban cemetery designated as a Local Wildlife Site to a SSSI wood.

As a Countryside Warden you will help manage both urban and rural sites, working with colleagues, volunteers and contractors. Practical habitat management and maintenance of site infrastructure is a key part of the work, but so is excellent customer service to help manage our visitors. There is also working with our small herd of livestock, biological recording and seeking to improve biodiversity across those of our Parks and open spaces which are not principally managed for wildlife.

To succeed as Countryside Warden you will have a wide range of practical countryside management experience and passionate about wildlife. You must be out-going and able to lead volunteers and explain both site works and species ID to the general public. You will need to have good administrative and IT skills, and as part of a small, hard-working and friendly team, you must be adaptable and willing to take the initiative.

For an informal discussion about this role please call Jake Everitt, Countryside Manager on 01403 256890.

Horsham District Council encourages and supports their employees to have a healthy work life balance by supporting their professional development as well as offering 27 days’ annual leave plus bank holidays (pro-rata), a generous benefits package and an online platform offering discounts from online retailers. Staff are eligible to join a contributory pension scheme where the Council contributes 20% of pensionable salary. The Council also provides reimbursement for professional subscriptions and access to a car lease scheme. Most of our office-based roles have the potential for hybrid working, we are currently trialling a 50/50 home/office working model, subject to review.

If you would like to apply for the role, we highly recommend you show clearly within the ‘Experience Section’ of the application form how you meet the essential criteria detailed within the Role Profile when applying. If you do not make this clear, it is unlikely you will be shortlisted for interview.