Full Time

JOB PURPOSE
This is an exciting and dynamic leadership role that offers the opportunity to shape the future of some of Scotland’s most treasured landscapes and heritage sites. As Head Ranger, you will be at the heart of conserving and enhancing six breathtaking locations, ensuring they remain accessible, engaging, and inspiring for visitors now and in the future.
Your work will blend conservation with creativity—enhancing biodiversity, managing woodland, welcoming thousands of visitors, and fostering a deep connection between people and place. You will champion nature, culture, and community engagement at the region’s most heavily visited sites.
Beyond stewardship, you will bring energy and vision to visitor experiences, developing innovative ways to inspire and grow audiences while safeguarding Scotland’s natural heritage. You’ll also manage visitor operations, including visitor facilities, events, and key partnerships, ensuring these sites thrive sustainably. This is more than a management role—it’s an opportunity to leave a lasting legacy for Scotland’s landscapes, wildlife, and communities.
If you are a bold leader with a passion for conservation, people, and place, this role offers the perfect platform to make a real difference.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES AND ACCOUNTABILITIES
Audience Engagement
 Develop and implement strategies to enhance public engagement and access to the natural heritage across the sites.
 Increase audience reach through events, interpretation, and community engagement initiatives.

Nature Conservation
 Provide technical leadership on all aspects of nature conservation across the six sites.
 Lead the development and implementation of appropriate management frameworks – for example the woodland management plans.
 Use expertise and experience to influence and develop internal and external policy statements and positions and implement initiatives to protect wildlife.
 Survey wildlife and habitats and feed this knowledge into management decisions, marketing of natural heritage, and further development of our voice.
 Organising and implementing all ecological monitoring across six sites. All work feeding into national and international monitoring schemes.
 Maintain and manage habitats and wildlife with the aim of protecting species and increasing biodiversity.
 Contribute to the planning and lead the delivery of practical conservation to deliver the outputs agreed in the annual budget process.
 Provide information to visitors to encourage more visitors and help people get more out of their engagement with natural heritage and give more back to it including “upselling” membership and events using face to face and by other means of interaction such as social media.
 Maintain countryside estate infrastructure at small, day to day scale (e.g. paths, gates, signs, vegetation management) to achieve ecological, visitor services and safety outcomes.
 Support Operations Manager and Regional Director by representing the Trust at external meetings as appropriate for example, Woodland management meetings, national media and local committees.

Visitor Safety & Site Maintenance
 Ensure visitor safety across all sites through risk assessments, proactive maintenance, and emergency response planning.
 Oversee the upkeep of paths, signage, gardens, and visitor facilities, ensuring high-quality visitor experiences.
 There are some structures which will require maintained in partnership with the buildings team – for example the Atholl Fountain in Dunkeld, the Killiecrankie Visitor Centre and bridges across all sites.

Stakeholder Engagement & Partnerships
 Build and maintain relationships with local communities, partners, and key stakeholders, including Scottish Forestry, local authorities, and conservation organisations.
 Represent the National Trust for Scotland at meetings and events, advocating for the sites’ strategic objectives.

Financial, Commercial & Operational Management
 Manage budgets and resources effectively, ensuring cost-effective site management and maintenance.
 Identify opportunities for funding and grant applications to support conservation and visitor engagement initiatives.
 Work with the Branklyn VSM and VSS Functions to ensure the wedding programme at The Hermitage runs smoothly.

Living the Trust’s Values
Demonstrate and promote the National Trust for Scotland’s core values in all aspects of work:
 Brave – Be willing to take innovative and bold approaches to conservation and engagement.
 Caring – Show dedication to the protection of Scotland’s natural and cultural heritage and to the communities engaging with it.
 Curious – Seek new opportunities to enhance visitor experiences and learn about emerging conservation practices.
 Inclusive – Foster an open and welcoming environment for all visitors, stakeholders, and team members.
 Vibrant – Bring energy and enthusiasm to the role, ensuring that the sites remain dynamic and inspiring places to visit.
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS, SKILLS, EXPERIENCE & KNOWLEDGE
Essential
 Demonstrable experience in land, garden, or site management, preferably within the conservation, forestry, or heritage sectors.
 Strong understanding of woodland and natural heritage management, including Scottish Forestry Long Term Forest Plans.
 Experience in public engagement, community outreach, or environmental education.
 Knowledge of biodiversity conservation, habitat restoration, and invasive species control.
 Proven ability to manage visitor safety, risk assessments, and site maintenance in outdoor environments.
 Experience in herbivore management, including working with relevant regulations and best practices.
 Strong stakeholder engagement skills, with experience collaborating with partners, local communities, and conservation organisations.
 Budget and project management experience, with the ability to deliver objectives within financial constraints.
 Excellent communication and leadership skills, capable of managing staff, volunteers, and contractors.

Desirable
 Relevant degree or qualification in forestry, ecology, environmental management, countryside management, horticulture, or a related field.
 Professional tree inspection certification.
 Understanding of the National Trust for Scotland’s mission, policies, and conservation priorities.
 First aid qualification or experience in outdoor health and safety.
 Knowledge of grant applications and external funding opportunities for conservation projects.
 Experience with GIS mapping or other digital tools for land management.
 Experience in working with commercial leaseholders to enhance site sustainability and visitor experiences.

The Role

Are you passionate about lichens and committed to developing your identification and ecological skills in relation to lichenology as part of a paid traineeship?

The National Trust for Scotland (NTS) and Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh are working together to support the growth of a trainee lichenologist over a two year period. You are invited to work on some of the finest lichen habitats in Scotland from the uplands of Ben Lawers and Glencoe to the atlantic woodland of Balmacara and the remote islands of St Kilda and Fair Isle. You will engage with national experts to support your learning journey. You will have access to training and world class facilities from the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh plus personal equipment and travel expenses will be provided.

About us

The National Trust for Scotland is the largest conservation charity in Scotland, managing 76,000ha of Scotland’s finest habitats with the support of over 340,000 members. We also support and encourage access to our outdoor places and provide educational and recreational opportunities for our visitors.

The Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh is a global centre for biodiversity science and education. We collaborate to advance our goals in plant and fungal research, conservation, education and public engagement – locally, nationally and globally.

What you will do

• Engage with mentors to ensure an effective learning journey.
• Contribute to the development of your personal work programme.
• Engage with the wider network of lichenologists in Scotland.
• Undertake lichenology field work, often at remote sites and occasionally in a lone working situation, including mountains and islands.
• Undertake desk based, library and herbarium research on Scottish lichens.
• Write technical internal reports in relation to lichen survey and conservation and if applicable publish your findings.
• Provide limited technical advice on lichen conservation to NTS staff, as your capability builds.
• Contribute to media work on lichen conservation and the wider work of NTS and RBGE.
• Contribute to the development of risk assessments and safe working on site.
• Support the Trust’s National Nature Team and RBGE’s Conservation Science team with other tasks as relevant.

Your qualifications, experience, knowledge and skills

Applications to the role will include consideration of the below criteria and others as outlined in the Job Description:

Essential

• Prior interest in lichenology.
• Experience of writing basic scientific reports.
• Experience of developing and deploying a personal work or study programme.
• Experience of working with and learning from experts in a scientific setting.
• Experience of research in a related field of taxonomy or ecology, either formally or informally.
• A driving licence for driving within the UK.
• Ability to travel throughout Scotland regularly, including to and within rugged and remote locations.
• Ability to work safely in remote and rugged locations.
• Communication aptitude in a scientific setting, eg study or field work.

Desirable
• Moderate to well-developed expertise in relation to Lichenology.
• A relevant degree or similar qualification.
• Experience of a relevant applied aspect of nature conservation.
• Experience of developing a personal training programme.
• Experience of submitting travel expenses.
• Experience of equipment use relevant to the role, e.g. microscope, GPS or sampling equipment.
• Media experience.

DCA is a highly successful, internationally renowned centre for contemporary art that enables audiences, artists, and participants to see, experience and create through our four programme areas: Exhibitions, Cinema, Print and Learning.

We are currently recruiting for a Visitor Services Manager to join our team.

Department: Visitor Services

Hours: 30 hours per week

Working Pattern: Mon-Fri 9:30-16:30, plus one weekend in five

Salary: £25,573.80 per annum

Contract Type: Permanent

Reporting to: Deputy Director/Head of External Relations

Direct Reports: Visitor Assistants, Duty Supervisor, Senior Duty Supervisor

Location: Dundee Contemporary Arts (DCA)

Role Overview

Dundee Contemporary Arts seeks an experienced, proactive and organised individual to fill the key post of Visitor Services Manager. Leading DCA’s team of Visitor Assistants and Supervisors, the Visitor Services Manager ensures our team offers the highest standards of customer service and in-depth knowledge of DCA’s programme. This role is ideal for someone with extensive front-of-house and ticketing experience, who enjoys interacting with visitors and managing a team.

Reporting to the Deputy Director/Head of External Relations.

To apply, please send the following to dca.recruitment@dca.org.uk :

Covering letter or video/voice file demonstrating how your skills and experience match the job description (max 800 words or 3 mins for a video file).
Please include which post you are applying for.
CV (written or video/voice file)
Application form

Deadline for completed applications is Mon 15 September at 17:00.

Interviews are expected to take place within three weeks after the closing date. The questions will be circulated in advance of the interview.

If you require this advert, job description or application form in an alternative format please email dca.recruitment@dca.org.ukor call 01382 432490.

Dundee Contemporary Arts

152 Nethergate, Dundee, DD1 4DY

DCA is supported by Dundee City Council and Creative Scotland

DCA is committed to addressing the inequality that prevents equal access to opportunities in the arts and will be implementing a policy of positive action when selecting candidates. We encourage applications from those who are underrepresented in the arts and cultural sectors and who face barriers to access.