Jobs

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.

Application Deadline: Sunday 21/09/2025