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Job summary

As Visitor Support Officer, you will contribute to achieving an exceptional visitor experience, providing outstanding service, so visitors leave with lasting memories. Working across our visitor welcome/visitor centre, you will also work with the wider team to maintain our visitor facilities, making sure our visitors have a smooth, inclusive and enjoyable experience. You will help cultivate a supportive and positive work environment that encourages teamwork, productivity and individual growth. You will take opportunities to promote Forestry England’s work including events, membership, legacy giving and volunteering.

No two days are the same and the demands of the role can vary widely, so you must be resilient, adaptable and prepared to respond to situations and environments that can be challenging and unpredictable.

The role is based in the Ranger Office at Beechenhurst and requires regular weekend working, including bank holidays.

You will also spend time supporting the wider team around the Forest, at other recreation sites such as Symonds Yat Rock, Mallards Pike, and the Forest of Dean Cycle Centre.

The role involves working outdoors in all weather’s year around, both alone and with other staff and/or volunteers. You will travel around the forest on foot, by bike and in vehicles, both on and off road. Some tasks can be physically demanding.

Job description

Key responsibilities & accountabilities

• Provide face-to-face customer service at peak times, handling credit card sales and giving advice and information to visitors in an inclusive, positive and friendly manner, as well as proactively selling Forestry England memberships.
• Regularly inspect car parks, walking, running and cycling routes, and other recreational facilities including play areas.
• Support in completing tree checks across recreation sites, trails and public rights of way.
• Oversee parking infrastructure, addressing any issues quickly to ensure a hassle-free experience for visitors.
• Support the maintenance of recreation facilities, including litter management, bin emptying, replenishing toilet consumables, vegetation management, signage installation and basic DIY to maintain a safe and enjoyable environment. Barrier opening and toilet cleaning may be required on occasion.
• Support delivery of events on recreation sites, including events run by Forestry England and third parties, as well as monitoring authorised permissions.
• Undertake visitor surveys, compile data and present findings in written reports.
• Promote sites and activities via social media in conjunction with the marketing and communications team.
• Facilitate all-terrain mobility scooter hire, including delivery of hire to customers and basic safety checks.
• Respond to unexpected incidents (e.g. lost children, first aid incidents) and support emergency services as required.
• Work closely with staff and volunteers, ensuring a supportive and collaborative atmosphere.
• Be willing to train in first aid and help when needed, contributing to safe and effective visitor support services.
• Follow Forestry England’s procedures for risk assessments, and customer service, being consistent and efficient.
• Carrying out minor repairs.
• Helping with stock management.
  
  And any other tasks, reasonably requested by your line manager.

Person specification

Skills, knowledge & experience

Essential professional and technical experience

• Experience in delivering excellent customer service both in-person and using a variety of digital platforms
• Willingness and ability to work outdoors in all weathers and to carry out manual tasks
• Proven ability to work as part of a team
• Practical understanding or a willingness to learn about health & safety best practices and a commitment to a positive health and safety culture in an outdoor environment
• Competent IT user with experience in MS Office suite of applications

Desirable professional and technical experience

• Basic DIY experience including the ability to carry out minor maintenance tasks on visitor buildings, signage, trails
• Experience of operating electronic admissions or retail till systems
• Experience of managing stock
• Working knowledge of risk assessments and safe working in an outdoor setting
• Experience of working at a visitor attraction in the heritage and or environment sector

Qualifications

Essential

• full UK driving licence
• a GCSE in Maths and English or functional skills equivalent/equivalent Engineering subject

Behaviours

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Working Together
• Communicating and Influencing
• Delivering at Pace
• Making Effective Decisions

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £26,959, Forestry Commission contributes £7,810 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides (opens in a new window).

• Learning and development tailored to your role
• An environment with flexible working options
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
• A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%

Things you need to know

Artificial intelligence

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. Please see our candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours.

How to apply…

You will be asked to write a 200 word statement on your relevant experience and career history, along with a personal statement of no more than 500 words. You will be assessed on both during sifting. More details about how to apply are listed on the application form.

You will be assessed on experience and behaviour based questions during your interview.

The Behaviours being assessed at interview are –

• Working Together
• Communicating and Influencing
• Delivering at Pace
• Making Effective Decisions

Successful candidates will undergo a criminal record check and the government baseline personnel security standard check.

If you require any reasonable adjustments, please email fcrecruitmentteam@forestryengland.uk.

If you're planning to use AI to support your application, please ensure you've read our guidelines here first.

Read more about our application process and working with us on the Forestry England website.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Medical

Successful candidates will be expected to have a medical.

Nationality requirements

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

Working for the Civil Service

Please note this Post is NOT regulated by the Civil Service Commission.The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.

Diversity and Inclusion

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see theCivil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).

Apply and further information

This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative.The Civil Service welcomes applications from people who have recently left prison or have an unspent conviction. Read more about prison leaver recruitment (opens in new window).Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Contact point for applicants

Job contact :

• Name : fcrecruitmentteam@forestryengland.uk
• Email : fcrecruitmentteam@forestryengland.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : fcrecruitmentteam@forestryengland.uk

Further information

Our recruitment process is underpinned by the principle of appointment on the basis of fair and open competition and appointment on merit, as outlined in the Civil Service Commissioners’ Recruitment Principles.If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with these principles and you wish to make a complaint, you should in the first instance contact FCE by email: englandhr.services@forestryengland.uk. If you are not satisfied with the response you receive, you can contact the Civil Service Commission, which regulates all Civil Service recruitment.

Attachments

Forestry England Job Description - Visitor Services Officer (PB6B) Opens in new window (pdf, 167kB)