JOB SUMMARY

We are looking to recruit a Wildlife Ranger Manager to join the FLS East Region Wildlife Management Team. The post will be based working out of our Huntly Office covering the Speyside, Morayshire, Donside, Deeside and Aberdeenshire areas of East Region. Occasional support to elsewhere in the Region may occur.
Forestry and Land Scotland is the Scottish Government agency responsible for managing Scotland’s national forests and land. Key roles are delivering a sustainable resource of timber, improving, and expanding native habitats, mitigating climate change, and providing space for public recreation. Sustainable deer and wildlife management is the foundation to achieving the Scottish Governments resource, native habitat, and climate targets.
East Region extends from Nairn in the Northwest to the forests of north Fife and Perthshire in the south. It includes substantial parts of the Cairngorms National Park and the river catchments of Spey, Deveron, Don, Dee, South Esk and Tay.
The region has an annual harvesting program of approximately 530k m3 per annum and restocking of over 1000ha/ annum along with ambitious woodland creation targets. A programme of peatland restoration is underway, and the Region has significantly scaled windfarm developments in planning.
The Region’s forests play a key role in providing recreation and tourism attracting large numbers of visitors with key sites at Tentsmuir, Faskally and Queen’s View in the south and the peri urban forests in Aberdeen City, the upland walks of Bennachie and the coastal forests of Roseisle and Culbin in the north. There are in addition forests where the primary aim is sustainable timber production.
This is an exciting time for wildlife management within FLS as we work to deliver against the recommendations of the Scottish Government Deer Working Group Report. Through the professional management of deer densities and damage impacts, FLS can protect its planting, natural regeneration and a wide range of habitats, soils, ground flora and understorey. This role will play a key part in achieving these goals and allowing East Region to contribute significantly to the Scottish Government’s Green Recovery, Climate Change, and Biodiversity objectives.

JOB DESCRIPTION

Sustainable herbivore management is a key foundation to the successful delivery of a range of Scottish Government targets on carbon capture, improving habitats and timber production.
This position will assist the East Regions Area Wildlife Manager to manage and ensure delivery of the annual cull and venison sale of the regions cull target.
Interpretation of cull data, browsing impact reports, deer density assessments and population modelling will be required to manage ongoing and future culls.
Maintaining deer numbers between two to five deer per Km2 across the estate is critical to the successful delivery of these targets and future resource availability.
Within East Region the data and population modelling suggest an annual cull requirement of around 10,000 deer, principally Red and Roe but does also include a smaller number of Fallow (approx. two hundred) and a few Sika Deer are processed through eight deer larders operated by FLS. Culling is delivered through a combination of in-house staff and Contract resource.

EXPERIENCE

Essential:

• Demonstrable experience of delivering or managing significant levels of deer culls and an understanding of the coordination and the skills sets involved.
• Up to date knowledge/experience of managing woodland deer.
• Demonstrable experience of Microsoft Office packages, particularly Word, Excel, and Outlook.
• Health, Safety and Wellbeing management of high-risk activities.

Desirable:

• An understanding of Forestry and Land Scotland’s Deer Management, Current Practices and Future Direction.
• Experience of managing people and supporting them through change.
• Experience of effectively managing contracts with a focus on quality.
• Demonstrate a collaborative approach, working across teams to achieve common goals.
• Experience of tactical budget management

Technical

Essential:

• Personal Firearms Certificate
• Deer Management Qualifications level 1 & 2 (including large game handling)
• Trained hunter status.

Desirable:

• A recognised qualification in Wildlife Management, Forestry, Business Management, or similar land-based qualification.
• Familiar with the Deer Working Group report and its recommendations.
• Proficient in the use of GIS.
• An understanding of the Deer (Scotland) Act 1996 as amended.
• An understanding of the Firearms Act 1968 and as amended.

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)
• 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

Other