Priority Candidates will be considered in the first instance
Pennington Flash Nature Reserve
St Helens Road
Leigh
WN7 3PA
Salary: Grade 4, £25,583 - £26,824 per annum. £13.26 - £13.90 per hour
37 hours per week
We're on a journey to build a workforce reflective of our Borough.
We are committed to fostering diverse teams where everybody can bring their authentic selves to work and feel that they belong. If you want to work for a Council where everybody is encouraged to meet their full potential and make a difference in our neighbourhoods, we would love to hear from you!
Your role:
As a Park Ranger you will have a wide range of responsibilities and duties such as habitat maintenance, facility maintenance, supporting with the day-to-day operations and customer service.
You will maintain the site facilities and keep the presentation of the site up to a high standard. Achieving this will include emptying bins, litter picking, cleaning, rubbish removal, structure repairs and equipment inspections.
Habitat maintenance will require the use of various tools and equipment powered and non-powered. You will be required to use chainsaws, brush cutters, spraying equipment and vehicles all of which will require licencing and certification or training. Training will be arranged for you to gain the correct qualifications/certificates although current, valid licencing and previous experience is preferred.
About you:
It is essential that you have experience working outdoors in all elements and a good understanding of wildlife, habitat maintenance and conservation works
You will be required to work as part of a team and individually to complete various duties around site.
You will have working knowledge of health & safety in the workplace.
Valid licensing/certification preferred for use of chainsaws, brush cutters and spraying equipment training will be provided to obtain qualifications needed.
Holding a full UK driving license preferred but not a requirement.
About us:
Wigan Council has been voted ‘Overall Council of the Year’ at the APSE (Association for Public Service Excellence) Awards. We are signed up to the Greater Manchester Continuous Service Commitment ensuring that your service will be continuous or 'unbroken' between the supporting organisations.
The Progress with Unity plan is a place movement for change for the next decade, bringing a new era for Wigan Borough. It draws on the strengths of our individual organisations, recognising that together we can achieve much more for our communities by delivering on our 2 place missions; create fair opportunities for all children, families, residents and businesses and make our towns and neighbourhoods flourish for those who live and work in them.
Pennington Flash Nature Reserve is a recognised National Nature Reserve and the only NNR situated in the whole of Greater Manchester. This status designates us as a grade listed site for ecological importance. The site is 490-acres in size which includes various wildlife habitats such as wetlands, grasslands, meadows, woodlands and water.
We also offer other services and facilities such as an adventure playground, bird hides overlooking the habitats, nature trails, a café and a 9-hole golf course.
In this role you will learn the core skills and principles of being a park ranger within a nature reserve environment. You will be trained on how maintain the various habitats and the conservation efforts behind it. These are specific skills and knowledge that can only be gained whilst actively carrying out the job on site, applying the theoretical side to it as you go along. This role will provide you with an education and understanding of nature and conservation whilst also providing you with the opportunity to upskill in many areas by means of acquiring various qualifications.
Here at Wigan, we are proud to support flexible working patterns, when the service can accommodate this. We also take a blended approach to where we work, depending on the work we do. This may include working from home, the office, or the community. We like to thank our employees for their hard work and commitment by giving them the opportunity to access a range of exclusive rewards and benefits click here to find out more about working for #TeamWigan.
To be appointed to this role you must be able to prove your right to work in the UK. Please visit the link below to check you qualify to apply. Please note, at present we are not a licenced sponsor. Prove your right to work to an employer: Overview - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Prove your right to work to an employer
For further information, please contact Joe Greenhalgh, Park Assistant Manager - Joe.greenhalgh@wigan.gov.uk
Interview date: Wednesday 4th February 2026
To view the details relating to this position, please click the links below: