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What types of jobs can I expect to find advertised within CJS?

                       

CJS began initially as a specialist publication for Countryside Rangers which is why we're endorsed by the Rangers Associations of England & Wales (CMA) and of Scotland (SCRA) - see Our Endorsements page for more about these.  Since our small beginnings in July 1994 CJS has grown to cover all of the countryside, conservation and environmental fields, however, countryside and land management (including interpretation) remain at the heart of all we do.

What areas does CJS include?

Click on your area of interest for more information:

   

Geographic Areas

Geographically we cover the whole of the UK, England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.  We will also advertise jobs overseas if they are sent to us direct from the employer but do not include overseas vacancies in the digest of vacancies within CJS Weekly.

Click here to see the distribution of vacancies advertised online by CJS during 2023.

 

Job types: 

everything within the countryside, conservation and environment sectors. We do not advertise Environmental Health vacancies, microbiology, statistical modelling or work which includes radiation e.g. monitoring emissions.

To see the range and numbers of vacancies advertised online during 2023 click here.

       

Our specialism is countryside management: 

CJS was started for rangers and this is still at the centre of CJS, including all forms of land management.  Typical job titles: Countryside Ranger, Countryside Warden, Countryside Officer, Park Ranger, Park Warden, Estate Manager, Reserve Manager, Reserve Warden, Greenspace Warden, Countryside & Parks Officer, Estate Team Leader, Estate Warden, Estate Ranger, Land Management Officer, Coastal Warden, Conservation Ranger, Site Management Officer, Area Officer, Area Ranger.  Estate or Land Management is the term most often used in connection with managing private land rather than charity or council holdings.  The duties are often similar to a council ranger although the aim maybe slightly different.  Typical job titles include: Estate Manager, Land Agent, or in Scotland Factor, also Estate Worker.

This includes urban areas so vacancies such as Urban Park Warden and Community Ranger are included.  Posts are available at all levels and can be part-time, seasonal, assistant, main grade or senior, you'll also find entry level posts suitable for newly qualified candidates as well as voluntary vacancies.

Countryside Management is now a very wide field and encompasses many initiatives and projects never dreamed of when CJS was first published. Typical job titles include: Biodiversity Officer, Project Officer, Landscape Architect, Planning Officer, Conservation Officer, Coastal Officer, Ecologist, AONB Officer, Ecological Appraisal Officer, Parks and Development Officer, Wildlife Sites Surveyor, Wildlife Sites Officer.

   

Wildlife and biodiversity

which were once broadly termed as 'nature conservation' are now recognised as vital areas within the countryside sector.  This change in emphasis is no better illustrated than by the change in name of the charity from Royal Society of Nature Conservation (RSNC) to The Wildlife Trusts.

   

Wide range of habitats including marine

Countryside is an all encompassing term and includes a wide range of habitats: grassland, woodland, forest, coastal, moorland, montane, freshwater, riverine; CJS also includes vacancies working with marine habitats.  We highlighted the importance of the marine environment in our Special Edition published in August 2006.  It's all too easy to think of 'countryside' as the green and pleasant land of the British Isles but we often forget about the seas surrounding those Isles and these are just as important as the rolling hills.

Where the management is focused on one particular type of environment, species or habitat the job generally falls into the Project Officer role with typical titles such as: Project Officer, Project Co-ordinator, Programme Manager.

     

Trees, Woodland and Arboriculture

The management of the countryside takes many different forms, from the countryside officers detailed above to gamekeepers and arboricultural posts. Typical arboricultural job titles include: Arboricultural Officer, Arborist, Climber / Climbing Arborist, Forest Officer, Forest Craftsperson, Forest Manager, Forest Worker, Forester, Tree & Landscape Officer, Tree & Woodland Officer, Tree Surveyor, Tree Officer, Tree Inspector, Tree Surgeon, Woodland Officer. 

     

Gamekeeping

CJS is a trade member of BASC and recognises the important countryside management and conservation role of country sports and their managers. We advertise a range of 'keeper vacancies including Gamekeeper, Stalker, Ghillie, Beat Keeper.

Urban Greenspace and Communities including health

Conservation is also important in less traditional settings such as urban greenspace and allotments and CJS includes vacancies working on and with this type of location.  Typical job titles include: Greenspace Officer, Neighbourhood Regeneration Programme Officer / Manager, Parks & Open Spaces Officer.

Working with the communities which live on, next to or simply visit countryside sites is a vital part of many roles.  Typical job titles for this type of work include: Community Engagement Officer, Community Outreach Officer; Community Liaison Officer, Environmental Development Officer, Environmental Regeneration Officer, Community Ranger.  We also include community initiatives such as the Green Gym project.

 

Rights of Way and Access

Ensuring visitors and residents alike can access and cross areas of countryside and greenspace is another important facet of good land management.  CJS publishes vacancies in the Rights of Way sector.  Typical job titles include: Rights of Way Officer, Public Rights of Way Ranger, Access Officer, Definitive Map Officer, Parish Paths Officer.

 

Education and Outdoor Activities

It is equally important that visitors know what they are seeing and understand the rationale behind it.  Therefore, you'll also find environmental education and countryside interpretation vacancies advertised in CJS.  This is everything from leading guided walks to producing information panels and leaflets although it is most often encountered as Field Studies Tutors for environmental education centres such as the Field Studies Council.  Other typical job titles include Education Ranger, Events Co-ordinator and tutors.

In response to requests from readers CJS now includes outdoor and adventure instructors posts can be involved in a range of activities from rock climbing to kayaking, long distance walking and leading treks to diving,

CJS also includes lecturers and trainers where the main subject / focus is specifically countryside, wildlife, biological or delivering practical training such as chainsaw certification or field identification skills.

 

Ecology, Biodiversity and Research

Understanding the countryside is vitally important if the land managers and policy makers of today and in the future are to make the best decisions.  Research and fieldwork posts also fall within CJS's remit.  These posts may be surveyors in the field producing the data for the policy makers or the officers interpreting the data and policies for the land managers, residents, land owners, users and other interested parties or quite often a mixture of both job functions.  Typical jobs titles are: Ecologist, Fieldworker, Researcher, Monitoring and Data Officer, Research Scientist, Scientific Officer, Botanist, Appraisal Officer.  Many of these posts are now with private (profit making) consultancies which are contracted by organisations and councils for a specific project or tasks.

Ecological vacancies has become the second largest area covered by CJS after countryside management.

 

Horticulture

Although not thought of as countryside horticulture is still working 'on the land' and in many situations is intrinsically linked with the wider landscape.  Therefore, where this link is apparent CJS will advertise horticulture vacancies.  These have post titles such as: Landscape Gardener, Estate Worker, Landscaper, Gardener-in-Charge, Park Manager.

Another area where greater coverage has been requested and you'll find adverts for gardeners at large properties such as National Trust sites, managing Wildfowl and Wetland Reserve visitor areas and at stately homes.

Farming and agriculture, including city farms

Three quarters of the UK land area is used, in some form, for agricultural purposes (defra 2007) and therefore careful management for future generations is required.  The majority of agricultural vacancies are not relevant for CJS Readership however vacancies where sensible, sustainable use if being proposed, where conservation standards are implemented or where schemes such as the Grazing Animals Project, which benefits species rich grassland and therefore associated wildlife, are being run do fall within CJS's scope and are included in the publications.  Job titles you are likely to see include: Rural Conservation Adviser, Farm Conservation Adviser, Conservation Grazing Project Officer.

Volunteering and Volunteer Management

Unfortunately funding for countryside sections is often not sufficient for all the tasks necessary and therefore volunteers are an essential part of the continued success of the countryside sites and also many of the countryside and conservation charities (e.g. BTCV, RSPB, Wildlife Trusts etc.).  Recruiting and managing volunteers has created a whole new employment field within the countryside sector.  A knowledge of the tasks required and the skills to train and motivate unpaid workers are required for a successful Volunteer Officer. Other typical job titles in this area are: Volunteer Co-ordinator, Volunteering Development Officer, Environmental Youth Worker, Training Officer, Placement Co-ordinator, Volunteering Warden, Volunteers Support Officer.  This area was boosted by the introduction of the New Deal scheme especially the Environmental Task Force element; and more recently by the increasing number and importance of modern apprenticeship schemes (which are not, strictly speaking, voluntary posts).  As well as advertising the paid post for the co-ordinators CJS carries adverts for voluntary posts. These range from admin posts to volunteer wardens on countryside sites and wildlife reserves.  Volunteering is frequently the best way to 'dip a toe in the water' to see if the life of a Ranger (or whatever path you've chosen) is for you.  It is also an excellent method of gaining skills and experience as well as making those vital contacts.  Although these posts are unsalaried many attract substantial benefits which range from simple out of pocket expenses to free accommodation.  The majority of voluntary positions offer some form of training relevant to the post; again the range offered varies enormously, from learning to use the systems and software of the organisation to practical training backed up by certification, e.g. chainsaw or brushcutter certification, or assistance in gaining NVQs or credits towards other certification.

All adverts for volunteer posts are carried in CJS Weekly and online Click here.

Support Services

As the sector grows the support staff become even more important and often a knowledge of countryside or wildlife is of benefit, although office and administration skills will be of paramount important; however these roles can sometimes offer a stepping stone for people wishing to change career.Types of jobs which fall into this group include: Membership Recruiter, Visitor Centre staff, Media Officer, Visitor Services Officer, Recreation Ranger, Press Relations Officer, Admin posts.

Two areas of growing importance are grant and funding administration and a more recent development: social media and website management and these are also included

You'll find information on many of these areas in CJS Focus editions and our In Depth sections.

CJS is well known across the sector and our offer of free advertising (in CJS Weekly) is often a life saver when budgets are getting tight.  If the employer is working in, with, or for conservation, wildlife or the countryside we consider them relevant for our readership.

We advertise vacancies for most of the local authority countryside and access sections, these are all councils, county, city, metropolitan, county borough, town, borough, district and occasionally even parish.  You'll also find adverts for Government agencies Natural England, Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) and Forestry England and, Forestry and land Scotland are all regular advertisers, other government department and agencies are also included e.g. Natural Resources Wales, defra, Defence Infrastructure Organisation and the National Parks.  The major national countryside and wildlife charities use CJS's Services including: The National Trust, The National Trust for Scotland, the county Wildlife Trusts, the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust (WWT), British Trust for Ornithology (BTO), Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB), TCV (The Conservation Volunteers) and some Groundwork regions.  Many of the smaller charities use CJS regularly such as: Butterfly Conservation,Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust, Field Studies Council, Buglife, Herpetological Conservation Trust, Plantlife, British Association for Shooting and Conservation (BASC), RSPCA, Hessilhead Wildlife Rescue, Ferne Animal Sanctuary, Woodland Trust, Paths for All Partnership, the John Muir Trust, Birdwatch Ireland.  Several consultancies advertise for staff through CJS, these include: Thomson Ecology, RPS, Lockhart Garratt, Ecosulis, Aspect Ecology, Keystone Environmental, Penny Anderson Associates, Wildwood Ecology, Nimrod Environmental, Ecosupport.  Larger companies and organisations which although not countryside specific have a considerable countryside presence or holding, e.g. Canal and River Trust, Sparsholt College, Severn Trent and United Utilities, as well as private estate and small companies all use CJS's service when they have relevant vacancies.

You find all the content we hold relating to specific employers here.

That's all their current jobs, voluntary roles, any training opportunities plus links to any features they may have written or news stories.

Job titles and employers / advertisers are not limited to those listed and are sourced from across the range of CJS publication i.e. not exclusively online.

Further reading

Browse through the sectors covered - these pages have more detailed information.

Range and numbers of jobs advertised

Numbers of adverts by regional breakdown

Helpful Hints for job seekers.

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