Conservation Park Ranger

THE JOB The Conservation Park Rangers for the North Bull Island Nature reserve will provide a visible presence and act as a point of contact for queries from the public. Their remit will be to fulfil a range of duties relating to the functioning and regulation of activities and to ensure that visitors have a safe, pleasant and rewarding experience. They will be expected to pro-actively engage with visitors to the North Bull Island Nature Reserve with regard to the fragility of the habitats and wildlife that exist on the island. To that end it is expected that the ideal candidate will have a keen interest in nature reserve as well as a pride in their work.

THE IDEAL CANDIDATE SHALL

• possess strong communication and interpersonal skills to be able to pro-actively engage with the public;
• have an ability to work on own initiative, in an independent environment and without constant supervision;
• have the ability to provide good customer service to members of the public in the course of their duties;
• have a willingness to learn and aptitude to use new technology and information systems;
• have a good knowledge and understanding of nature conservation and environmental issues.

QUALIFICATIONS

CHARACTER: Each candidate shall be of good character.

HEALTH: Candidates shall be in a state of health such as would indicate a reasonable prospect of ability to render regular and efficient service.

EDUCATION, EXPERIENCE, ETC.: Each candidate must, on the latest date for receipt of completed applications;

• have attained a standard of education not less than pass junior certificate/intermediate certificate or equivalent, to enable the candidate to carry out efficiently the duties of the post, including the writing of clear and concise reports;
• have satisfactory experience of working in a team environment;
• have excellent interpersonal skills;
• have good knowledge and awareness of health and safety legislation and regulations, the implications for the organisation and the employee and their application in the workplace;

Desirable

• Hold a current unendorsed full driving licence (Category B)
• Have basic IT skills using MS Applications (Word, Excel etc.) and use of MS CRM
• Have a good knowledge and understanding of nature conservation and environmental issues
• Hold a current safe pass card

DUTIES The role requires shift work to cover longer park opening hours during the summer months than in the winter. Weekly hours change during the year with the closing times of St. Anne’s Park.

Overall Purpose of the role; - To manage visitor access and orientation to ensure that public safety is monitored. - To communicate information pertinent to the conservation objectives for the nature reserve and park. - To support user groups and volunteer groups to achieve their aims.

The duties of the Conservation Park Ranger include, but are not limited to, the following: -

• Patrolling of North Bull Island Nature Reserve area, including North Bull Island, St. Anne’s Park, Dollymount beach and other areas, as required;
• Monitoring the use of recreational facilities and playgrounds;
• Monitoring the use of the Red Stables, pavilions, public toilets, seating, shelters, etc.
• Interacting with the visiting public with regard to the unique and fragile habitats and wildlife of North Bull Island;
• Enforcing compliance with designated Acts and Bye-Laws for regulation, use of enjoyment of St Anne’s Park and the Nature Reserve;
• Dealing with litter from open spaces, playgrounds, buildings and other areas;
• Inspection of equipment, recording condition, and reporting of defects on supplied forms;
• Hosting educational tours for school children or other groups, and providing guided tours;
• Operating a tele-communications unit in the course of duties and providing a written report for each shift;
• Deal with queries and complaints from park users and members of the public in an effective and courteous manner;
• Conservation Park Rangers will be required to liaise with An Garda Siochana in relation to any antisocial behavior that they observe the Council parks and open space and to report these matters to Council management;
• Ensure that reasonable care is always taken for the health, safety and welfare of you and others, and to comply with the Councils policies and procedures relating to Health and Safety;
• Any other duties appropriate to the post that may be assigned from time to time.

The duties of the post are to give to the local authority and to (a) The local authorities or bodies for which the Chief Executive is Chief Executive, and (b) To any other local authority or body with which an agreement has been made by the local authority or by any of the authorities or bodies referred to in sub-paragraph (a) of this paragraph under the general direction and control of the Chief Executive or of such officers as the Chief Executive may from time to time determine, such appropriate computing, technical, management, administrative, executive, supervisory, advisory and ancillary services as may be required by any local authority or body hereinbefore mentioned in the exercise and performance of any of its powers, functions and duties and to exercise such powers, functions and duties as may be delegated to them by the Chief Executive from time to time including the duty of servicing all committees that may be established by any such local authority or body. The holder of the post will, if required, act for an officer of a higher level. The particular duties and responsibilities attached to the post may vary from time to time, without changing the general character of the duties or level of responsibilities entailed. The post holder may therefore be required to perform duties appropriate to the post, other than those detailed above, and to take instructions from and report to, an appropriate Officer or such designated Officer as may be assigned from time to time by the City Council.

SELECTION PROCESS

• Posts of Conservation Park Ranger will be filled from this publicly advertised competition. Selection shall be by means of a competition conducted by or on behalf of Dublin City Council.
• Candidates should note that the information provided by them in their application form and assessment questions will form the basis on which eligibility and short listing is conducted.
• Dublin City Council reserves the right to undertake eligibility and/or shortlist candidates in the manner it deems most appropriate.
• A panel may be formed on the basis of interviews. A candidate whose name is on a panel and who satisfies the Council that they possesses the qualifications declared for the post and that they are otherwise suitable for appointment may, within the life of the panel, subject to the appropriate Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage sanction, be appointed as an appropriate vacancy arises.
• The life of the panel shall be for a period of one year from the date of its formation.
• Dublin City Council shall require any person to whom an appointment is offered to take up such appointment within a period of not more than one month and if they fail to take up appointment within such period, or such longer period as the Council in its absolute discretion may determine, the Council shall not appoint them.

SHORTLISTING Dublin City Council reserves the right to shortlist candidates to proceed to the interview stage of the competition. Shortlisting of candidates will be on the basis of information supplied on the Application Form and assessments questions. It is therefore in your own interest to provide a detailed and accurate account of your qualifications/experience in your application. The shortlisting process will provide for the assessment of each applicant’s application form against predetermined criteria that reflect the skills and depth of experience considered to be essential for a position at this level.

INTERVIEW Selection, from shortlisted candidates, shall be by means of a competition based on an interview conducted by Dublin City Council. The interview will be competency based and marks will be awarded under the following skillset identified for the position of Conservation Park Ranger. Please see the Competency Framework on page 8 for more details;

• Customer Focus
• Planning and Organising Work
• Communicating Effectively
• Personal Effectiveness
• Knowledge & Experience

SALARY The fortnightly wage scale for the position of Conservation Park Ranger is: - Group 4 €1,258.70; €1,275.16; €1,291.76; €1,308.08; €1,324.62; €1,341.12

A shift allowance may also be applicable to this role. Entry point to this scale will be determined in accordance with Circulars issued by the Department of Housing, Local Government & Heritage. In accordance with Departmental Circular letter EL 02/2011, a person who is not a serving public service employee on or after 1st January 2011, will enter the scale for the position at the minimum point. Rate of remuneration may be adjusted from time to time in line with Government Policy. Under the Public Service Stability Agreement 2013, the working hours for newly appointed/promoted staff are 39 hours per week. All applicants must refer to the Additional Candidate Information Booklet, which can be found on Dublin City Council’s Digital Recruitment Platform, for additional relevant information pertaining to the salary scale and the recruitment process.

PARTICULARS OF POSITION (a) The post is permanent, whole time and pensionable. (b) Dublin City Council reserves the right to, at any time, assign an employee to any Department now or in the future. (c) A period of one year’s probation applies where a person is permanently appointed to Dublin City Council. This can be extended at the discretion of the Chief Executive.

CITIZENSHIP Candidates must, by the date of application be; a) A citizen of the European Economic Area (EEA). The EEA consists of the Member States of the European Union, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway, or b) A citizen of the United Kingdom (UK), or c) A citizen of Switzerland pursuant to the agreement between the EU and Switzerland on the free movement of persons, or d) A non-EEA citizen who is a spouse or child of an EEA or UK or Swiss citizen and has a stamp 4 visa, or e) A person awarded international protection under the International Protection Act 2015 or any family member entitled to remain in the State as a result of family reunification and has a stamp 4 visa, or f) A non-EEA citizen who is a parent of a dependent child who is a citizen of, and resident in, an EEA member state or the UK or Switzerland and has a stamp 4 visa. Dublin City Council welcomes all nationalities and ethnic backgrounds to join its diverse workforce and we hereby reserve the sole discretion to vary the above requirements from time to time subject to the business needs and staffing requirements

PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT Suitable weather appropriate protective clothing will be supplied which will be worn at all times on duty. It will be the responsibility of the Mobile Ranger to maintain the clothing, which will be identifiable as that of a Conservation Park Ranger, in a neat and clean condition The holder of the post will be required, at all times when on duty, to use such appropriate safety equipment and wear such items of protective clothing as are specified by the City Council.

HOURS OF ATTENDANCE The Conservation Park Ranger Operation is based on a roster system where the Ranger works 156 hours over a 4-week period, averaging 39 hours per week. The roster start time varies through the year based on Park closing times which vary from 5pm in winter and 10pm in summer. There is a combination of weekday and weekend day(s) worked depending on the roster. The Council reserves the right to alter the number of hours worked each day/each week and/or the times at or the days on which the hours are to be worked. The post-holder will be given as much notice as is reasonably practicable of any change in the schedule of hours worked. The post-holder may be required to work rostered and/or occasional overtime depending on work requirements/opening hours and be available to respond to call-outs outside of normal working hours at the request of the area Supervisor or persons appointed to positions of authority. Where possible the postholder will be notified in advance. Overtime will be paid at approved rates

ADDITIONAL RELEVANT INFORMATION FOR APPLICANTS

• The National Vetting Bureau (Children and Vulnerable Persons) Act 2012 to 2016 came into effect on 29th April 2016. The Act places a statutory obligation on Dublin City Council to ensure that ‘any work or activity which is carried out by a person, a necessary and regular part of which consists mainly of a person having access to, or contact with children or vulnerable persons will be the subject of Garda Vetting.
• Subject to the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act 2014, applications will be treated in strict confidence.
• Any attempt by a candidate themselves or by any person(s) acting at the candidate’s instigation, directly or indirectly, by means of written communication or otherwise, to canvass or otherwise influence in the candidate’s favour, any employee of the City Council or person nominated by the City Council to interview or examine applicants, will automatically disqualify the candidate for the position being sought.
• It is important to remember that this is a competitive process for a role where integrity is paramount. Sharing information on the selection / interview process e.g. through social media or any other means, may result in a candidate being disqualified from the competition.
• Dublin City Council does not allow the unsanctioned use of any type of recording equipment duringinterviews or on its premises. This applies to any form of sound recording and any type of still picture or video recording, whether including sound recording or not, and covers any type of device used for these purposes.
• An applicant who is found to be ineligible at any stage of the competition will not be further considered. Provision of inaccurate, untrue or misleading information will lead to disqualification from the competition, withdrawal of employment offer or dismissal.
• A candidate who does not attend for interview when and where required by the City Council, or who does not, when requested, furnish such evidence as the City Council requires in regard to any matter relevant to their candidature, will have no further claim to consideration.
• The City Council will not be responsible for any expenses candidates may incur in connection with their candidature.
• The onus is on the candidate to keep a regular check on their Email Account as email notifications of updates may sometimes be filtered into your Junk/Spam email folders. Dublin City Council accepts no responsibility for communication not accessed or received by an applicant.