About the job

Job summary

The Forestry Commission are the Government’s forestry experts in England. We advise nationally and locally on how to unlock the full potential of woodlands and the forestry sector to protect, improve, and expand England’s valuable woodland assets.

The Government aims to treble tree planting rates in England by 2025 and has set legally binding targets to increase tree and woodland cover to 16.5% of total land area by 2050. This acceleration in current planting rates will contribute to meeting net-zero ambitions by 2050, and to the government’s wider environmental targets.

The Department for the Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) and the Forestry Commission have set up the £640m Nature for Climate Fund (NCF) programme to support the creation and management of woodlands in England.

The Forestry Commission leads the delivery of the following parts of the programme:

• Developing sector capacity
• Woodland creation on public land
• Woodland creation on private land
• Promotion and engagement

In order to meet the Government’s tree planting targets an increase in UK production of tree planting material is required. A series of innovation and capital grants have been designed to support the production of domestic tree and seed supply, and aim to improve its overall quality, quantity, and diversity. This will enable the forestry sector to plant treescapes that support biodiversity and are resilient to stresses such as climate change, pests and diseases.

Job description

This role sits within the Forest Nurseries & Innovation Grants team, which is part of the wider Incentives Development & Compliance team and National Grants & Regulations (NGR) department.

The post-holder will be part of a small and friendly team, who work closely with colleagues across the Forestry Commission’s Policy & Advice Team and Defra’s Team Trees and play a key role in delivering NCF and wider Forestry Commission objectives.

The team is responsible for delivering the following innovation and capital grants: 

• Woods into Management Forestry Innovation Fund (WIMFIF)
• Tree Production Innovation Fund (TPIF)
• Tree Production Capital Grant (TPCG)
• Seed Sourcing Grant (SSG)

The TPIF, TPCG, and SSG aim to equip tree nurseries and the wider sector to supply the trees required for new woodlands and tree planting projects.

The WIMFIF aims to support innovation projects that help to improve the ecological condition of woodlands via increased levels of woodland management.

The grants support a diverse array of projects. Grant holders range from universities to community tree nurseries and innovative start-ups.

The purpose of this role is to provide administrative support for the above grants and to the delivery team. This is a customer facing role requiring regular contact with grant holders. The role may also involve supporting other teams within the NGR department as needed.

The post-holder will have the opportunity to accompany the team on occasional site visits.

Key Work Areas

• Manage four grant inboxes, acting as first point of contact for grant holders and other stakeholders.
• Process claims for payment in line with grant scheme and due diligence rules.
• Monitor grant management trackers and case folders, ensuring completeness and accuracy.
• Write and send official communication to grant holders.
• Assist with improving grant processes and products.
• Arrange site visits and organise travel arrangements.
• Liaise regularly with colleagues across other NGR teams as required.
• Support other teams in NGR as needed.
• Manage the administration of grant applications should the grants re-open in future.

Person specification

Essential

• Experience working in an administrative role.
• Excellent organisation skills with the ability to co-ordinate multiple areas of work.
• Experience of producing work with a high attention of detail.
• Demonstration of a proactive can-do attitude and willingness to take on a range of tasks.
• Ability to effectively manage workload during both busy and quiet periods.
• Highly competent IT user with experience of the MS Office suite of applications, especially Excel.
• Full current UK driving licence

Please clearly demonstrate how the above applies to you throughout your application. Failure to do so will mean that your application is automatically sifted out.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £24,323, Forestry Commission contributes £7,046 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

Things you need to know

Selection process details

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

This role is a Fixed Term Appointment ending 31st March 2025 with possibility but no guarantee of permanency or extension.

As part of the application process, you will complete the following:

• A tailored CV setting out your career history, with key responsibilities and achievements.
• A personal statement in no more than 750 words showing how you meet the criteria of the person specification evidence.
• You will also be asked to provide 250-word statements relating to the Behaviours being assessed.

Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.

Should a large number of applications be received, the initial sift may be conducted using a lead behaviour. This will be the behaviour which is listed first in the job advert, Managing a Quality Service. Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift, or progressed straight to assessment/interview.

Applications will be shortlisted w/c 1st July 2024. This date is subject to change.

Interviews will be held w/c 15th July 2024. This date is subject to change.

We will be conducting online interviews with the use of Microsoft Teams or equivalent online communication methods. Candidates would therefore require access to a computer and internet at interview stage.

For candidates successful for interview, we will be assessing you on Experience, Behaviours and Strengths.

Candidates invited to interview will be asked to complete a short task. Details of the task will be sent to the selected candidates ahead of the interview.

Further Information 

A reserve list may be held for a period of 12 months from which further appointments can be made. 

Any move to Forestry Commission from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers.  This includes moves between government departments. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax Free Childcare. Determine your eligibility at https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk 

If successful and transferring from another Government Department a criminal record check may be carried out. 

In order to process applications without delay, we will be sending a Criminal Record Check to Disclosure and Barring Service on your behalf.

However, we recognise in exceptional circumstances some candidates will want to send their completed forms direct. If you will be doing this, please advise Government Recruitment Service of your intention by emailing Pre-EmploymentChecks.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk stating the job reference number in the subject heading. 

The duties of this post require the applicant to have a full current driving licence that enables them to drive in the UK. However, the Forestry Commission is willing to consider any proposals put forward by applicants that would allow them to do the job by any other means.

Successful candidates if using their own private vehicle for business travel will need to comply with the Forestry Commission travel policy on CO2 emissions (115g maximum CO2/km from March 2025).

New entrants are expected to join on the minimum of the pay band.

The post is full time.  Applicants who wish to work an alternative pattern are welcome to apply, however your preferred working pattern may not be available, and you should discuss this with the vacancy holder before applying. 
 
Where a role has been identified as one which falls under the scope of the Public Sector English Language Requirements, within Part 7 of the Immigration Act 2016, it is essential that applicants should have the ability to converse at ease with members of the public and provide advice in accurate spoken English. 

Existing Civil Servants and applicants from accredited NDPBs are eligible to apply, but will only be considered on loan basis (Civil Servants) or secondment (accredited NDPBs). Prior agreement to be released on a loan basis must be obtained before commencing the application process. In the case of Civil Servants, the terms of the loan will be agreed between the home and host department and the Civil Servant. This includes grade on return.

Reasonable Adjustment

If a person with disabilities is put at a substantial disadvantage compared to a non-disabled person, we have a duty to make reasonable changes to our processes. 

If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should: 

Contact Government Recruitment Service via fcerecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs. 

Complete the ‘Assistance required’ section in the ‘Additional requirements’ page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need further on in the recruitment process. For instance, you may need wheelchair access at interview, or if you’re deaf, a Language Service Professional.

If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the 'Contact point for applicants' section.

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.

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

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window). 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.