About the job

Job summary

Westonbirt, the National Arboretum (www.forestryengland.uk/westonbirt-the-nationalarboretum) is one of the UK’s most famous botanical tree collections and is internationally renowned both for its tree collection and historic landscape. It was founded in 1829 by Robert Holford and is classed as Grade 1 on the English Heritage Register of Parks and Gardens and is one of the world’s greatest examples of an arboretum laid out in the ‘picturesque’ style. As well as holding five National Collections the site has over 130 champion trees - the largest of their kind in Britain. It’s home to some of the rarest trees in the world with trees from Australia, China as well as native trees and a semi-ancient woodland.  

It’s an exciting time as we progress our ten-year vision to become a world leader in trees, inspiring people through education, participation and conservation. It is now more crucial than ever with climate change that we ensure we achieve our net zero ambitions and we engage our visitors with the importance of trees and caring for the environment.

Since 1956 the arboretum has been managed by the Forestry Commission and is one of the six districts managed by Forestry England who manages the nation’s forests. Our mission is to connect everyone with them, by creating and caring for our forests for people to enjoy, wildlife to flourish and businesses to grow. We look after more land and more trees than any other organisation in the country cared for by around 1,000 staff and volunteers and enjoyed by over 226 million visits each year.

The team are supported by the Friends of Westonbirt Arboretum, an-onsite fundraising and membership charity with over 36,000 members. The arboretum now attracts over 500,000 visitors per year and is the largest pay to enter visitor attraction in Gloucestershire.

As part of our ten-year vision, we are regenerating an area of Silk Wood as a community woodland. We want to engage school groups, community groups, volunteers, and others with the lifecycle of tree planting at the Arboretum.

Job description

You will work alongside the Project Manager and the Engagement Officer to support the project. There will also be support from the Marketing and Communications Team to increase your skills and knowledge as well as opportunities to support other engagement projects in development at the arboretum.

This new role will deliver the communications and interpretation based outcomes of the Silk Wood Community Planting Project. This project is focused on regenerating 5 hectares of clear felled woodland in Silk Wood, due to an ash dieback outbreak. 

In this 2-year fixed term position, you will be responsible for informing our visitors on the threats our trees face, how Westonbirt is working to make Silk Wood more resilient, and what visitors can do to support the activity and get involved. You will tell the story of the Community Woodland through designing and printing new signage, liaising with photographers and videographers, sourcing quotes from volunteers and staff, liasing with the local press and keeping digital media platforms up to date. As a part of your role in building awareness and support, you will also work closely with the marketing team to handle communications to all stakeholders and promote the project.

The Project Team will support fundraising and create reports against funding targets.

This role will involve some year-round outdoor work in all weathers and on rough ground. 

An enhanced DBS check is required as this role will involve working with schools and community groups including those with vulnerable adults. This may also include leading and/or working with small groups and in one-to-one situations. 

Key Work Areas

Communications

• Actively participate with the wider site team, ensuring effective internal and external communication.
• Work with our Marketing Team to promote the Project within the community through production of publicity and marketing materials as required, and participation at local events and conferences.
• Ensuring relevant GDPR forms and safeguarding processes are used when organising photography and filming of participants, including children and vulnerable adults.

Programme delivery

• Manage the delivery of key interpretation projects including developing briefs, working with external designers / contractors, writing content / sourcing imagery, installation and project management to ensure delivery on time and budget.
• Develop / supervise volunteer groups to support delivery of programmes.
• Develop and supervise physical interpretation / engagement activities with participants and members of the public.

Building long term capacity

• Assist with implementing a rigorous evaluation process that captures both the success of projects and allows us to refine our ways of working, ensuring timely and accurate reporting to funders.
• Work with our fundraising team to identify and develop external funding opportunities to support the Project.

Person specification

Essential:

• A suitable qualification (e.g. graphics, art, marketing or communications) or equivalent experience. Please clearly demonstrate which applies to you throughout your application. Failure to do so will mean that your application is automatically sifted out
  
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to convey complex ideas and concepts to a range of audiences.
• Proven experience in creating social media content.
• Strong organisational and project management skills, including the ability to plan, prioritise and manage workload effectively.
• Experience of collating visual content, stories or data to create physical or digital outputs.
• Experience of using evaluation tools to measure the impact of communication and/or interpretation activities.
• A sound working knowledge of Microsoft Office packages and design applications such as adobe creative suite.
• A full driving licence that enables driving in the UK.

Desirable:

• Experience of working with the press to promote a project.
• Experience of working in heritage, environmental or visitor attraction sectors.
• Experience of designing content.
• Experience of working with schools, volunteers or community groups.
• Demonstrable understanding of supervising volunteers.
• Knowledge and understanding of threats to trees and woodlands, as well as the importance of conservation and sustainability.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £26,534, Forestry Commission contributes £7,191 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 and Experience.

As part of the application process you will be asked to complete-

1. A CV setting out your career history, with key responsibilities and achievements. Please ensure you have provided reasons for any gaps within the last two years. The CV is split into 3 sections and requests: Job History, Previous Skills/Experience, Full Qualification Details.
2. A Personal Statement (no longer than 750 words) explaining how you consider your personal skills, qualities, and experience are suitable for the role, with particular reference to the essential and desirable criteria in the personal specification.

Sift Information

Should a large number of applications be received, an initial sift may be conducted using your CV. Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift, or progressed straight to assessment/interview.

Interview Information

Interviews will be held in person at Westonbirt, the National Arboretum. We will aim to carry out interviews in September, subject to the number of applicants and we will aim to give one week's notice. Those invited to interview will be assessed against Behaviours listed in the advert and Experience.

Sift and interview dates to be confirmed.

Further Information

This is a Temporary Appointment for 2 years with the possibility of extension or permanency but no guarantee.

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

Any move to Forestry 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.

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

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.

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.

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. Applicants will be assessed in the selection process in accordance with the requirements.

Applicants who wish to work an alternative pattern and hours are welcome to apply however your preferred working pattern may not be available and you should discuss this with the vacancy holder before applying. The duties of the post require a flexible 7 day working week to allow for occasional weekends, public and privilege holidays and evenings, with the exception of Christmas Day.

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.