About the job

Job summary

The Corporate Affairs Division (CAD) mission is to maintain and build the reputation of Forestry England as a trusted, accountable, compliant and effective organisation. This is a division within Forestry England, the organisation charged with stewardship of the nation’s forests. The Corporate Affairs Division provides the corporate functions for Forestry England that includes the CEO office, strategy, natural capital, strategic programmes, policy, governance, risk, compliance, performance, insight and knowledge information and data governance.

The Corporate Programme and Projects Officer role supports the Corporate Programme and Project manager in actively managing the delivery of the programmes and leads and supports projects that fall within the strategic programmes and projects portfolio for the Corporate Affairs Division. The role will use their experience to support, understand and influence to manage and champion corporate projects across the organization. This role is working in a very visible, fast-paced team, with contact with the Forestry England Chief Executive, Executive Team and Senior Leadership Team as well as senior leadership and delivery staff across the wider Forestry Commission. These programmes are cross-cutting across all divisions, business units and districts, engaging with staff across disciplines and pay bands, and therefore the reach is across the whole of Forestry England and often all of the Forestry Commission.

We are looking for a proactive, positive, creative, innovative, self-led and highly organised Projects Officer to work on key delivery areas within the Corporate Affairs Team (CAT) through the provision of high quality programme and project support. This role reports to the Forestry England Corporate Affairs Programme and Projects Manager.

You will be responsible for the day to day running of CAD programmes and projects. This will include;

• building positive working relationships with all levels of responsibility across the organisation,
• Compiling, maintaining and filing project documentation through all phases of the project cycle
• Being the secretariat to project team meetings
• monitor and track progress, ensuring timely follow up and producing reports for senior leaders,
• develop communications plans to support projects and programmes
• other administrative support tasks to help the team deliver on priorities

You will be part of a collaborative and supportive team, but you will need to be a self-starter, able to organise yourself and work autonomously as required. We are looking for a can-do, positive attitude and approach which is just as important as experience for success in this role, as training will be provided.

Job description

Key Work Areas

1. Support the day-to-day delivery of projects and programmes through the project cycle for the Corporate Affairs Team, including maintaining project documentation, tracking and monitoring progress, administering project team meetings, and putting together agendas and supporting documents.
2. Develop and implement appropriate processes and procedures through all stages of the projects and programmes lifecycle to deliver outcomes, advising as appropriate to meet changing needs and requirements.
3. Provide accurate information for reporting and preparing reports and presentations enabling projects to be delivered on time, within budget and to high quality and accuracy, providing assurance to senior leaders and demonstrating impacts and benefits.
4. Support the creation and delivery of project work plans and embed appropriate evaluation strategies in project delivery. Participating in the development and implementation of the project communication plan with all project stakeholders.
5. Coordination of online workshops or events for the team, projects and programmes.
6. Tracking progress, managing the project risk and issues process and register
7. Preparing communications and reports on project progress for a range of stakeholders
8. Managing project closure activities including conducting lessons learnt and provision of information for benefits realisation purposes.
9. Work closely with stakeholders to plan and deliver programmes and projects.
10. To ensure professional standards of work are maintained.

Be an active member of the CAD team and contribute to its overall aims and objectives

Person specification

Knowledge and skills

• Essential Professional and Technical experience
  Experience in organising, delivering and supporting programme and project activities, collaboratively and across multi-disciplinary teams.
• Knowledge of project management tools and techniques.
• Excellent written and verbal communication and administrative skills.
• Evidence of developing effective and long term relationships with key internal and external stakeholders with emotional intelligence.
• Proven experience of taking ownership of own work and being proactive and self-led in successfully delivering quality outputs to deliver the greatest value.
• Proven ability to organize yourself, prioritise tasks and manage your time in a fast-changing operating environment.
• Proficient use of key Microsoft Office packages including Excel, PowerPoint, and Word.

Desirable Professional and Technical experience

• Experience in coordinating multiple programmes and projects.
• Experience of tracking and monitoring budgets and financial information.
• Experience of developing and implementing resilient systems and processes.
• Project management qualifications.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £29,863, Forestry Commission contributes £8,063 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, Experience and Technical skills.

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

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.
2. A personal statement – in no more than 750 words please provide details of how you meet the Essential relevant experience and criteria as set out in the person specification. Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form. 

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

Sift

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

Interview Stage 
 
For candidates successful for interview, we will be assessing you on Experience, technical skills and Behaviours.

We will be conducting interviews in person at our Bristol office and there will be a presentation at interview stage.

Sift w/c 27/05/24

Interview w/c 03/06/24

The above dates are subject to change

Further Information 

A reserve list may be held for a period of 9 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. 

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

This role is full time only. 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.

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.

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.