About the job

Job summary

The Forestry Commission are the government’s forestry experts and we work to protect, improve and expand England’s woods and forests. This is done by providing policy advice to government and leading delivery through regulation, incentives and protecting tree health.

Field Managers coordinate and lead the area's Woodland Officers to expand, protect,improve and connect woodlands across the area. They also ensure the effective use of Forestry Commission incentives and regulations.

Job description

The Field Team Manager role, as part of Forest Services, is responsible for leading a team of Woodland Officers based in their geographical area and for ensuring the effective coordination of our incentives and regulatory activities.

Field Team Managers play a critical role in delivering a step change in our woodland creation levels, and in supporting the woodland management activity across the area.This includes working closely with Natural England, Environment Agency, Rural Payments Agency, Forestry England and the Forestry Commission Operational Delivery Hubs.

Our current capacity shortfall is in leading / supporting staff who work in Yorkshire,particularly focused across the Yorkshire Dales and West Yorkshire. There may however be some flexibility over working geography as we look to incorporate the successful candidate alongside our existing Field team managers. Candidates should recognise that we occasionally review and adjust geographical areas to balance workloads, utilise specialist knowledge and reduce travel.

The preference is for the successful candidate to work from the FC area office in York,with site visits and team support across the area, focused on the Woodland Officers you will manage. We will however consider applicants wanting to operate from across the Yorkshire and North East Area with the option to operate from our Newcastle office with regular travel as required for the role.
Once established there will be the opportunity to work flexibly from home where thismeets business needs (regular attendance at area offices will be required).

The post will report to the Area Operations Manager (Kate Hawley) who is based in Tyneside House, Newcastle.

Responsibilities -
Team working and Managing People – Provide leadership and support to the Woodland Officers to ensure the effective delivery of our incentives and regulatory. The Field Manager will undertake recruitment and induction of Woodland Officers and their development.

England Tree Planting Programme – Play a key role in supporting the operational delivery of the England Tree Planting Programme to deliver the Governments ambitious woodland creation ambitions. This includes work to help promote the opportunities of the wider programme and working with delivery partners.

Manage Tree Health and forestry regulation – Respond to tree health issues and ensure the effective delivery of our regulatory requirements . Work with Plant Health Forestry colleagues to respond to pest and diseases. Ensure our regulatory work meets the UK Forestry Standard and is completed within the required timescales.

Manage Incentives – Oversee the delivery of incentives across the area through supporting Woodland Officers and partners by building positive working relationships to ensure the effective promotion and delivery of our grants. This includes seeking support from technical specialists to process complex cases and influencing the evolution of new initiatives to best deliver government forestry policy.

Engaging with stakeholders and Partnership Working - Work with the area's promotion and engagement team to identify the partnerships to engage in order to deliver appropriate sector support. Developing and maintaining good working relationships with advisers and stakeholders.
Vision and Culture – Support the overall work of the team to ensure the effective delivery of our vision and culture ambition and to help lead on the development of a proactive H&S culture. Play an active role in the wider work of the team including supporting Management and Area Team Meetings.

Person specification

Experience -

Essential:

• Experience or relevant working knowledge of Incentives and Regulations for land based schemes, such as Countryside Stewardship;
• Significant knowledge of forestry and silviculture, including having a clear understanding of the UK Forestry Standard;
• Confident interpersonal and communication skills with experience of presenting toa range of audiences, both verbally and written;
• Experience of stakeholder management - building strong business relationships and collaborative working to deliver mutually beneficial results;
• Ability to manage a team to deliver results to an agreed standard;
• Proactively deal with complex and contentious issues relating to people and delivery of projects.

Desirable:

• Experience of managing people and demonstrate ability to manage a widely distributed team to deliver results to an agreed standard;
• Practical woodland management experience of deciduous and coniferous woodland;
• Experience of delivering forestry incentives and regulations.

Professional and Technical Expertise -

Essential:

• Degree/Higher Diploma in forestry/land management/countryside management/environment management and/or significant related experience in partnership working centred on; land management / tree and forestry issues;
• Competent and effective IT user with experience of MS Office and associated communication tools (e.g. MS Teams).

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.

Desirable:

• Membership of a relevant professional institute (e.g. Institute of Chartered Foresters);
  Evidence of having undertaken appropriate management development training /support.

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 £35,870, Forestry Commission contributes £9,721 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, Experience and Technical skills.

This is a Temporary Appointment until 31st March 2025 with the possibility of extension or permanency but no guarantee.

As part of the application process you will be asked to complete a CV and 750 word personal statement. Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.

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 word please provide details of how you meet the relevant skills and experience as set out in the person specification and your preferred location.

Sift - w/c 15th January 2024

Interviews - w/c 22nd January 2024

Please note - the above notes are subject to change.

Should you be successful at this stage you will be progressed to interview stage. These interviews will consist of a mixture of behaviour and strength based questions. Interviews will be held via Microsoft Teams, candidates would therefore require access to a computer and internet at interview stage.

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 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 maybe 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 circumstance 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 April 2022).

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.

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.

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.

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

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.