About the job

Job summary

Never has there been a more important time for trees and forests to help tackle the climate emergency and provide a much-needed sanctuary for people and wildlife. The government has targets to increase woodland cover from 14.5% in 2023 to 16.5% by 2050. This acceleration in current planting rates in England will contribute to meeting net zero by 2050 ambitions and wider environmental targets. This is supported by the Nature for Climate Fund.

Forestry England are helping to deliver these ambitions by expanding the nation’s forests to deliver even more benefits across England, through the Forestry England Woodland Partnership.

We are looking for a forestry professional to join one our Forest Districts. Your focus will be on ensuring the successful establishment of the new woodland sites. This will involve overseeing the on-the-ground operations of the new sites as work begins. You will be responsible for managing and coordinating contractors to complete works to a high health & safety and quality standard, ensuring targets are met within a given time frame. You should be able to work closely with a team to solve problems and manage challenges that may arise throughout the process. In addition you will monitor success rates, tree protection and advise when interventions may be needed.  You will work within a Forest District team although there will be close coordination with the National Woodland Creation Team.  There is an expectation that travel across England will be required with occasional overnight stays necessary.

There are 2 vacancies for this post, one based in Yorkshire and the North and another in Shropshire. There may be a future requirement for you to travel to assist in other woodland creation projects across England. In Yorkshire and the North, there are currently 2 woodland creation sites totalling 98 ha. In Shropshire there are currently 2 sites totalling 77 ha.

Job description

Key Work Areas:

• Supervise the planting and establishment phase of new woodland creation to deliver outputs and results
• Monitor and supervise contractors to ensure compliance with contract specifications, ensuring health and safety requirements are met.
• Assist in the planning of work programmes with the District Forester
• Effectively supervise, motivate and support colleagues and contractors ensuring a high quality of work, effective communication and team working.
• You may be expected to assist with other tasks in the forest district although woodland creation tasks will be prioritised.

Person specification

Person Specification:

Essential

• Relevant experience of forestry or land management.
• Experience of effective team working
• Experience of contract supervision.
• Experience working to meet tight deadlines.
• Proficient use of IT including Microsoft packages and GIS
• Sound understanding of health and safety in forest operations.

Desirable

• Experience in new woodland establishment operations.
• Hold a recognised Forestry qualification to at least National Diploma level.
• Good understanding of UKFS requirements

Professional membership of the Institute of Chartered Foresters or another relevant professional body is desirable.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £26,534, Forestry Commission contributes £7,164 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.

This is a Fixed Term Appointment until 31 March 2027 with the possibility of extension or permanency, but no guarantee.

Application Process

To apply for this role, your application should be submitted via Civil Service Jobs. As part of the application process you will be asked to complete a CV and personal statement as follows. 

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 (no longer than 500 words). Please explain why you are applying for the role and how you consider your personal skills, qualities, and experience are suitable for the job, with particular reference to the criteria in the person specification and what you can bring to the role. 

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. 

Sift and Interview dates are to be confirmed although interviews are expected to take place in mid March. You will be expected to travel to your first place preference (or close by) for an in person interview. 

The behaviours listed will be assessed at interview. 

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

Further Information

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.

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 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.

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. 

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.