About the job

Job summary

Are you looking to kick-start a career that encourages you to be adventurous, make a difference, and approach challenges with creativity and imagination?

We are looking for an outgoing and enthusiastic individual for our two-year graduate leadership programme that will give you varied, stimulating, and challenging work, allowing you to learn about sustainable land management and the UK forestry sector and apply your knowledge to become the leaders of tomorrow.

Why Forestry England?

Forestry England manages beautiful, diverse, and productive, publicly owned woods and forests. In fact, we manage more land and trees than any other organisation in England.

We aim to connect everyone with the nation’s forests and create rich landscapes for the benefit of people, wildlife, and climate. We’ve built over 1,800 miles of walking, running, and cycling trails, supply England’s largest amount of sustainably sourced timber, and conserve thousands of plant and animal species. We are the largest supplier of sustainably produced timber in England, selling around 1.3 million tonnes per year, enabling us to support the wider British timber and forestry industry.

We care for some of the country’s most important habitats, home to our rarest wildlife. We are recovering vital ecosystems and returning missing species to our landscapes.

We are always thinking beyond today, planning and planting forests that will help create a sustainable future. By joining us on the Forestry England Graduate Leadership Programme you can form the future of a prosperous forestry industry, help the green economy flourish, and make real change.

Job description

Your first year will be spent in one of our District offices, either South (Lyndhurst, Hampshire), East (Thetford, Norfolk), or Central (Sherwood, Nottinghamshire). You will work across a range of departments from forest planning, land management, and recreation, to develop a deep understanding of how Forestry England operates. You will have the opportunity to learn about tree planting and timber harvesting, identify opportunities to get more people to enjoy the nation’s forests, manage some of the most diverse habitats in England and working with specialist partners to deliver real change for the better.

In the second year, you will join our national operations team based in Bristol to apply the skills you have learned in the first year on a national scale, giving you the chance to think about the bigger picture and drive real change throughout the organisation. Current projects include the understanding the cultural and heritage value of the nation’s forests, and determining the species of trees we should be planting to ensure thriving forests for the next 100 years and beyond.

Why should you apply?

The Forestry England Graduate Programme gives you the unique opportunity to become one of the future leaders of the organisation. You will learn about all parts of the business from operational forestry, to planting new trees, to developing strategies, and be able to work with people across all levels from Foresters to the Chief Executive Officer

Previous Graduates have gone on to become Head of Woodland Creation for Forestry England, Head of Land Management in the South District, and Environment and Planning Manager in the Yorkshire District.

Development opportunities
We want our graduates to grow and thrive, and so development is a key part of the graduate programme. 20% of your time (or one day a week) is allocated for training and self-led study including a Level 5 Operational and Departmental Manager Apprenticeship and the opportunity to join the Institute of Chartered Foresters (ICF).

Forestry England and Civil Service benefits
Successful applicants will also have access to a wide range of Civil Service and Forestry England benefits, including flexible working and a generous pensions scheme.

Access to the graduate network
You will have access to the unique Forestry England Graduate Network and attend the annual Graduate Conference to connect with previous graduates. The network supports each other and shares opportunities to further your career.

Making a difference
Above all, you will be able to make a difference in shaping the future of the nation’s forests from first day you arrive with us. Forestry England encourages every member of staff to be adventurous, constantly pushing and improving the way we operate in big and small ways. We do it together and welcome diverse perspectives because we know this means we make better decisions.

Person specification

Due to it's popularity, there are some minimum requirements to apply to the Forestry England Graduate Programme. The following are essential and you must meet them for your application to be considered:

 - a 2:1 degree or higher (or international equivalent), or you are in your final year of university and expect to achieve a 2:1 grade or higher by the time you start the programme.

 - a full current driving licence (for use in the UK), as your role will involve travel to sites (forests, visitor centres and other offices), many of which are in rural locations and not served by public transport.

 - the right to work in the UK.

We welcome applications from all degree disciplines, especially those relating to the environment, sustainability, and business. The most crucial factor is your enthusiasm and desire to get involved, work together, be adventurous and demonstrate your interest in Forestry England and our values.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £27,779, Forestry Commission contributes £7,529 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.

There are three stages in the 2024/2025 application process:

 - Initial application with your CV and cover letter.
 - Telephone interview.
 - Assessment centre including interview

Applications and the telephone interview are managed through our partners, Graduate Recruitment Bureau (GRB). Candidates must create a profile through the GRB portal and follow the application steps. GRB will contact candidates that meet the essential requirements and have made it through to arrange a telephone interview.

If successful, we will then invite you to an assessment centre and interview.

Sift and interview dates to be confirmed.

Further Information

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 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.

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 are 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.