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. We aim to at least treble tree planting rates in England, reflecting England’s contribution to meeting the UK’s overall target of planting 30,000 hectares per year by the end of this Parliament. This acceleration in current planting rates in England will contribute to meeting the net-zero by 2050 ambitions, and to government’s wider environmental targets. This is supported by the £640m Nature for Climate Fund announced in the March 2020 budget. 

If you are passionate about the role of forestry in creating a better future for England, and want to play a key part in that, we want to hear from you.

By joining the Forestry Commission, you will become part of a team of passionate, committed colleagues, and be able to build on a wealth of expertise to take this ambitious work forward. You will be able to make your mark by helping the Forestry Commission to transform how we work together and reach new stakeholders. Forest Services as part of Forestry Commission are the Government’s forestry experts. We advise nationally and locally on how to unlock the full potential of woodlands and support the forestry sector to protect, improve and expand England’s valuable woodland assets, ensuring that they continue to provide benefits to people, the environment, and the economy.

These roles sit within the Forest Services (FS) Operational Delivery Profession (ODP) team.  

The Operational Delivery Team delivers services to Forestry Commission (FC) customers for Grants and Regulations, including circa 2500 felling licences per year, and 3000 grant applications. The role is responsible for the operational element of approximately £50M in grant approvals and payments.

The team works closely with the Area teams, our technical experts in the field, to administer woodland grants and regulations across England. The team's main function is to provide grants for tree planting, woodland management, and tree health, also enforcing the Forestry Act through regulatory processes such as felling licence applications and environmental impact assessments. 

There is one permanent post and 2 fixed term posts.

Job description

The Operational Delivery Team

• Undertake transactional duties and activities within the Operational Delivery Team
• Effectively administer current and legacy grant schemes and Regulatory processes in accordance with FC procedures and complying with paying agency rules.
• Work with peers, area staff and the woodland sector to ensure a high quality of customer service and the coordinated delivery of FC targets.

Key Work Areas

• Ensure effective handling of transactional aspects of Regulations, current woodland grants and legacy grant schemes activity.
• Follow FC guidelines, processes and procedures and comply with legislation, scheme rules, paying agency, and internal audit requirements.
• Follow the financial controls which are in place.
• Provide effective case management including processing applications, contract/licence approval – claim management, amendments, remote inspection, case review and closure by following national instructions.
• Provide customer service function for above activities, giving verbal and written advice and communication to customers. All transactional activities to be carried out in accordance with customer service/citizens charter standards.
• Liaise with area staff (particularly Woodland Officers) on technical issues and queries involving direct liaison with the customer.
• Deal with public enquiries through triage to the Area teams or other appropriate FC staff where necessary.

Each post will report to the Operations Admin Manager.

Person specification

Experience

Essential - 

• Experience of working in a busy administrative environment
• Ability to co-ordinate multiple work streams (projects/areas of work).
• Pro-active and flexible working approach to delivering tasks.
• Highly competent IT user with experience of the MS Office suite of applications, especially Excel. Knowledge of SharePoint is desirable.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £23,098, Forestry Commission contributes £6,260 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 and Experience.

There are 3 posts; 1 permanent and 2 Temporary Appointments until 31st March 2025 with the possibility of extension or permanency but no guarantee.

The highest scoring candidate will be offered the permanent post. The next two highest scoring will be offered the FTA posts.

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 500 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. 
   

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

We will be assessing managing a quality service, delivering at pace, working together and changing and improving at interview.

Applications are planned to be sifted for the w/c 8th January 2024 and interviews planned for w/c 22nd January 2024.

Please note - above dates are subject to change  

We will be conducting online interviews with the use of Microsoft Teams or equivalent online communication methods. 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 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 

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. 

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. 

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) for non-permanent roles. 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.

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.

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.