About the job

Job summary

Want to work at the cutting edge of environmental science?  Passionate about making a difference and playing your part in tackling the climate and nature crisis?  Forest Research (FR) is all about giving top quality evidence and advice to policymakers and practitioners to make a positive impact on the ground. Internationally recognised, we need people who have the skills and passion to work on excellent science and provide practical solutions for nature.

We’re small enough that your voice is heard, yet large enough, as part of the Forestry Commission, that we have everything on hand to get the job done, as well as a variety of career pathways.  Our staff are dedicated to their work and sharing it with others to bring positive change for our planet.  And you will find us a flexible and inclusive employer, so you can have a work life balance that is tailor-made to your circumstances. So, whether it’s climate or carbon, pests or pathogens, behaviour or biodiversity that interests you, you can be assured of a warm welcome to the team. To find out more, visit forestresearch.gov.uk.

The Climate Change Research Group undertake innovative and valued work on assessing the risks to forests and woodlands from the changing climate, promoting adaptation, and assessing forestry’s role in mitigation to equip the sector to deliver the resilient ‘climate-smart forestry’ that society and the environment needs.  We contribute robust evidence for priority questions, lead knowledge exchange with the sector, and provide effective decision-support tools and objective, authoritative and up-to-date advice for stakeholders including policy makers and practitioners. 

Job description

The successful applicant will:

• Work with colleagues to understand climate change adaptation challenges and barriers
• Work with the forestry sector to ensure that FR delivers the guidance and tools required to meet targets for adaptation and improving resilience
• Work with colleagues to develop methods to better understand and encourage update of adaptation measures
• Develop adaptation strategies and management practice
• Encourage development and monitoring of forest adaptation measures, focusing where possible on case studies and demonstration forests
• Expand and develop FR's capability in forest risk research and modelling in relation to climate change
• Develop research-based guidance on management of forest and neighbouring land, to reduce risk
• Develop contacts within the land-use and forestry sectors, and, where opportunities arise, the international climate change research community
• Work with colleagues to pursue opportunities for external funding

Person specification

Essential criteria:

• An MSc in forest science, or in a related biological, environmental science, or land-use management discipline
  
• Experience in research, scientific, management and negotiation experience appropriate for carrying out and developing a complex research project.
• Well developed scientific report writing and presentation skills
• Good IT skills, including familiarity with standard Office software

Desirable Criteria:

• Experience of research in forest climate change adaptation, forest modelling, or forest risk management
• Experience in developing new funding streams for research
• Familiarity with forest management, planning and silviculture
• Expertise in climate impacts or risk modelling
• Expertise in GIS

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £27,779, Forestry Commission - Forest Research contributes £7,500 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.

Sift Date:              9th January 2024
Interview Date:     22nd January 2024

If a large volume of applications is received, then we will sift on Experience/Technical Expertise and the Lead Behaviour, Working Together.  However, candidates will be expected to answer questions on all behaviours at the interview stage.  

Candidates who are judged to be a near miss at interview may be considered for other positions in Forest Research which may be at a lower grade but have a potential skills match.

Diverse perspectives and experiences are critical to our success and we welcome applications from all people from all backgrounds with the experience and skills needed to perform this role.

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.

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.

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.