About the job

Job summary

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.   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.  To find out more about FR, visit www.forestresearch.gov.uk.

The postholder will be a member of the Society and Environment Research Group (SERG). Members of the group are based at Alice Holt Lodge near Farnham, at the Northern Research Station near Edinburgh, and at the Forestry Commission national office in Bristol.  SERG scientists are involved in interdisciplinary research with colleagues across FR, and with universities and other research institutes.

Job description

SERG is a dynamic, agile group of twenty social scientists focusing on four broad thematic work areas:  

• Well-being and woodlands
• Land manager behaviours in relation to trees and woodlands
• Social dimensions of forest disturbances including tree health
• Social dimensions of wildlife management and reintroduction

Cross-cutting issues include climate change, urban forestry and project, programme and policy evaluation.

The group delivers evidence direct to policy and other research commissioners, presents at national and international conferences, as well as publishing in a range of high impact journals.

Person specification

SERG is seeking to appoint a Social Scientist to cover a period of Maternity Leave until October 2025. The post holder will carry out social science research across the core themes outlined above, that contributes to (i)  improving understanding of the values, attitudes, behaviours of land managers and a range of publics and stakeholders, and (ii) assessing the impact and outcomes of policies, projects and actions related to forest and woodland management.

Key Work Areas:

1. Manage and support the management, of research projects in the group’s portfolio, including contracting and procurement
2. Undertake project team management, including staff scheduling, and ensure the delivery of milestones and outputs
3. Take an active role in supporting the management of SERG and other corporate tasks, such as line management of science group staff, or contributing to agency-wide committees and working groups
4. Work with members of SERG and other scientists across FR and its partners to develop innovative and interdisciplinary science
5. Develop research approaches, methods, and tools with members of project teams, including customers and stakeholders
6. Contribute to the collection of data and evidence using those methods and tools
7. Lead and contribute to the analysis of quantitative and qualitative data
8. Contribute to the interpretation and reporting of research, including technical reports, research summaries, website and scientific publications
9. Take an active role in business development activities, working with the FR Business Development team and SERG colleagues to develop and submit proposals for new research projects

Essential Criteria:  

• Postgraduate qualification in social or behavioural science in an environmental context
• Track record of leading or making a significant contribution to impactful social science research in a professional context, e.g. within a university project, consultancy mission, or analysing and applying evidence with a government agency 
• Demonstrable ability and experience in social science data and evidence collection using quantitative and qualitative methods, and undertaking field-work in real world, face-to-face and on-line methodologies
• Demonstrable ability and experience of using IT including data collection packages (e.g. Qualtrix, Survey Monkey), data analysis packages (e.g. R, python, Nvivo, SPSS, Qualitrix), collaboration platforms (e.g. Zoom, Teams), and other research support tools (e.g. Mendeley, Zotero, PowerPoint)
• A high standard of verbal and written communication and experience of knowledge exchange with a range of stakeholders
• The post holder will need to be able to travel across the UK to attend meetings, conferences, and undertake fieldwork

Desirable Criteria:

• A broad understanding, and experience of applying behavioural science theories and approaches, e.g. nudge, the theory of planned behaviour, social practices theory, and relating these to forestry and woodland issues
• Experience of undertaking evaluations and assessments of the outcomes and impacts of interventions, projects, programmes and policies
• Knowledge and experience of working with land managers (including e.g. farmers, foresters, small woodland managers, land agents, local authorities, conservation and heritage organisations, National Parks and AONBs), and businesses servicing the woodland and forestry sector, (e.g. plant and tree nurseries and producers, plant and tree retailers, arboriculturalists and contractors, timber processing businesses)
• Knowledge and experience of working with stakeholder organisations and agencies active in the development of strategic approaches to forest and woodland governance and management, (e.g. Forestry Commission, Defra, Scottish Forestry, Natural Resources Wales, Natural England, Royal Forestry Society, Woodland Trust, ConFor, Arboricultural Association)

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £37,485, Forestry Commission - Forest Research contributes £10,859 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 will take place on 12 August 2024 Interviews are planned to take place on 23 August 2024 Candidates invited to interview will be required to prepare a short presentation.  Full details will be advised on confirmation of interview. If a large volume of applications are received, then we will sift on Experience/Technical Expertise and the Lead Behaviour, Communicating & Influencing. 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.

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.