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. Our Prime Minister and our government are committed as part of the Environmental Improvement Plan to increasing the tree canopy cover across England from the current 14.5% to at least 16.5% by 2050 – this means 34,000 ha of new tree cover by 2028. 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 was supported by the announcement in the 2021 budget of £640m for a new Nature for Climate Fund ‘to support natural habitats like woodland and peat’ and the publication of the England Tree Action Plan. 

The Department for the Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) and the Forestry Commission have set up a joint tree planting programme for England to support the forestry sector, landowners and communities in the delivery of these ambitions. 

Forestry Commission will lead the delivery of the following parts of the tree-planting programme: 

• Developing sector capacity.
• Woodland creation on public land.
• Woodland creation on private land.

If you are passionate about the role of trees, woods and forestry in creating a better future for England and want to play a key part in realising 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 revolutionise how we work together and reach new stakeholders. 

Our staff engagement levels are consistently well above the Civil Service average and staff turnover is well below. We value our people, we look after them, and we will look after you. We hope you will join us for the challenge.

Job description

We are seeking dynamic individuals with experience in forestry and/or land management, who are quick to learn and inspire and enthuse others.

The Woodland Officer role can be seen as the ‘face’ of the Forestry Commission to landowners, managers and stakeholders. Each Woodland Officer has their own geographic area of primary responsibility, enabling them to develop a strategic view of the local landscape, a network of local stakeholders and an understanding of the challenges and opportunities.

In your ‘patch,’ you will be at the forefront of delivering the Forestry Commission’s incentives and

Regulations, and able to provide advice and support to the private forestry sector in addition to Local Authorities and Defra colleagues. Internal team working is also integral in the Woodland Officer role, for example across the Area Team (e.g., assisting others in ‘alleged unlicensed felling’ investigations) and the wider Forestry Commission (e.g., opportunity for review of national guidance and procedure). Through both, you will have the ability to assist the Forestry Commission build strong working relationships to help create and manage diverse, resilient multi-purpose woodlands.

This Woodland Officer post will cover Oxfordshire.

The substantive office will be Wendover. If you live within the area then you have the opportunity to work in a blended manner directly from your home, once you have become fully established in the role. 

New Woodland Officers are expected to attend your substantive office 2 to 3 days per week to allow you to learn the role from managers and colleagues. 

When fully established we would expect you to spend 1-2 days per week in Wendover. If your home lies out with your work area you will be expected to travel to your work area or Wendover office in your own time and cost.

Responsibilities

Expand Woodland Cover:

Champion the multiple benefits of new woodland as business opportunities for landowner and as natural capital (including biodiversity, water quality, flood management, carbon sequestration/substitution, etc) for the wider environment and society; facilitate the design and delivery of new woodlands optimising the benefits they can deliver to the owner and as natural capital.

Administer the forestry Regulations relating to woodland creation (Environmental Impact Assessment); and administer/process applications for grants.

Protect our existing trees and woodlands:

Administer Forestry Regulations to include:

• Forestry Act – Felling Licences to ensure tree felling is carried out legally in accordance with the principles of the UK Forestry Standard as appropriate.
• Environmental Impact Assessments – afforestation, deforestation, forest roads and forest quarries,
• Habitats Regulations – re forest operations within Special Protection Areas and Special Areas of Conservation.
• Advise on the links with other legislation such as those pertaining to European Protected Species; and
• Provide specialist advice to planning authorities re the impact of proposals on existing woodland and how new trees and woodland could be used to enhance new developments.

Improve the condition and resilience of our existing woodlands and wider treescape:

• Champion the benefits of actively managed woodland.
• Support woodland owners and managers in responding to key challenges of pests and diseases including Chalara ash dieback, Phytophthora ramorum, deer and grey squirrels.
• Work to increase resilience within woodlands to the challenges of a changing climate; and - facilitate closer working across the forestry sector – for instance between markets, contractors, managers, etc.

Engaging partners, stakeholders and the public:

• Encourage, enthuse and support key partners and stakeholders to help facilitate the expansion, protection and improvement of our woodlands and treescape; and
• Champion the many values of trees and woodland to the wider public helping them understand and appreciate the importance and values of active management.

Person specification

Essential: 

• Forestry or land management-based degree (or equivalent qualification) and/or significant forestry or land management experience.
• 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.
• Good interpersonal and influencing skills demonstrating the ability to build and maintain effective working relationships with internal colleagues and our customers.
• Ability to prioritise and manage a varied workload.
• Good computer skills with experience of MS Office and Excel.
• Ability to proactively deal with complex and contentious issues relating to people and woodland interests, leading to the delivery of project outcomes and development of work areas as necessary.

Desirable: 

• Experience of practical woodland management.
• Experience and knowledge of forestry regulations, incentives and tree health.
• Experience in promoting, designing and establishing new woodland.
• Experience working in partnership across delivery organisations.
• Experience in facilitating market growth in the forestry sector.
• Experience in supporting integrated land/woodland management.
• Practitioner-level understanding of landscape.
• Membership of (or working towards) a relevant professional institute (e.g., Institute of Chartered Foresters).
• Evidence of maintaining Continuous Professional Development.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £32,612, Forestry Commission contributes £8,838 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, Experience and Technical skills.

Although this role is permanent, we would consider Loan or Secondment up to two years with the possibility of extension or permanency but no guarantee.

Applications will be scored on your:-

1. CV
2. Personal Statement
3. Demonstration of Communicating and Influencing 

Applicants will be expected to demonstrate the essential role requirements within the application behaviour responses. Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift, or progressed straight to assessment/interview.

Interview

Candidates will be further assessed on Behaviours/Experience at interview, in addition to Technical Skills and Strengths.

We will be conducting interviews at Wendover Office, Upper Icknield Way, Aston Clinton, HP22 5NF.

We aim to provide a great place to work, whichever location you work from. Blended working forms part of our flexible and inclusive approach to future ways of working. It is an informal arrangement which gives you the option to work some of the week from home, and some of the week from our Forestry Commission workplaces, subject to role requirements, business needs, and regular review. Informal blended working arrangements will be available as agreed with the line manager. Further information will be available for candidates invited to interview.

Applications will be sifted w/c - 22nd January 2024 

Interviews will be held w/c  - 30th January 2024

Please note that these dates are subject to change.

Further Information

A reserve list may be held for a period of 12 months from which further appointments can be made.

Any move to the Forestry Commission from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. 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 maybe carried out.

In order to process applications without delay, we will be sending a Criminal Record Check to Disclosure and Barring 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.

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 and will be considered on both permanent, 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.

This role is full-time, 44 hours per week. 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.

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. Applicants will be assessed in the selection process in accordance with the requirements.

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.

Woodland Officer Officer roles include regular travel within their ‘area’, meeting landowners and stakeholders as well as some travel within the Area and to training around the country. The Forestry Commission is actively working to reduce the carbon emission of official travel and applicants should be aware of the broad principles which are being applied to reduce carbon emissions to less than 50gCO2/km. Travel options include:

•    Use of private car: some Officers chose to use their private car and receive payment for the miles they drive on official business. From 1 April 2021 your private car must emit less than 120gCO2/km if you wish to use it for official travel and this emission level will reduce by 5 gCO2km each year until 2023/24 and by 10 gCO2km each year after that.
•    Use of Forestry Commission van: usually based from an FC office, though may be based at the officers home if the candidate lives within their ‘area’ (NOTE: such vehicles can only be used for official business).
•    Use of CAPES (lease) Cars: after an employee has successfully completed their probation they can opt for a CAPES car. All CAPES cars must emit less than 50gCO2/km.

Successful candidates if using their own private vehicle for business travel will need to comply with the Forestry Commission travel policy on CO2 emissions (115g maximum CO2/km from April 2022).

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.