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Salary
Civil Service Pension with an average employer contribution of 27%
Job grade
Contract type
Loan
Secondment
Length of employment
Business area
Type of role
Environment and Sustainability
Operational Delivery
Working pattern
Number of jobs available
Contents
Location
About the job
Job summary
An opportunity to lead Forestry Englands Community Woodland team in Southeast England on a 12-month fixed term appointment (maternity cover), from January 2024. You will lead a small team responsible for the management of Thames Chase Community Forest and Jeskyns Community Woodland and will co-ordinate and champion new woodland creation projects, engaging with partners and stakeholders to deliver exemplar community woodlands benefiting communities, the environment and business.
The role will be based out of the Thames Chase office, Pike Lane, Upminster (RM14 3NS), or agreed alternative within East Forest District, with flexibility for some optional blended working (see details under benefits). Please be aware that this role can only be worked in the UK and not overseas.
Job description
As Community Woodland Manager, you will lead the Thames Beat team based at Thames Chase Forest Centre, Upminster, Essex. You will work with the Thames Chase Trust and other partners to promote, maintain and sustainably expand Thames Chase Community Forest (Essex) and Jeskyns Community Woodland (Kent).
Thames Beat covers an area of 520 hectares of community woodland around the Thames Gateway and Thames Chase Community Forest to the east of London, south Essex and north Kent. The estate consists of a number of woodlands, created close to communities over the last decade, on greenfield and brownfield land. They support a range of habitats from established woodland, traditional orchards, wildflower meadows and offer a diverse range of community involvement and recreational opportunities. The Thames Beat team is made up of eleven staff who specialise in woodland creation and community engagement.
The Thames Chase beat team is part of Forestry Englands East England Forest District. The district employs over 150 staff and covers an area of 35,000 ha from North Norfolk to Brighton. The districts woodlands are varied and range from the conifer plantations of Thetford Forest to the Ancient woodlands of the South East and the community woodlands of Thames Chase on the outskirts of London. The woodlands are important for timber production and conservation, with a large proportion of the landholding designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and offer opportunities for a wide range of recreation from the informal use of open access woodland to the adventurous play and trails at three Forest Centres at Bedgebury, Wendover and High Lodge.
Forestry England is a progressive and inclusive organisation, where benefits include a generous holiday entitlement, substantial training, development and volunteering opportunities, as well as flexible working arrangements and membership of an excellent civil service pension scheme. Our staff work in and among some of the most diverse and spectacular natural environments in England.
A Forestry England vehicle will be made available for business use only.
Responsibilities
Purpose of the role:
To lead the Thames Chase Community Woodland team in the management and expansion of the community woodland estate, fostering beneficial partnerships to achieve cost effective and safe delivery of the district’s strategic objectives.
Key Work Areas:
- Provide leadership for the Thames Beat team and line manage the Beat Forester, Woodland Creation Project Officer and Active Forest Coordinator (and other personnel as agreed).
- Develop and keep under revision a Forest Centre Business Plan for Jeskyns, exploring commercial opportunities to improve financial sustainability whilst achieving community woodland objectives.
- Develop contemporary programmes and partnerships that support the sustainable expansion of the community woodland estate, with an emphasis on private and third sector engagement where this adds value.
- Lead the delivery of the Thames Beat Brownfield programme which is focused on the restoration of former landfill sites into community greenspace.
- Lead the delivery of the Thames Beat new woodland creation programme, where suitable land becomes available.
- Build and maintain sound working relationships with external partner organisations such as the Thames Chase Trust.
- Ensure effective management of the community woodland estate and its staff, co-ordinating and ensuring safe delivery of agreed operational and non-operational programmes/ activities and associated budgets.
- Contribute to the development and delivery of East England Forest Districts strategic plan and objectives and ensure that Thames Chase programmes / activities integrate with wider district priorities.
- Effectively manage several large budgets using internal accounting and procurement procedures.
Person specification
Professional & Technical Expertise
Essential
- A level 5 or higher qualification (eg HND, degree) in forestry or other relevant discipline (eg environmental / outdoor recreation), or be able to demonstrate significant current leadership experience in a forestry or community woodland setting.
- Level 2 qualifications or higher in maths and English.
- Competent IT user with experience of MS Office.
Desirable
- Chartership in Forestry or other relevant discipline.
- A project management qualification.
- Proficient in use of GIS
Experience
Essential
- Experience in managing and leading teams in a forestry, recreation or environmental setting, including contract and health & safety management.
- Experience in leading a team in project delivery.
- Experience of developing and managing successful relationships with stakeholders.
Desirable:
- Experience of effectively managing large budgets.
- Experience in delivering woodland creation projects on brownfield and greenfield land.
- Experience of business development and representing an organisation at a regional level.
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.
Qualifications
Level 2 qualifications or higher in maths and English.
Behaviours
We’ll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
Benefits
£9,684 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme.
Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.
See benefits of working for Forestry England at this link: Benefits of working for Forestry England , Forestry England
- Learning and development tailored to your role
- An environment with flexible working options
- A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
- A Civil Service pension with an average employer contribution of 27%
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.
London Allowance
Effective from 1 October 2022, employees that work in London may be able to claim a RRA (Recruitment Retention Allowance) of £2,500 per annum provided they are contractually based within a London Borough.
Things you need to know
Selection process details
This is a Temporary Appointment for 12 months with the possibility of extension or permanency but no guarantee. T
To apply for this role, your application should be submitted via Civil Service Jobs and be completed no later than 23.55 on Wednesday 6th December 2023
As part of the application process you will be asked to complete a CV and personal statement as follows:
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 (no more than 750 words) explaining how you consider your personal skills, qualities and experience are suitable for the role, with particular reference to the criteria in the Person Specification.
Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.
The anticipated shortlisting and interview timetable is noted below.
Application Sift: 7th or 8th Dec 2023
Interview: w/c 11 Dec 2023
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 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 here
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.
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, but will only be considered on 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.
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.
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 youre 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
Nationality requirements
Working for the Civil Service
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).
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Contact point for applicants
Job contact :
- Name : Jocelyn Mosby
- Email : jocelyn.mosby@forestryengland.uk
Recruitment team
- Email : fcerecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk
Further information
