Scientist – Climate Change


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Details

Reference number

327430

Salary

£27,779 – £30,168
Appointments to Forest Research are made at the entry level of the salary quoted above except in exceptional circumstances where a candidate’s experience and skills may justify a higher starting salary.
A
Civil Service Pension with an average employer contribution of 27%

Job grade

Executive Officer
Pay Band 5

Contract type

Fixed term

Length of employment

This is a fixed term appointment of 3 years with the possibility of extension or permanency but no guarantee.

Business area

FR – Forest Management – Climate Research Group

Type of role

Environment and Sustainability
Science

Working pattern

Flexible working, Full-time

Number of jobs available

1

Contents

This role is based at Alice Holt Lodge, Farnham, Surrey GU10 4LH. We offer flexible and blended working which gives you the option to work some of the week from home, and some of the week from the workplace. Please be aware that this role can only be worked in the UK and not overseas.

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

Behaviours

We’ll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

We only ask for evidence of these behaviours on your application form:

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.

Your career

  • Excellent professional development opportunities which are tailored to your role, with paid professional membership subscriptions, mentoring, and Civil Service Learning available to all
  • access to world class laboratory facilities, as well as state of the art buildings within forest or science park settings

Your work/life balance

  • flexible working options such as: up to two days flexi leave per month, blended working, part-time working, paid special leave, career breaks, and unpaid leave. Parents and carers will be supported to enable you to manage work and family responsibilities
  • A generous annual leave allowance of 25 days on entry increasing by 1 day each year to a maximum of 30 days (pro-rata for part-timers). Plus 2.5 days of additional leave and 8 days’ paid bank/public holidays

Your wellbeing

  • A culture which promotes a diverse and inclusive work environment
  • A range of wellbeing benefits including Employee Assistance Programme 24/7
  • We want you to feel part of something bigger and we encourage a community feel in our workplaces, with everything from cookery competitions to Pilates and fell running, plus topical talks at Wellbeing Wednesdays and Feelgood Fridays
  • Paid volunteering leave of 3 days per year so you can give back to your community and charitable causes by sharing your skills and time

Your benefits

  • a highly competitive Civil Service Pension where employer contributions starting at  26% of your salary
  • an employee benefits scheme offering discounts on groceries, gym memberships, holidays, days out, online retailers and high street shops
  • Cycle to Work scheme and Interest free loans
  • Free parking is offered on-site, alongside electric car charging ports
  • With maternity, adoption, and/or shared parental leave there’s the flexibility to have up to 26 weeks full pay, followed by 13 weeks statutory pay and a further 13 weeks unpaid leave. Paternity leave of up to two weeks is available with full pay.

Any move to Forest Research 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/.

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.
This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative.
The Civil Service welcomes applications from people who have recently left prison or have an unspent conviction. Read more about prison leaver recruitment (opens in new window).
Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available.
You may want to save a copy for your records.

Contact point for applicants

Job contact :

  • Name : hr.services@forestresearch.gov.uk
  • Email : hr.services@forestresearch.gov.uk

Recruitment team

  • Email : hr.services@forestresearch.gov.uk

Further information

Our recruitment process is underpinned by the principle of appointment on the basis of fair and open competition and appointment on merit, as outlined in the Civil Service Commissioners’ Recruitment Principles. If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with these principles and you wish to make a complaint, you should in the first instance contact FR HR Services by email: hr.services@forestresearch.gov.uk you are not satisfied with the response you receive, you can contact the Civil Service Commission, which regulates all Civil Service recruitment.

Attachments

CS_Behaviours_2018 Opens in new window (pdf, 1043kB)

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