Infrastructure Planner

We're looking for an Infrastructure Project Team Forest Planner to join our South Region team. You'll be based in Dumfries, Ae or Dalbeattie.

Our South Region teams play a vital role in caring for Scotland's national forests and land, managing around 170,000 hectares of public land stretching from the eastern Scottish Borders to the Isle of Arran and the Solway Coast. The region manages extensive forests and open land, producing timber, creating tomorrow's forests, supporting world‑class recreation facilities, restoring peatlands and helping deliver Scotland's renewable energy ambitions.

The Energy and Infrastructure team plays a key role in ensuring renewable energy and infrastructure developments are successfully integrated with wider forestry, environmental and land management objectives.

As an Infrastructure Project Team Forest Planner, you will play a key role in supporting the delivery of large-scale utility and infrastructure projects across the national forest estate. Working closely with the Infrastructure Project Manager, Civil Engineer, Forest Liaison Officer and specialist colleagues, you'll help assess the impacts of proposed infrastructure on forestry operations and long‑term land management plans. You'll prepare and manage amendments to Long‑Term Plans, Environmental Impact Assessment submissions and other regulatory requirements, while ensuring compliance with forestry legislation, policy and standards.

The role requires strong collaboration with colleagues, regulators, landowners and external stakeholders to develop practical solutions that balance infrastructure development with sustainable forest management and environmental objectives.

To be successful, you'll have a sound understanding of forestry practice and land management planning in Scotland, together with experience of working within the UK Forestry Standard (UKFS), the wider Scottish forestry regulatory environment and UK Woodland Assurance Standard (UKWAS) requirements. You'll be confident building strong relationships with colleagues, stakeholders and regulators, with excellent communication and influencing skills. You should be able to analyse complex information, balance competing priorities and develop practical solutions that support wider organisational objectives.

A HND or higher‑level qualification in forestry or a related land management subject, or equivalent technical forestry knowledge gained through experience, is essential, along with competence in the use of GIS software. Experience of utilities infrastructure, construction projects, forestry operations or project management would be advantageous.

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