Forest Planning Skills and Capability Lead

We are Forestry England.

We live and breathe forests.

Job title
- Forest Planning Skills and Capability Lead Salary - £40,388 - £43,482 per annum

Contract type
- Fixed Term Appointment, until 31/10/2030

Hours - 37 hours per week Vacancy closes - 20th September, 23:58

Join us. We're foresters, professionals and experts. We are a passionate team who love to share our enthusiasm and want to make a positive difference for you and the environment.

Together, we're using our scale and expertise to grow the nation's forests for everyone. We're already adapting our landscapes for tomorrow, and getting stuff done today, like creating amazing places and experiences for you to enjoy. We're providing vital homes for wildlife, making our air cleaner to breathe and producing sustainable timber.

As part of Forestry England's national Forest Planning team, you will play a pivotal role in shaping the future of sustainable forest management across England. Forest Plans are at the heart of everything we do, balancing timber production, nature recovery, climate resilience, recreation and the many benefits forests provide to society. In this influential role, you will help ensure Forestry England remains at the forefront of modern forest planning by developing capability, driving innovation and supporting continuous improvement across the profession.

You will lead a new Trainee Forest Planner programme, helping to recruit and develop the next generation of forest planning professionals, while also supporting and enhancing the skills of our existing Forest Planners. Working closely with colleagues across the organisation, you will provide technical leadership, champion best practice and identify opportunities to improve processes and approaches. This is a rare opportunity to make a lasting impact on both the future of forest planning and the forests that will benefit generations to come.

Please see the job description below for more information and details about what we need from you. You will be assessed on both during sifting.

The Behaviours being assessed at interview are
- Developing Self and Others Managing a Quality Service Working Together Changing and Improving You may also be assessed on Experience, Strength based questions, and/or the Technical Success Profile at the interview. The technical element could include a presentation, practical or written task. Successful candidates will undergo a criminal record check and the government baseline personnel security standard check.

Primary office location will be situated at National Office, 620 Bristol Business Park, Coldharbour Lane, Bristol, BS16 1EJ
. However the role has a national remit and location is flexible. This post will involve dealing with contacts across England, and travel with overnight stays. The use of Microsoft Teams video software is encouraged to reduce travel; however the postholder will be expected to regularly travel in accordance with the needs of the business and the demands of the post.

It is expected that if the successful applicant is new to Forestry England they will be embedded within a Forestry England office for part of the working week during an induction period.

Alongside your salary, Forestry England contributes an average of 28.97% towards your pension. You will become a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension Scheme. 25 days holiday a year, raising by one day every year’s service, up to 30 days (pro-rated for part time employees) plus additional days off such as bank holidays. STaR is our employee benefits scheme offering discounts on everyday supermarket shopping, as well as other things such as hotel stays clothes, mobile phones, other electrical items, medical and car…