GIS and Planning Assistant

Location: Santon Downham

# GIS and Planning Assistant## Job Introduction
** We are Forestry England.
**** We live and breathe forests.
**** Job title – GIS and Planning Assistant
**** Salary - £30,105 per annum
**** Contract type – 3 year Fixed Term appointment with possibility of extension of permanency
**** Hours – 37 hours per week
**** Final date to receive applications **– Monday
** 22nd June, 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**.*
* ** What you’ll do...
** Geographic Information Systems (GIS) are increasingly valuable tools for managing the nation’s forests. The GIS and Planning Assistant is an exciting role that will support our forestry, environment and wider land management teams in the East Forest District by coordinating the collection, processing and management of accurate and insightful spatial data.

You will use this data to support important decision making processes, such as forest planning and operational planning. This will involve the production of maps, reports and other analyses and visualisations of spatial data. It will also involve working with a wide range of colleagues, from ecologists to foresters, to make sure that outputs are accurate and meet the high standards of our sustainable forest management certifications.  

You will be an important part of the Planning Team, who provide expertise in forest planning, in close collaboration with the Environment and Forest and Land Management teams. In particular, you will work closely with, and learn from, the Forest Planner. You will assist the Forest Planner in the production and review of forest plans and the coordination of our operational planning processes.

** Where you’ll work...
** The role will be based in the Santon Downham office with flexibility for some optional blended working. Please be aware that this role can only be worked in the UK and not overseas.

The District consists of myriad of habitats from the largest productive coniferous forest, mixed broadleaved woodlands, heathland, chalk and acid grasslands, to streams in diverse landscapes in south-east of England from North Norfolk to East Sussex. We are in the forefront of the climate change pressures, but also of the pro-active planning to ensure that the forests thrive and continue to support society in the future.

We have launched Forest Resilience Plan outlining long-term changes towards lower impact silviculture systems and creating more diverse, healthy and connected habitats. We are accelerating our efforts in restoring Ancient Woodlands and trialling new tree species best suited for future climate. The duties of this post require the applicant to sometimes travel to remote locations that are not accessible by public transport.

You will therefore need to hold a full and current driving licence that enables you to drive in the UK. We are willing to consider any proposals put forward by applicants that would allow them to do the job by other means.
** Benefits...
** 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 insurance, holidays, gym discounts, household bills, Headspace wellbeing app.
* free parking at Forestry England sites and free entry to our National Arboretums at Westonbirt and Bedgebury.
* a commitment to lifelong…