Contents Location About the job Benefits Things you need to know Apply and further information Location Pickering, Yorkshire and the Humber, YO18 7EL About the job Job summary Forestry England is the government body responsible for managing the nations forests for people, nature, climate and the economy. Yorkshire District covers an area from Teeside to Spurn Head, stretching over the North York Moors National Park, and the Leeds metropolitan area to the Yorkshire Dales National Park. The District is responsible for the sustainable management of a 21,000-hectare estate, which includes some of Englands most expansive and ecologically important woodland parcels. These forests are of distinct natural importance but are also steeped in history and culture, surrounding the homes of a diverse population. They attract over 400,000 visits per year, including at the Dalby Forest Visitor Centre. It is our job to manage these woodlands so that they produce a range of public benefits and ensure that they continue to thrive for many generations to come. We do this by managing spaces for wildlife and people, alongside sustainable timber production and carbon capture. We want to do our part to ensure a prosperous and sustainable future for Yorkshire Forest District and the more than 3.5 million people who call the area home. As Forest Wilding Officer, you will lead and support a range of innovative nature recovery projects that deliver for Forestry Englands national Biodiversity Plan. A big part of your work will centre on our Wild Areas, focusing initially on Yorkshire Districts Wild Newtondale project a 458ha wilding project in the heart of the North York Moors National Park. At Wild Newtondale our key goal is to restore biodiversity by rebuilding natural processes at scale. This means youll be delivering land management changes in hydrology, herbivory, forestry practices and more. You will use monitoring and evidence to adaptively manage and continuously improve outcomes for nature. You will also contribute to other forest wilding projects such as species recovery and re-introductions that help to restore fully functioning ecosystems. Job description To succeed in this role, you will need to be an effective project manager with knowledge and experience of delivering land management for nature recovery. You will be a strong c ollaborator and communicator, able to work effectively with our diverse teams and partners. Managed by the Environment and Planning Manager, the Forest Wilding Officer will work closely with Forestry England colleagues across Yorkshire and with our national forest wilding and communications teams to help deliver nature recovery. You can expect to spend up to one third of your time outdoors, often independently and remotely and you will usually be expected to manage your own time to maximise efficiency and effectiveness. Main responsibilities Leading the development and delivery of innovative landscape-scale nature recovery projects. This will focus initially on Wild Newtondale, but you will also contribute to other landscape and species recovery projects. Producing long-term adaptive management plans, programmes of work, and budgets. Procuring and managing contracts and contractors, including graziers, forestry contractors, consultants and academic institutions. Building and managing successful partner relationships and co-developing long-term visions for projects. Embedding a natural capital approach into nature recovery projects. Supporting funding bids and following district and national project development procedures. Driving meaningful communication and consultation with stakeholders and communities. Supporting the integration of nature recovery projects into forest plans. Managing and coordinating volunteers for forest wilding projects. Working with the District Ecologist and external experts to produce question-led monitoring & evaluation plans, adopting novel methods where appropriate. Monitoring and reporting on project performance to funders and senior leadership. Supporting the ecology teams wider work as required. This may include activities such as operational site assessments, contract management and supervision, and protected site management. General responsibilities Display Forest Englands values & behaviours across all aspects of work. Minimise filing backlogs and prioritise workload to meet targets. Present a friendly and professional appearance. Be familiar with and appropriately adhere to Forestry England policies and procedures. Keep Health and Safety matters as the overriding determinant at all times and in all circumstances. Undertake any other duties, reasonably requested by the Planning and Environment Manager or Forest Management Director. 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. Location-specific information The Yorkshire District covers an area from Hartlepool to Spurn Head, stretching over the North York Moors National Park, to the Yorkshire Dales and Huddersfield in the west. The district is responsible for the sustainable management of a 21,000-hectare estate, and the team currently consists of over 70 employees supported by dedicated volunteers. The post will be based at Forestry Englands Pickering office, with regular travel around the district. There will be occasional travel outside of the district, including overnight stays. Person specification Knowledge and experience Essential A track record of successfully developing, managing or coordinating nature recovery projects. Broad knowledge and practical experience of a range of nature recovery interventions, including the restoration of natural processes like grazing. Good general ecological knowledge. Experience of working with a wide range of stakeholder groups, including public sector, private sector, and non-governmental organisations. Experience of managing contractors. Desirable Knowledge of species reintroduction good practices. Reasonable knowledge of environmental legislation and designations, including their practical application. An understanding of natural capital. Experience of working with volunteers. Skills Essential A skilled project manager, able to manage and prioritise workloads, meet deadlines and solve problems. A great team and partnership worker, with a strong track record of collaboration and relationship management. An excellent communicator, both written and verbally, able to adapt to a range of audiences. Able to evaluate and summarise information into succinct reports. Competent using IT and Microsoft Office. Desirable Competence in the use of Geographic Information Systems (GIS). Reasonable wildlife identification skills, ideally including plants. Qualifications Essential Ecology or environmental degree, or equivalent professional experience in nature-focussed land management. A full and current driving licence that enables you to drive in the UK. Desirable A recognised project management qualification. Behaviours We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process: Seeing the Big Picture Communicating and Influencing Making Effective Decisions Working Together Benefits Alongside your salary of £32,089, Forestry Commission contributes £9,296 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides. 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 employer contribution of 28.97% Things you need to know Selection process details This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours and Experience. As part of the application process you will be asked to complete a CV and 750 word personal statement. 1. A CV (completed on Civil Service Jobs) setting out your career history, with key responsibilities and achievements for each role. Please ensure you have provided any reasons for any gaps within the last two years. 2. A personal statement of suitability (max 750 words) explaining how you consider your personal experience, skills and qualities are relevant to this role. Please demonstrate how you meet the essential criteria as detailed in the person specification. Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form. Should a large number of applications be received, an initial sift may be conducted using the CV only. Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift, or progressed straight to assessment/interview. Sift dates to be confirmed. Interviews will be conducted in person in York (Date TBA). Candidates will be further assessed on Behaviours and Experience at interview. Candidates invited to interview will also be asked to prepare a short presentation to be presented at the beginning of the interview. 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 at https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk 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 o n your behalf. However, we recognise in exceptional circumstances 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.grscabinetoffice.gov.uk stating the job reference number in the subject heading. New entrants are expected to join on the minimum of the pay band. 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. 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. 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 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. Diversity and Inclusion The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window). Apply and further information 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 : Lee Burkill Email : lee.burkillforestryengland.uk Telephone : 07342 086423 Recruitment team Email : fcerecruitment.grscabinetoffice.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 FCE by email: englandhr.servicesforestryengland.uk. If you are not satisfied with the response you receive, you can contact the Civil Service Commission, which regulates all Civil Service recruitment. Share this page Print Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn GMail