The role will be based in either FC’s York Office, Foss House, Kings Pool, York YO1 7PX, or Newcastle Office, Tyneside House, Newcastle Business Park, Skinnerburn Road, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, NE4 7AR with flexibility for some optional blended working arrangement. Job Summary Are you passionate about forestry and its role in creating a better future for England? The Forestry Commission is looking for an Area Director to lead the Yorkshire and North East England Area team within Forest Services Delivery. This role offers the opportunity to oversee the operational delivery of grants and regulations, achieve woodland outcomes through partnership working, and be a regional leader advocating sustainable and resilient stewardship of the growing tree and woodland resources. Our staff engagement levels are consistently well above average, and staff turnover is well below the Civil Service average. We value our people, look after them, and will look after you. If you are ready to join an organisation that is making a positive difference to our society in the Yorkshire and North East England regions, both now and for future generations, we want to hear from you. Join us for the challenge and make a difference Job Description As the Area Director, you will lead and champion a team of passionate, committed, and expert colleagues to deliver our aims for woodland expansion, protection, and management. Your team’s work will help connect more people to the vision in the Forestry Commission’s strategy: tackling some of society's biggest challenges with thriving trees, woods, and forests. You will also make your mark through your senior leadership contribution across the Forestry Commission, working alongside colleagues in Forestry England and Forest Research. Key Responsibilities Lead and inspire the Yorkshire and North East England Area team to be part of an outstanding organisation. Oversee the operational delivery of grants and regulations, ensuring the full range of expertise in the Area team delivers effectively. Promote our flagship England Woodland Creation Offer and other funding opportunities to drive woodland establishment and management. Direct and influence Area partnerships and strategic relationships, including with Defra group partners, major landowners and forestry businesses. Manage and develop the activity of the Yorkshire and the Humber and North East Forestry and Woodlands Advisory Committees. Contribute to the wider work of the Forestry Commission and its key national projects. As the Area Director, you will lead and champion a team of passionate, committed, and expert colleagues to deliver our aims for woodland expansion, protection, and management. Your team’s work will help connect more people to the vision in the Forestry Commission’s strategy: tackling some of society's biggest challenges with thriving trees, woods, and forests. You will also make your mark through your senior leadership contribution across the Forestry Commission, working alongside colleagues in Forestry England and Forest Research. Key Responsibilities Lead and inspire the Yorkshire and North East England Area team to be part of an outstanding organisation. Oversee the operational delivery of grants and regulations, ensuring the full range of expertise in the Area team delivers effectively. Promote our flagship England Woodland Creation Offer and other funding opportunities to drive woodland establishment and management. Direct and influence Area partnerships and strategic relationships, including with Defra group partners, major landowners and forestry businesses. Manage and develop the activity of the Yorkshire and the Humber and North East Forestry and Woodlands Advisory Committees. Contribute to the wider work of the Forestry Commission and its key national projects. Person specification Essential A professional qualification, or extensive relevant experience, in forestry, land-based enterprise, or environmental management. Proven track record in team management and delivering successful business plan and leadership outcomes. Relevant experience for planning, communication, and delivery of forestry and woodland priorities at a regional level. Experience in leading business improvement changes while maintaining delivery performance. Excellent leadership, interpersonal, and presentational skills. Proven track record in building credible external stakeholder relationships. Business management experience, including budgetary, forecasting, and analytical skills. Desirable Forestry qualification with membership of the Institute of Chartered Foresters. Commitment to continuing professional development. Incident management and control experience. Behaviours We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process: Changing and Improving Leadership Communicating and Influencing Working Together Seeing the Big Picture Making Effective Decisions Alongside your salary of £58,423, Forestry Commission contributes £16,925 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides. A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%. A range of family friendly benefits. An environment with flexible working options. Learning and development tailored to your role. A culture which promotes a diverse and inclusive work environment. A range of wellbeing benefits including discounted Civil Service Healthcare, access to an Employee Assistance Programme 24/7, Bike to Work Scheme, plus many more. 25 days annual leave, with 1 additional day for each years’ service up to 5 years (pro rata), plus 10.5 bank holidays/privilege days (pro rata). Ability to buy or sell 5 days annual leave. 3 days volunteering per year (pro rata). We aim to provide a great place to work, whichever location you work from. Blended working forms part of our flexible and inclusive approach to future ways of working. It is an informal arrangement which gives you the option to work some of the week from home, and some of the week from our Forestry Commission workplaces, subject to role requirements, business needs, and regular review. Informal blended working arrangements will be available as agreed with the line manager. Selection process details This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours and Experience. This guidance contains important information to help with your application: Please apply by submitting a CV and Covering Letter (no more than two sides of A4 in length per document aligned to the person specification). Please also include your contact details. Please ensure your full employment history is outlined in your CV; and that where there are essential criteria, competencies and/or qualifications you make clear how you meet these. We may wish to verify this information during the recruitment process. Please provide the details of two referees. Note that we will only approach referees for candidates proceeding to final selection and only with your permission. Please clearly indicate whether we can approach each referee before the selection date. Please share with us in your supporting statement, the values and behaviours that you bring to your leadership, and how you will transfer your skills and experience into this role. Please return your application by the closing date – no applications will be accepted once the long listing process has begun. Following long listing, you will be contacted directly by a Hays consultant to update you on the status of your application. At any point throughout the process our retained consultants at Hays will be happy to help you with information, insight and guidance about the process. 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 Thomas.Watsonhays.com as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs. Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment. This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours and Experience. 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. 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. 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). 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 : Thomas Watson Email : Thomas.Watsonhays.com Telephone : 07713 997117 Recruitment team Email : fcrecruitmentteamforestryengland.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. Follow link to apply To apply, please follow this link - https://shorturl.at/Geb3M