Economist

Job summary

The role of trees and forests has never been more critical, offering sanctuary for both people and wildlife and improving climate resilience. The UK government is dedicated to significantly increasing woodland coverage by the end of this Parliament, aiming for net-zero emissions by 2050, and achieving broader environmental targets. The Forestry Commission, in collaboration with the Department for the Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra), is at the forefront of expanding, protecting, improving, and connecting woodlands across the country.

The Forestry Commission (FC) are the Government’s forestry experts responsible for enabling landowners and managers, businesses, civil society organisations, and local communities to protect, improve and expand England's woodlands. It achieves this through regulation, incentives and advice.

We seek a motivated economist to join us in the Economics, Evidence and Analysis team. This role is a unique opportunity to be part of an interdisciplinary team that is shaping the future of forestry in England. Positioned within Forest Services (FS), the role involves providing analytical support to help develop effective forestry and woodland policies, as well as engagement with Defra and wider government in supporting the development of the Environmental Land Management schemes.

The post will operate in an interdisciplinary environment, working directly with policy, grants and regulations experts and with social and spatial scientists as well as fellow economists.

Job description

What Will You Be Doing?

The main purpose of this role is to provide economic analysis and input to support the development of future forestry policy. This role offers the unique opportunity to join a dynamic and passionate team in this high-profile area of work, leading FC’s economic input into Defra’s Environmental Land Management Schemes (SFI, CS, and Landscape Recovery) and Tree Health Grants.

The post will appeal to an economist, with experience or interest in natural resource management, who wishes to apply economics to practical policy and management issues and who relishes working in an interdisciplinary environment.

In this role, you will blend economic analysis, policy support, and stakeholder engagement. Responsibilities include:

• Contributing to economic analyses and research to inform forestry policy development and government initiatives.
• Support the development of the future forestry incentives, including those within the (for example, woodland creation, woodland management, agroforestry, and Tree Health).
• Assisting in the preparation of economic cases for funding bids and policy proposals, budget forecasting and profiling.
• Collaborating with policy, analysis, and grants experts in a multidisciplinary environment.
• Identify the need for, commission and manage evidence and analysis work to develop the evidence base surrounding forestry economics.
• Present complex economic information accessibly to various stakeholders.
• Engaging in projects that support the range of land based grant schemes which Forestry Commission is involved in. Supporting grant/incentives design, updates, and evaluation.
• Responding to quick turnaround requests for information, drawing on existing work and modelling. Balancing ad hoc work such as this with ongoing, longer term responsibilities.
• Working with both internal and external stakeholders, including Defra, to support evidence-based policy development.
• Increase awareness and communicate the use of economic analysis, data and research in the Forestry Commission and the wider Defra group.
• Collaborate with fellow economists in FC and Defra.

Person specification

Who Are We Looking For?

Essential:

• Ability to quickly grasp new concepts and work proactively.
• Strong analytical and quantitative analysis skills. Have the ability to perform high quality analysis to strict deadlines which can be used to inform policy decisions.
• Clear communication skills, with the ability to explain economic concepts in an understandable way.
• Background in economics, evidenced by education (degree with at least 50% economics).
• Experience applying economic theory, such as assessing market failures, competition impacts of policy etc, and adapting this theory in the face of real world complexities.
• Experience of economic appraisal, development of evidence-based business cases, and evaluation.
• Proficient in using Excel and other relevant software packages.

Desirable:

• Familiarity with natural resource, natural capital, or environmental economics principles.
• An understanding of, or interest in, policy development related to agriculture, land management, or forestry.
• Experience in, or knowledge of, green finance markets.

Behaviours

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Delivering at Pace
• Making Effective Decisions
• Communicating and Influencing

Technical skills

We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:

• Government Economic Service – Application of Knowledge
• Government Economic Service – Analysis of Data

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £48,765, Forestry Commission contributes £14,127 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides (opens in a new window).

• Learning and development tailored to your role
• An environment with flexible working options
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
• A Civil Service pension (opens in a new window) with an employer contribution of 28.97%
• 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. Further information will be available for candidates invited to interview.

Things you need to know

Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Strengths, Experience and Technical skills.

Fixed term Appointment to 30th March 2028. This is a Temporary Appointment with the possibility of extension or permanency but no guarantee.

As part of the application process, you will complete the following:

1. A tailored CV setting out your career history with key responsibilities and achievements.
2. A personal statement – in no more than 750 words showing how you meet the criteria of the person specification.

Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.

We will be conducting online interviews with the use of Microsoft Teams or equivalent online communication methods. Candidates would therefore require access to a computer and internet at interview stage. The interviews will be based on Technical Skills, Strengths, Experience and Civil Service Behaviours.

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 Service 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; for further information visit the Childcare Choices website.

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 on 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.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk stating the job reference number in the subject heading.

The Forestry Commission is actively working to reduce the carbon emission of official travel and applicants should be aware of the broad principles which are being applied to reduce carbon emissions to less than 50gCO2/km.

New entrants are expected to join on the minimum of the pay band.

Existing Civil Servants (excluding Forestry Commission employees) and applicants from accredited NDPBs are eligible to apply, and will only be considered on a loan basis (Civil Servants) or secondment (accredited NDPBs). Prior agreement to be released on a loan basis must be obtained before commencing the application process. In the case of Civil Servants, the terms of the loan will be agreed between the home and host department and the Civil Servant.

Existing Forestry Commission, Forestry England and Forest Research employees are eligible to apply for this Fixed Term Appointment and will only be considered if there is written confirmation from their line manager and HR that their current role will be temporarily backfilled or held open before commencing the application process.

Where a role has been identified as one which falls under the scope of the Public Sector English Language Requirements, within Part 7 of the Immigration Act 2016, it is essential that applicants should have the ability to converse at ease with members of the public and provide advice in accurate spoken English. Applicants will be assessed in the selection process in accordance with the requirements.

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 you’re 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

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a basic (or equivalent) 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 theCivil 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 : FS Recruitment
• Email : fs.recruitment@forestrycommission.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : fcerecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.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.services@forestryengland.uk. If you are not satisfied with the response you receive, you can contact the Civil Service Commission, which regulates all Civil Service recruitment.