ELM Officer

Job summary

We are seeking a motivated individual who is passionate about expanding, protecting, improving and connecting England’s trees, woods and forests.

You will join the National Grants and Regulations team which supports the design and delivery of grants and incentives and regulation related to agroforestry, woodland creation, forest management and tree health. Specifically, you will become part of the Environmental Land Management (ELM) team, which focuses on the design and delivery of the agroforestry and woodland elements of three schemes, launched by DEFRA, that provide an incentive for land managers to manage their land in a way that boosts nature. These schemes are Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI), Countryside Stewardship (CS) and Landscape Recovery (LR).

Job description

There are 5 ELM Officers across England, one for each of the Forest Services area teams and internal National ELMS teams. The advertised post is for an ELM Officer for the Agroforestry team and imbedded in the Northwest and West Midlands area.

The ELM officer role will be supporting the agroforestry team, and particularly the Agroforestry Adviser (AA) with their work and objectives. These include supporting on upskilling of both the forestry & farming sectors in England by developing training, guidance and educational resources to facilitate agroforestry understanding, creation and management. You will also support the AA on working with Defra, Natural England & RPA in refining the ELMS Agroforestry grants and feeding into the associated regulations & policy.

Although part of the National ELM Team, ELM Officers are imbedded into the regional teams and work hard to build relationships with Forest Service Area Team staff who are delivering the Forestry Commissions incentives and regulations.

You will regularly attend meetings and events based within your regional area, virtually and in person throughout the year. If area teams have questions / require support on ELM grants, ELM Officers act as a conduit to the national team ensuring area teams have access to the resources they need. Your role may require you to support area teams in internal or external meetings with stakeholders either virtually or in person in your area. You may also be asked to attend shows and events in your area.

Working with area teams and their network of local stakeholders to understand regional challenges and opportunities, gives ELM Officers insight that can be used to support the ELM team in the design and delivery of the forestry elements of DEFRA’s ELM schemes.

You should take an active interest in developing a broad knowledge base on what is going on in the ELM grant space as well as in the wider farming and forestry sectors.

Person specification

Essential criteria

• Knowledge of the land management sector, including farming and forestry, and existing grant schemes, including Countryside Stewardship
• Good interpersonal and influencing skills demonstrating the ability to build and maintain effective working relationships with internal colleagues, stakeholders, and our customers
• Experience of proactively and flexibly delivering tasks across multiple processes or projects Excellent written and oral communication skills
• Experience delivering training and/or presentations
• Degree-level qualification, or substantial equivalent experience, in environmental or land management sector, preferably with a forestry or agricultural focus
• Highly competent IT user with experience of using MS Office and online communication tools such as Microsoft

Desirable criteria

• Experience and knowledge of forestry and agriculture regulation and incentives
• Knowledge of designing and managing agroforestry systems

Licences

Full UK driving licence

Behaviours

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

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

We only ask for evidence of these behaviours on your application form:

• Working Together

Technical skills

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

• Candidates will be asked to prepare a presentation at interview stage. Further details will be sent to candidates who are progressed to interview

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £33,854, Forestry Commission contributes £9,807 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.

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.

This is a Fixed Term Appointment ending 30th September 2026, with possibility but no guarantee of extension or permanency.

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, of no more than two pages. Please ensure you have provided reasons for any gaps within the last two years.
2. A personal statement – in no more than 750 words showing how you meet the criteria of the Person Specification.
3. You will also be asked to provide 250-word statements relating to the Behaviour' Working Together

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

Should a large number of applications be received, the initial sift may be conducted using the lead behaviour, Working Together

Applications will be sifted week commencing 20th April 2026. This date is subject to change.

Interviews will be held week commencing 30th April 2026. This date is subject to change.

At interview candidates will be assessed on Behaviours, Experience, Strengths and Technical Skills

You will also be required to create and deliver a presentation. Guidance will be provided if you are invited to interview.

We will be conducting in-person interviews at Delamere Main Office, Delamere Forest, Linmere, Northwich, Cheshire, CW8 2JD

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; 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Travel options include:

• Use of private car: some Officers choose to use their private car and receive payment for the miles they drive on official business. Emissions are unrestricted below 4,000 miles per year. A reduced mileage payment is applied to travel above 4,000 miles per year, where not in a zero emissions vehicle.
• Use of Forestry Commission van: usually based from an FC office (NOTE: such vehicles can only be used for official business).
• Use of CAPES (lease) Cars: after an employee has successfully completed their probation, they can opt for a CAPES car (the user pays a monthly rate for private use). All new CAPES vehicles are zero emissions.

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 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.