Field Station Manager (Scotland)

Job summary

Want to work at the cutting edge of environmental science? Passionate about making a difference and playing your part in tackling the climate and nature crisis? Forest Research is all about giving top quality evidence and advice to policymakers and practitioners to make a positive impact on the ground. Internationally recognised, we need people who have the skills and passion to work on excellent science and provide practical solutions for nature.

We’re small enough that your voice is heard, yet large enough, as part of the Forestry Commission, that we have everything on hand to get the job done, as well as a variety of career pathways. Our staff are dedicated to their work and sharing it with others to bring positive change for our planet. And you will find us a flexible and inclusive employer, so you can have a work life balance that is tailor-made to your circumstances. So, whether it’s climate or carbon, pests or pathogens, behaviour or biodiversity that interests you, you can be assured of a warm welcome to the team. To find out more, visit forestresearch.gov.uk.

The Centre for Inventory, Forecasting and Operational Support (IFOS) at Forest Research has been involved in mapping and field data collection solutions for over 20 years. IFOS provides practical software and data solutions to help our customers manage information about their woodland resource in a pragmatic and integrated way. We also provide information, evidence and official statistics on the woodland resource in GB. We do this by blending GIS, Data Science, Statistics, Mapping and Forestry skills providing analysis, modelling and data processing solutions to answer the questions and queries posed to us.

Job description

Field Data Services (FDS) provide reliable, timely and high-quality field data services to support scientific evidence and sustainable tree, wood and forest management. We deliver this through a resilient network of highly trained professional staff and associates. Our services include, but are not limited to, field data collection, sample collection, field experiment maintenance, field QA, plant supply, training and advice, drone operations and terrestrial laser scanning. Staff are located throughout England, Scotland, and Wales and offer a GB-wide service.

The Field Station Manager role will be part of the field teams. This role is integral to the smooth operating of our Scottish field team. You will work closely with the other Field Station Manager’s, the Field Research Officers, and the Field Data Services Programme and Operations Lead’s to support and manage business processes to allow the field teams to deliver their work on the ground. You will ensure that safety is maintained, a quality service is delivered, and the allocated budget is closely managed, in line with policies and procedures. You will work closely with colleagues to deliver our full experimental and survey programme.

A key part of your role will be direct line management of our Scottish team, which comprises of nine members of staff. You will also be central to managing relationships between FDS, senior management, the FR Science Centres as well as key stakeholders in Forestry and Land Scotland and Scottish Forestry.

The job involves working with partners both internal and external to Forest Research (FR) across a wide geographical area and will require flexibility in terms of regularly staying away overnight and working day pattern.

Key Work Areas:

Strategic Planning & Growth
• Collaborate with Project Leaders and external clients during the annual business planning cycle to develop costed work programmes.
• Identify opportunities for new work and assess requirements for equipment, infrastructure, and skills to support growth.
• Prepare business cases for new facilities investment and assist with delivering agreed investment plans.
Programme & Budget Management
• Manage agreed budgets and work programmes to deliver a cost-effective, high-quality service that meets customer needs.
• Oversee procurement and delivery of contract work to support programme objectives.
• Seek opportunities to increase value for money and generate additional income.
Stakeholder Engagement
• Maintain strong networks within FR and with key partners such as Scottish Forestry, Forestry and Land Scotland, and other external stakeholders.
• Develop and maintain effective communication with scientists, project leads, landowners, contractors, and other stakeholders.
Performance Monitoring & Reporting
• Provide clear and timely status reports on projects, experiments, and wider programmes to Programme Leads, management teams, and relevant stakeholders.
Compliance & Standards
• Ensure all activities comply with health and safety standards, quality assurance processes, ISO14001 environmental management requirements, and applicable legislation.
Resource & Team Coordination
• Work closely with the Programme Lead and Field Station Managers to optimise resources and standardise service delivery across the team.
Operational Support
• Assist the Field Research Officer in ensuring effective use and maintenance of equipment.

Person specification

Essential Criteria:

• Degree or equivalent qualification/experience in Forestry, Environmental Science, or a related discipline, or demonstrable equivalent experience.
• Demonstrable leadership and team management experience, including staff supervision, mentoring, and line management.
• Proven project management skills, ideally with experience in forestry or environmental projects
• Experience in budget planning, financial control, and resource management.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to engage effectively with colleagues, stakeholders, and customers.
• Extensive customer liaison experience, ensuring positive relationships and service delivery.
• Sound understanding of contract management principles and practices.
• Thorough understanding of health and safety requirements within the environmental sector.
• Proven ability to plan, prioritise, make informed decisions, and solve problems effectively.
• Competent IT user, proficient with the Microsoft Office suite and other relevant software.
• Flexible approach to work, including willingness to travel and adjust working patterns across a wide geographical area.

Behaviours

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

• Leadership
• Managing a Quality Service
• Seeing the Big Picture

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £40,388, Forestry Commission - Forest Research contributes £11,700 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

Your career

• Excellent professional development opportunities which are tailored to your role, with paid professional membership subscriptions, mentoring, and Civil Service Learning available to all
• access to world class laboratory facilities, as well as state of the art buildings within forest or science park settings

Your work/life balance

• flexible working options such as: up to two days flexi leave per month, blended working, part-time working, paid special leave, career breaks, and unpaid leave. Parents and carers will be supported to enable you to manage work and family responsibilities
• A generous annual leave allowance of 25 days on entry increasing by 1 day each year to a maximum of 30 days (pro-rata for part-timers). Plus 2.5 days of additional leave and 8 days’ paid bank/public holidays

Your wellbeing

• A culture which promotes a diverse and inclusive work environment
• A range of wellbeing benefits including Employee Assistance Programme 24/7
• We want you to feel part of something bigger and we encourage a community feel in our workplaces, with everything from cookery competitions to Pilates and fell running, plus topical talks at Wellbeing Wednesdays and Feelgood Fridays
• Paid volunteering leave of 3 days per year so you can give back to your community and charitable causes by sharing your skills and time

Your benefits

• a highly competitive Civil Service Pension of 28.97% your salary
• an employee benefits scheme offering discounts on groceries, gym memberships, holidays, days out, online retailers and high street shops
• Cycle to Work scheme and Interest free loans
• Free parking is offered on-site, alongside electric car charging ports
• With maternity, adoption, and/or shared parental leave there’s the flexibility to have up to 26 weeks full pay, followed by 13 weeks statutory pay and a further 13 weeks unpaid leave. Paternity leave of up to two weeks is available with full pay.

Any move to Forest Research 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/.

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 and Experience.

Please apply at Civil Service Jobs - GOV.UK. You will be asked to:

• Complete a CV setting out your career history, highlighting specific responsibilities and achievements that are relevant for this role
• Submit a Personal Statement (limited to 1000 words) explaining how you consider your personal skills, qualities and experience meet the essential criteria as outlined in the person specification
• Provide a 250 word statement for each of the 3 Behaviours listed

We will use this information to assess your application against the essential criteria in the person specification.

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 for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Shortlist

The panel will select a shortlist of candidates whose applications best demonstrate suitability for the role, by considering the evidence provided against the Essential Criteria set out in the Person Specification. Failure to address any or all of these may affect your application.

Sift will take place on 19 January 2026.

Interviews will take place in the week commencing 26 January 2026 *in person only* at either Northern Research Station, Roslin, Midlothian, EH25 9SY OR at Newton Field Station, Elgin, Moray, IV30 8XP.

Should you be invited to attend for interview you will be required to prepare and deliver a presentation on 'the first 30, 60 and 90 days in the post'. An information pack will be provided at time of interview confirmation.

The presentation will be assessed against the listed behaviours.

If we receive a large volume of applications, then we will sift on CV (Experience) and the Lead Behaviour, Leadership. However, candidates will be expected to answer questions on all behaviours listed at the interview stage.

Candidates who are judged to be a near miss at interview may be considered for other positions in Forest Research which may be at a lower grade but have a potential skills match.

Diverse perspectives and experiences are critical to our success and we welcome applications from all people from all backgrounds with the experience and skills needed to perform this role.

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.

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.

Visa Sponsorship

FR holds a licence to sponsor Skilled Workers under the Home Office points-based immigration system. Candidates wishing to apply should note that the likelihood of obtaining sponsorship would depend on an assessment of this role against defined criteria, which include:

o Whether the Job role has been identified as being a Critical Role in FR, which has been identified in the Workforce Plan, and / or
o Whether the Job role is a known Capability gap, which has been identified in the Workforce Plan for the relevant Centre, and
o Evidence of significant recruitment challenges in filling the Job role previously

Skilled Worker sponsorship may be available, subject to an application and assessment process and the Home Office points-based system.

For further details, please refer to the Sponsorship for Skilled Workers – guidance for applicants and managers on our website.

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 : hr.services@forestresearch.gov.uk
• Email : hr.services@forestresearch.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : hr.services@forestresearch.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 FR HR Services by email: hr.services@forestresearch.gov.uk you are not satisfied with the response you receive, you can contact the Civil Service Commission, which regulates all Civil Service recruitment.

Attachments

CS_Behaviours_2018 Opens in new window (pdf, 1043kB)