Forest Works Supervisor

Job summary

As a Forest Works Supervisor, you will play a key role in delivering safe and effective operations across our recreation sites. You will lead on vegetation management, support the delivery of key operational tasks, complete dangerous tree surveys, and coordinate on-site contractors.

The role involves supervising the Craftsperson based at High Lodge and providing essential operational support to both the Thetford Recreation Beat and the Rendlesham Recreation site.

You will champion our health and safety culture, consistently demonstrating our core value of “look out and look after” in all aspects of your work.

Please see the job description below for more information and details about what we need from you.

The position is primarily based at our High Lodge Visitor Centre, Brandon. IP27 0AF. However, you will be required to work flexibly across recreation sites in the northern part of the East District as business needs arise.

Job description

• Supervise the Craftsperson, providing direction, support, and ensuring high quality work across all assigned tasks.
• Manage vegetation plans at High Lodge ensuring timely and safe delivery of all vegetation management activities.
• Lead on dangerous tree surveys, including organising and overseeing associated remedial works where appropriate.
• Work collaboratively with contractors and stakeholders, maintaining strong relationships to support effective site operations.
• Monitor and supervise contractors to ensure full compliance with contract specifications and health & safety requirements.
• Inspect and maintain recreational facilities to a high standard
• Carry out FISA checks and audits, ensuring forestry operations meet relevant safety and competency standards.
• Effectively supervise, motivate, and support colleagues and contractors, promoting teamwork, strong communication, and consistently high standards of work.
• Undertake any other duties reasonably requested by your line manager to support the operational needs of the sites.

And any other tasks, reasonably requested by your line manager.

Person specification

Essential professional and technical experience

• Proven experience of effective team working.
• Experience in supervising and monitoring contracts to ensure quality and compliance.
• A sound understanding of health and safety systems relevant to practical countryside and forestry work including risk assessments, Forest Industry Safety Accord (FISA) guidance, and lone working procedures.
• Competent IT user with good working knowledge of the Microsoft Office suite.
• Experience of working to tight deadlines, with strong interpersonal and communication skills and the ability to work effectively both independently and as part of a wider team.

Desirable professional and technical experience

• A good understanding of UK Forestry Standard (UKFS) and UK Woodland Assurance Standard (UKWAS) requirements.

Behaviours

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

• Leadership
• Making Effective Decisions
• Working Together
• Delivering at Pace

Technical skills

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

• TBC

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £30,105, Forestry Commission contributes £8,721 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

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.

You will be asked to write a 200 word statement on your relevant experience and career history, along with a personal statement of no more than 500 words. You will be assessed on both during sifting. More details about how to apply are listed on the application form.

You will be assessed on a technical skill and strength based questions during your interview.

The Behaviours being assessed at interview are –

• Leadership
• Working Together
• Delivering at Pace
• Making Effective Decisions
• Technical Skills

We will access you against these technical skills during the selection process:

• You will be assessed on your technical skills at interview via formal questions and exercises

Successful candidates will undergo a criminal record check and the government baseline personnel security standard check.

If you require any reasonable adjustments, please email fcrecruitmentteam@forestryengland.uk.

If you're planning to use AI to support your application, please ensure you've read our guidelines here first.

Read more about our application process and working with us on the Forestry England 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 : FC Recruitment Team
• Email : fcrecruitmentteam@forestryengland.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : fcrecruitmentteam@forestryengland.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.

Attachments

Forestry England Job Description - Forest Works Supervisor (PB6A) Opens in new window (pdf, 125kB)