Forestry/Land Based Skills Instructor

Job summary

Shape the next generation of skilled land-based professionals

Are you passionate about practical skills and ready to pass on your expertise to others?

We’re looking for an enthusiastic Instructor to join our Training team—someone who thrives on developing people, sharing knowledge, and helping learners build confidence in real-world, hands-on environments. Whether your background is in forestry or across the wider land-based sector, this is your opportunity to make a lasting impact.

What you’ll do

• Deliver engaging training.
• Support learners to develop skills in the land-based sector.
• Mentor and coach learners to help them grow into capable, confident professionals.
• Contribute to the development of our expanding apprenticeship programme.
• Work closely with colleagues across the business to promote safe, high-quality training.

What we’re looking for

• A passion for hands-on skills and developing others.
• Strong practical experience in the land-based sector.
• An interest in mentoring, coaching, or training (experience is a bonus, not essential).
• A commitment to high standards of safety, quality, and professionalism.

Job description

Skills, Knowledge & Experience

Essential Professional and Technical experience

• Good knowledge and experience across a range of practical land-based skills.
• A passion for passing on a wide range of land based practical skills.
• Proven track record in planning and managing own timetable of work and the ability to work on own initiative.
• Excellent communication skills.
• Full UK driving licence

Desirable Professional and Technical experience

• Knowledge or experience in various training methods including coaching, workshops, classroom training and mentoring.
• Ability to track the performance of training programmes, write reports and recommend strategies for improvement.
• Experience of planning, delivering and evaluating a range of training events across a broad range of topics.
• Good understanding of the training cycle and its relevance to effective training.

Person specification

Qualifications

Essential criteria

• First Aid and appropriate endorsement.
• Willingness to achieve a L3 Training Qualification within 9 months.

Desirable criteria

• Assessor qualification for example D32/ D33 or Level 3 Certificate in Assessing Vocational Achievement.
• Level 3 Certificate in Education & Training (or equivalent)
• NPTC/Lantra Certificate Safe use of pesticides (PA1)
• NPTC/Lantra Certificate in Brus-hcutter, trimmer & clearing saw
• NPTC/Lantra Certificate in Pesticide application using handheld applicators (PA6a)
• NPTC/Lantra Certificate in Chainsaw maintenance and cross cutting
• NPTC/Lantra Certificate in Felling trees up to 380mm
• NPTC/Lantra Certificate in Felling trees over 380mm

Behaviours

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

• Making Effective Decisions
• Communicating and Influencing
• Developing Self and Others
• Delivering at Pace

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £37,537, Forestry Commission contributes £10,874 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.

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. Please ensure you detail what practical experience you have. 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 experience-based questions during your interview.

The Behaviours being assessed at interview are –

• Making Effective Decisions
• Communicating and Influencing
• Developing Self and Others
• Delivering at Pace

Sift Date: 30th June 2026 - Subject to change

Interview Date: To be confirmed

Location: Health, Safety and Technical Training, Cannock Training Centre, Birches Valley, Rugeley, Staffordshire, WS15 2UQ.

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.

Medical

Successful candidates will be expected to have a medical.

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.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 : fcrecruitmentteam@forestryengland.uk
• Email : fcrecruitmentteam@forestryengland.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.

Attachments

Technical Trainer PB5 Ops Opens in new window (pdf, 250kB)