Habitat Restoration Officer

Job summary

What you’ll do…

The successful candidate will join the Higher-Level Stewardship (HLS) project team based in the New Forest. The team plans and delivers landscape-scale habitat restoration projects with external funding from the New Forest HLS scheme. The Verderer’s of the New Forest HLS scheme is focused on restoring and enhancing internationally-important habitats, renowned for their flora and fauna, and covering around 20,000 hectares. As a Habitat Restoration Officer you will play a vital role in planning and delivering habitat restoration projects in the New Forest.

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

Where you’ll work…

Based at The King’s House, Lyndhurst, Hampshire, SO43 7NH in the South District team.

Our South England Forest District team is made up of around 160 people, containing a diverse range of roles - from wildlife rangers and ecologists to marketing professionals, we all contribute towards the management of 46,000 hectares (ha) of public forest estate and national parks that stretch from Sussex to Dorset, and from Berkshire to the Isle of Wight.

Much of this forest is of high national importance for nature conservation and wildlife, and of international importance for biodiversity. South England Forest District is therefore responsible for land that includes Special Areas of Conservation (SACs), Special Protection Areas (SPAs), Ramsar sites, Areas of Outstanding National Beauty (AONB) and sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI).

Job description

• Review and update HLS team databases to identify priorities for restoration.
• Carry out walkover surveys to assess restoration work requirements.
• Prepare practical habitat restoration plans.
• Identify constraints and implement appropriate mitigation.
Engage with our staff and stakeholders, including leading consultation site visits, to get agreement
for restoration proposals and to manage site-specific constraints (physical, ecological,
archaeological):
• Work collaboratively across the HLS and Wider Forestry England teams to integrate restoration work
with other operational priorities.
• Liaise with Forestry England colleagues to guide the production of restoration Operational Site
Assessments (OSAs).
• Engage with other stakeholders (e.g., Natural England, National Park Authority, Environment Agency,
The Verderers of the New Forest) on restoration proposals and secure approval to enable delivery of
the HLS works programme.
Deliver restoration projects on the ground by setting up and managing contracts, providing sitespecific technical advice and liaising with contractors to ensure restoration is undertaken to agreed
specifications with high standards of safety and ecological awareness:
• With guidance from the Ecologist and HLS Project Manager, follow procurement protocols to set up
and manage contracts for the HLS programme of restoration projects, with a particular focus on river
and wetland restoration projects.
• Work with the Works Supervisors to ensure contractors have the necessary information to undertake
contracts safely, including all constraints maps and H&S documentation.
• With guidance from the Ecologist, communicate ecological constraints to contractors (toolbox talks,
maps, pre-commencement meetings).
• Liaise with contractors throughout the delivery phase and ensure restoration is undertaken to agreed
specifications.
Report progress and monitor outcomes of habitat restoration projects:
• Update HLS team databases to enable audit and reporting.
• Report on progress quarterly to HLS Project Manager for updates to the HLS Board.
• Write up wetland restoration projects using the template developed through the Freshwater and
Wetland Restoration Forum.
• Work to keep relevant pages of the HLS website up to date.
• Provide verbal updates on work programmes at HLS team meetings and New Forest Operations
meetings.
• Contribute to evaluating restoration effectiveness and recommend adjustments to future work
proposals or methods.
• Present updates at stakeholder meetings and conferences, including the Freshwater and Wetland
Restoration Forum, and Open Forest Advisory Committee meetings.
Line manage a Works Site Supervisor:
• With guidance from the HLS Project Manager, take on the line management of a Works Supervisor.
And any other tasks, reasonably requested by your line manager

Person specification

Essential professional and technical experience
• At least 3 years’ experience working in the environmental management sector.
• Sound knowledge and understanding of delivering habitat restoration work within designated sites.
• Demonstrable experience in planning and delivering habitat restoration projects.
• Experience engaging with local stakeholder groups, including: landowners; non-governmental
organisations; charities; local government.
• Experience in contract management.
• An effective communicator, both written and verbally.
• Competent in IT – Microsoft Office.
• Sound knowledge of the application of environmental legislation to project planning and delivery.

Desirable professional and technical experience
• Experience in delivering river or wetland restoration.
• Knowledge of river and wetland ecology, hydrology and restoration techniques.
• Experience in working within a designated site.
• Experience with Geographic Information Systems (GIS).
• Experience of budget management.
• Experience supervising or mentoring staff, volunteers or contractors.
• An understanding and knowledge of the New Forest and its habitats.
• Sound knowledge of the application of environmental legislation to project planning and delivery.

Qualifications
Desirable
• Degree or equivalent in Ecology, Environmental Management or other relevant discipline

Behaviours

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

• Making Effective Decisions
• Communicating and Influencing
• Working Together
• Changing and Improving

Technical skills

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

• to be confirmed.

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.

Benefits…

Alongside your salary, Forestry England contributes an average of 28.97% towards your pension. You will become a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension Scheme.

• 25 days holiday a year, raising by one day every year’s service, up to 30 days (pro-rated for part time employees) plus additional days off such as bank holidays.
• STaR is our employee benefits scheme offering discounts on everyday supermarket shopping, as well as other things such as hotel stays clothes, mobile phones, other electrical items, medical and car insurance, holidays, gym discounts, household bills, Headspace wellbeing app.
• free parking at Forestry England sites and free entry to our National Arboretums at Westonbirt and Bedgebury.
• a commitment to lifelong learning through career development. Forestry England will support your career development in a variety of ways, including continual professional development, support for individual learning plans and sponsored membership of professional bodies.

Read more about the benefits on the Forestry England website.

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.

How to apply…

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 your experience, a technical skill and strength based questions during your interview.

The Behaviours being assessed at interview are –

• Making Effective Decision
• Communicating and Influencing
• Working Together
• Changing and Improving

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 - Habitat Restoration Officer (PB5) Opens in new window (pdf, 148kB)