Head of Landscape Recovery and Grant Innovation

Job summary

Forestry Commission are the Government’s forestry experts. We work with the forestry and environmental sectors nationally and locally on unlocking the full potential of woodlands, to expand, protect, improve, and connect England’s valuable woodland assets.

We are looking to recruit a team leader (Grade 7/PB2) to work within the Forestry Commission's 90-strong National Grants and Regulations Team (NGR). NGR has responsibility for the implementation, enforcement and reform of forestry regulations, and for setting out the grant support operating rules for woodland management, woodland creation, tree health, agroforestry and innovation.

Job description

The team leader we want to recruit will line manage a team of 14, including directly line managing 4. The team leader will be part of a peer group with 4 other Senior Leaders (Grade 7s /PB2) who support the leadership of the National Grants and Regulations team as a whole, led by Jane Hull, Head of National Grants and Regulations.

The team will include 2 HEO/PB3 led sub-teams focused on leading Forestry Commission’s contributions to the Environmental Land Management Scheme “Landscape Recovery”. This part of NGR particularly focuses on supporting landscape scale partnerships in the first two years of the scheme, when they are developing their 20-year implementation plan. The team also supports the Area teams as they step in to support those schemes that move into Implementation. This is an exciting area of work with high ambition in terms of delivering areas of woodland into management and new woodland creation, responding to opportunities for nature recovery and responding to climate change at a landscape scale. A key innovative feature of Landscape Recovery schemes involve balancing grant funding with sourcing of Green Finance to deliver the objectives, so the team leader will be a key advocate of how private green finance interacts with public grant funding.

The team also covers further grants sub-teams which have an important element of grant innovation within them. This includes Agroforestry, where grant support occurs through various Environmental Land Management Grants (Sustainable Farming Initiative, ELM Capital and Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier) and where our advisers are driving a shift to integrate this new practice to support resilience and productivity within the farming sector, as part of challenging targets to support 10% of arable land into Agroforestry. It also includes a range of grants focused on innovation in tree nurseries – to invest to ensure more resilient range of species production, plus support for sector skills training and also capital grants for innovation in supporting woods into management.

As such we are looking to recruit someone with a passion for building new ways of working, highly self-motivated to drive change and improvement, with an excellent track record of managing teams to achieve high performance in a fast paced environment.

The post holder will work closely with many internal and external stakeholders and so the ability to work closely and collaboratively with others is essential; as is the ability to influence key decision makers to achieve favourable outcomes for the team and wider FC.

This NGR team leader (Head of Landscape Recovery and Grant Innovation LRGI) will:

• Line-manage staff and work closely with other team leaders in NGR, to ensure team cohesion and a shared understanding of the corporate strategy.
• Work closely with Forestry Commission, Defra, Natural England, and Environment Agency leads to identify mechanisms that will drive forward the delivery of targets for Landscape Recovery, agroforestry and innovation grants.
• Ensure appropriate Subject Matter Expertise for the development of digital systems and associated support materials for delivering these grants.
• Ensure all work on Landscape Recovery and innovation is addressed in a manner which is timely, accurate, and collaborative across Defra and seek legal advice when appropriate.

Responsibilities

This Head of Landscape Recovery and Grant Innovation team manager has the following responsibilities.

Team leadership and managing people:

• Lead the Landscape Recovery and Innovation team (14 people- within the wider National Grants and Regulations Team (approx.90 people), supporting their continuous professional development and wellbeing.
• Have direct line management responsibility of 4 team members, managing and supporting their performance and workloads
• Work closely with other Forestry Commission team leaders to ensure the effective delivery of Forestry Commission and Defra priorities

Grant Leadership:

• Lead Forestry Commission’s contributions to Landscape Recovery (led by Defra and Natural England), Agroforestry offers as part of Environmental Land Management grants (led by Defra and the Rural Payments Agency ) and innovation grants (led by Forestry Commission). Innovation grants include Tree Production Innovation Fund, Tree Production Capital Grant, Seed Sourcing Grant, Forestry Skills Fund, and developing capital grants.
• Ensure these grants operate in line with the Government’s Grant Management Standards and that grant processes are efficient for customers and for Forestry Commission to achieve related Government targets.
• Ensure your team supports Delivery teams in the wider roll out of Landscape Recovery and Agroforestry processes across FC
• Ensure your team provides advice and expertise on these forestry grants to a range of Forestry Commission, Defra, and forestry sector stakeholders.
• Act as Unit Manager and support the Cost Centre Manager in financial management of the Cost Centre budget, including grant funds.

Change and Innovation:

• Lead the LR and wider NGR teams’ engagement with how government grant funding interacts with green finance, drawing on expertise from Defra, and FC’s Policy and Advice team, to clearly articulate what grant givers need to understand and assess when allocating grant funding alongside green finance.
• Support wider developing grant practice including how FC supports business innovation, particularly through the innovation grants.
• Lead the development of new digital systems, business process and guidance, and ensure appropriate SMEs in your team are available for system and guidance designers and developers.
• Keep abreast of changes in the operating environments, such as feedback from customers, and identify opportunities for simplifications, efficiencies, and performance improvement.
• Maintain a network of contacts across the Forestry Commission, Defra, other public bodies, and with the wider forestry and environmental NGO sectors, to achieve good grant giving alongside evolving green finance availability.

Senior Leadership in Forest Services

• Support, alongside 4 other G7/PB2 leaders, the leadership of the National Grants and Regulations Team
• Play your role as a visible leader across Forest Services and in the Senior Leadership Forum
• Contribute to leadership decisions and task and finish groups across Forest Services, as required

Person specification

Experience:

Essential Criteria:

• An inspirational leader with strong proven team leadership skills, including ability to lead a team to achieve ambitious targets in a positive, supportive and blended working culture.
• Experience of developing grant schemes and processes.
• Experience of project management and / or leadership of change.
• A sound understanding of the challenges faced by the land management sector.
• Experience of managing and motivating people, their performance and their personal development.
• Experience of working at pace on a number of concurrent priorities.
• Excellent communications skills, confident communicating orally and in writing to a high standard.
• A competent IT user, with experience of the MS Office suite of applications, SharePoint, and ability to learn new bespoke IT systems quickly.

Desirable:

• A clear understanding of current environmental and forestry policies (Environment Improvement Plan, upcoming England Trees Action Plan),
• A working knowledge of the UK Forestry Standard and Government Grant Management Standards.
• An understanding of the range of current grants that support woodland management and woodland creation.
• Confidence in contributing to wider digital service transformation.
• Forestry qualification or land based or environmental professional membership.
• Demonstration of a leader’s commitment towards continuing professional development

Professional and Technical Expertise:

Essential:

• Degree or Higher Diploma level, or equivalent professional qualifications, for example Institute of Chartered Foresters / CIEEM Membership (preferably within forestry, land use, planning etc.), and/or,
• Significant experience in project management or leadership (preferably within forestry, land use, planning etc.), and/or,
• Significant experience working in a grant field and success in grant development or delivery (preferably forestry or land use, planning etc.).

Please clearly demonstrate how the above applies to you throughout your application. Failure to do so will mean that your application is automatically sifted out.

Behaviours

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

• Leadership
• Seeing the Big Picture
• Delivering at Pace
• Working Together
• Communicating and Influencing

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

• Seeing the Big Picture

Technical skills

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

• As part of your interview, you will be asked to deliver a short presentation, details will be provided prior to your interview.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £60,293, Forestry Commission contributes £17,466 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 until 30th March 2027 with possibility of extension or permanency, but no guarantee.

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 Seeing the Big Picture

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

Applications will be sifted week commencing 18th May 2026. This date is subject to change.

Interviews will be held week commencing 25th May 2026. This date is subject to change.

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

As part of your interview, you will be asked to deliver a short presentation, details will be provided 5-days prior to your interview.

Your interview will either be conducted face to face or by video. You will be notified of the location if you are selected for interview.

Sift and interview dates to be confirmed.

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.

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.