Head of Nature Recovery Programme Delivery

Job summary

The Head of Nature Recovery Programme Delivery will lead the delivery of Forestry England's Nature Recovery Programme, ensuring that strategic ambitions are translated into effective programmes, projects and workstreams that deliver measurable environmental outcomes. This role will be ultimately accountable for the delivery of the programme.

The postholder will provide leadership across programme management, governance, assurance, planning, performance and resource management, ensuring that delivery remains aligned to organisational priorities and achieves agreed outcomes, milestones and benefits. They will build and lead a high-performing programme delivery function, developing capability across programme management disciplines and embedding consistent approaches to planning, reporting, assurance and
continuous improvement.

Working closely with senior leaders, programme sponsors, programme managers, delivery teams and external partners, the role will establish and maintain effective programme governance arrangements, oversee programme planning and financial performance, and ensure that risks, dependencies and issues are effectively managed.

Job description

Key responsibilities & accountabilities

Programme Leadership & Delivery

• Lead delivery of the Nature Recovery Strategic Programme.
• Ensure delivery of agreed outputs, milestones and benefits.
• Translate strategic objectives into deliverable programmes, projects and workstreams.
• Monitor performance and take action to address delivery challenges.

Programme Governance & Assurance

• Establish and maintain programme governance and assurance arrangements.
• Own the Programme Management Plan and delivery framework.
• Manage programme risks, issues, dependencies and change control.
• Provide programme reporting and performance information to governance boards and senior leaders.

Programme Design & Management

• Oversee programme plans, deliverable and implementation schedules.
• Coordinate delivery across projects and workstreams.
• Manage interdependencies and ensure alignment across programme activities.
• Monitor progress and support the realisation of programme benefits.

People & Resource Management

• Lead programme workforce planning and recruitment.
• Line manage Programme Managers and support the development of delivery capability.
• Ensure resources are effectively allocated to support programme priorities.

Financial & Commercial Management

• Work with finance colleagues to manage programme budgets, forecasts and financial performance.
• Ensure effective financial controls and value for money.
• Support funding delivery, grant management and financial reporting requirements.

Operational Improvement

• Improve programme management processes, systems and controls.
• Establish effective management information and reporting arrangements.
• Embed lessons learned and continuous improvement into programme delivery.

Person specification

Skills, knowledge & experience

Essential professional and technical experience

• Significant experience leading complex programmes or portfolios, delivering outcomes through multiple projects and stakeholders.
• Strong programme management expertise, including planning, governance, risk and performance management.
• Proven ability to lead and develop multidisciplinary teams and manage resources effectively.
• Experience managing substantial budgets and ensuring robust financial control.
• Excellent communication, influencing and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to translate strategic objectives into delivery plans.

Desirable professional and technical experience

• Experience delivering large-scale environmental, conservation or land management programmes.
• Understanding of nature recovery, biodiversity conservation and environmental policy.

Qualifications

Desirable

• Professional programme or project management qualification (e.g. MSP, APM, or equivalent).
• Membership of a relevant professional body.

Behaviours

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

• Seeing the Big Picture
• Communicating and Influencing
• Making Effective Decisions
• Changing and Improving

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £62,404, Forestry Commission contributes £18,078 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides (opens in a new window).

• 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.

How to apply…

We cannot accept applications via email. Please follow the steps outlined below. Any CVs and/or personal statements sent outside the system will not be considered for shortlisting.

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.

The Behaviours being assessed at interview are –

• Seeing the bigger picture
• Communicating and influencing
• Making effective decisions
• Changing and improving

You may also be assessed on Experience, Strength based questions, and/or the Technical Success Profile at the interview. The technical element could include a presentation, practical or written task.

If candidates pass the interview but are not the leading candidate they can be placed on a reserve list. We may offer candidates on the reserve list for this role the opportunity to be considered for other roles at the same or lower pay bands.

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 basic (or equivalent) 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 - Head of Nature Recovery Programme Delivery (PB2) Opens in new window (pdf, 195kB)