Land Agent

Job summary

You will provide an estate management service to the Forest Management Director, district staff and national office.

Job description

Key responsibilities & accountabilities

Leadership & Management

• Along with the other Area Land Agent, lead and manage the district’s Estate team including our building surveying function. This will include direct line management of an Assistant Land Agent, the Building Surveyor and the Estates Officer

• Contribute effectively as a member of the senior leadership group within the district

• Work collaboratively with District professionals such as foresters, recreation managers and ecologists to support their delivery and gather their expert advice

• Develop good working relationships with stakeholders and Forestry England’s landlords / their agents to ensure that we are in the best position to jointly develop proposals on leasehold land to mutual advantage

• Support the wider business functions on land-related matters, handling legal and compensation claims made against Forestry England, working with solicitors where appropriate

Business Planning & Budget Management

• Plan and co-ordinate the management of the non-forest estate, acting as cost centre manager for the preparation of the Estates Business Plan and the Estates annual and 5-year budgets.

• Managing our portfolio for commercial return and public benefits

• Manage the portfolio of lettings, leases, licences, agreements and built assets across the district.

• Manage the licencing of access and other activity on Forestry England land

• Negotiate and renew all lettings, leases, licenses and agreements

• Maintain the district’s-built estate including operational facilities and housing and related services (including private water supply and waste disposal systems) to agreed budgets

• Negotiate buying, selling and disposing of surplus land, woodland and buildings achieving the best possible price

• Identify and pursue development and income-raising opportunities in the nation’s forests in line with government policy

• Manage legal issues in the district (including instructing and liaising with solicitors) covering litigation, compensation claims made against or by Forestry England, and property transactions

• Valuation work for internal purposes

• Provide legal advice to operational staff on legal matters for Forestry England properties.

• Support the Forestry England Energy Strategy and aspirations around a low carbon business model.

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

Location-specific information

Developing an understanding of the New Forest, its laws, the relationships with various other interested parties and how these impact on FE and management of the New Forest.

Person specification

Skills, knowledge & experience

Essential Professional and Technical experience

• Experience in rural or general practice Estate Management.

Desirable Professional and Technical experience

• Competent IT user, with proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite and GIS systems.

• An understanding of sustainable forest management.

Qualifications

Essential

• Degree or equivalent in Rural (or other relevant) Estate management.

Desirable

• Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors Registered Valuer status.

• Fellow of the Association of Agricultural Valuers.

Behaviours

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

• Making Effective Decisions
• Managing a Quality Service
• Communicating and Influencing

Technical skills

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

• At interview you will be asked to complete an exercise.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £48,765, Forestry Commission contributes £14,127 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.

At the interview, you will be asked to complete an exercise and will also be assessed on your experience and strength‑based questions.

The Behaviours being assessed at interview are –

• Making Effective Decisions
• Managing a Quality Service
• Communicating & Influencing

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

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 - Land Agent - South (PB3) Opens in new window (pdf, 199kB)