Nature Networks Project Officer

Job summary

Forestry England’s Biodiversity Plan sets out a bold ambition for nature recovery in the nation’s forests. Working across five principal focus areas, Forestry England aims to restore resilient biodiversity in the nation’s forests, delivering our vision to ensure that these forests provide the most valuable places for wildlife to thrive and expand in England.

Forestry England’s Biodiversity Programme is a multi-year work stream to accelerate nature recovery at scale in England. With a multi-million-pound budget, supported by Defra and a growing portfolio of external funders, the programme makes a significant investment in nature recovery, alongside Forestry England’s parallel ambitions for sustainable timber production and connecting people with our forests.

The ‘Nature Networks’ project is a new addition to the wider Programme, aiming to create over 15,000 ha of dynamic habitat corridors along roads, rides and watercourses, improving ecological connectivity and enabling species movement across forest landscapes.

The role is based in Forestry England’s North District which covers Northumberland, Cumbria, County Durham and North Lancashire. As Nature Networks Project Officer you will oversee the development and delivery of North District’s Nature Networks project, managing it through concept and definition project stages, and facilitating their effective implementation on the ground. The post holder will be responsible for bringing the concept of nature networks to life, delivering at scale and pace to meet Forestry England’s ambitions for nature recovery.

You will develop key project documentation, including ecological feasibilities and project plans, working closely with other colleagues such as forest planners to link nature networks with existing open habitats and protected sites. As nature networks move into their delivery stage, you will plan operations and work closely with foresters and ecologists to turn them into a reality on the ground. In the longer-term, you will develop management plans for new networks and working with contractors and volunteers.

This is an exciting role, at the forefront of nature recovery in Forestry England. Reporting to North District Nature Recovery Team, the post holder will also work closely with the national Nature Networks Manager, as well as other district-based staff, including ecologists, planners and foresters. The post holder will be part of a growing team of colleagues across the country delivering similar nature recovery projects, sharing expertise and experience.

Job description

Key responsibilities & accountabilities

Project Management

• Lead on the development of the vision and project plan for nature networks in North District.
• Apply appropriate project management principles to ensure effective and timely project implementation.
• Produce, maintain and review relevant project documentation throughout the project lifecycles.
• Develop annual and long-term work programmes and budgets for projects.
• Manage a delegated budget.
• Support funding bids for external funding and ensure that commitments to funders for the projects are appropriately met through project delivery.
• Work with the Nature Networks Manager to ensure that programme, corporate and funder reporting requirements are met.

Land Management

• Lead on the development of land management plans for nature network projects, working with district and national colleagues.
• Lead the investigation of appropriate techniques which will deliver the vision for nature networks in restoring dynamic open space at scale, ensuring there is a sound evidence base for our interventions.
• Collaborate with the foresters and/or ecologists to deliver the agreed land management plans.
• Procure and manage contracts, services and contractors, including graziers, forestry contractors, consultants and academic institutions.
• Ensure Forestry England procurement and contract management regulations are followed throughout the project

Knowledge and Monitoring

• Work with the national Biodiversity Programme team and colleagues from Forest Research and wider academia to learn from and share best practice across the programme.
• Undertake or commission feasibility studies to explore innovative approaches to secure nature recovery across nature networks.

Communications and Public Engagement

• Work with district and national communications colleagues to develop and implement communications plans for projects.
• Where relevant, support the development of partnerships with neighbouring landowners to increase the scale and effectiveness of landscape scale nature recovery.
• Showcase the project to internal and external stakeholders to gain support for projects, nature recovery and further delivery within the nation’s forests.

Person specification

Skills, knowledge & experience

Essential professional and technical experience

• A track record of successfully developing, managing and coordinating land management or nature recovery projects.
• Experience managing and prioritising workloads, meeting deadlines and solving problems, and managing budgets.
• Practical experience of a range of land management interventions.
• Experience of procurement and contract management.
• A great team worker, adept at working under your own initiative and as part of a multi-disciplinary team, taking ownership of the responsibilities of the role, building collaborative working relationships with colleagues, and being adaptable in the face of changing situations.
• An excellent communicator, both written and verbally, able to adapt to a range of audiences.
• Competent using information technology, and sound knowledge of Microsoft Office suite, especially Word, Excel, Outlook, Teams.

Desirable

• Knowledge and/or experience of working with livestock and/or graziers.
• Working knowledge of environmental legislation and designations, including their practical application.

Qualifications

Essential

• Ecology or environmental degree, or equivalent professional experience in nature-focused land management.
• A full and current driving licence that enables you to drive in the UK.

Desirable

• A recognised project management qualification
• A member of a relevant professional body, e.g. Chartered Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management, Institute of Chartered Foresters.

The post is based at our Bellingham office, Hexham, Northumberland, with blended working opportunities. The duties of this post will require the applicant to sometimes travel to remote locations that are not accessible by public transport. You will therefore need to hold a full and current driving licence that enables you to drive in the UK and be willing to stay away from home. We are willing to consider any proposals put forward by applicants that would allow them to do the job by other means.

Behaviours

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

• Seeing the Big Picture
• Delivering at Pace
• Working Together
• Making Effective Decisions

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 (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…

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 technical skill based questions during your interview.

The Behaviours being assessed at interview are –

• Seeing the Big Picture

• Delivering at Pace

• Working Together

• Making Effective Decision

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.

“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.”

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

Please note this Post is NOT regulated by the Civil Service Commission.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 : fcrecruitmentteam@forestryengland.uk
• 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 - Nature Networks Project Officer Opens in new window (pdf, 247kB)