Plant Health Forestry Administrative Officer

Job summary

We are looking for an administrative officer to work within the Forestry Commission’s Plant Health Forestry (PHF) team. The successful candidate will provide administration support in relation to the delivery of operational, legislative, and policy-led plant health activities.

Forest Services as part of Forestry Commission are the Government’s forestry experts. We advise nationally and locally on how to unlock the full potential of woodlands and support the forestry sector to protect, improve and expand England’s valuable woodland assets, ensuring that they continue to provide benefits to people, the environment and the economy.

By joining the Forestry Commission, you will become part of a team of passionate, committed colleagues, and be able to build on a wealth of expertise to take this ambitious work forward.

The Plant Health Forestry team supports healthy trees, woods, and forests, now and in the future. We work together to prevent entry, provide early detection, and minimise impacts of harmful tree pests and diseases, and to ensure traceability of forestry planting material. This role supports maintaining and improving resilience, biosecurity and the interests of the forestry sector. The team has an important role at the border and pre-border and provides specialist targeted surveillance and outbreak management inland. We implement and advise relevant policy and regulation, working with our partners to contribute to and act upon current scientific evidence. We seek to embed and improve biosecurity through engagement and communication with the sector, and we work to identify, mitigate, and prepare for risks on the horizon.

Job description

This Administrative Officer post focuses primarily on the provision of support to the Plant Health Forestry team, to ensure Plant Health statutory actions are processed and progressed efficiently and precisely.

Work is varied and fast-paced and the successful candidate must be able to adapt to seasonal peaks in workload across the year in a dynamic way, working to established protocols and procedures.

The role will also involve helping the PHF team adapt to new ways of working using Office 365 and SharePoint technology, and the transition of sensitive case material from old to new systems.

Key Work Areas:

• Handle enquiries and requests, from members of the public and other stakeholders, relating to imports, exports, pests or diseases.
• Obtain quotes, raise purchase orders, process invoices, and maintain an accurate record of quotes, financial commitments and payments.
• Provide support to the operational team to include management of an email inbox, booking meetings and conferences, planning and assisting with training events, ordering stock and consumables, printing / scanning, and other ad hoc tasks as appropriate.
• Work with colleagues to support a consistent response to pest and disease outbreaks across England by accurately recording information and data, producing reports, and sharing data as instructed.
• Provide assistance to other Plant Health Forestry Administrative Officers during periods of high demand such as data cleansing exercises, peaks in public reporting, and implementation of new systems or processes.
• Work with other members of the team to ensure our business processes are clearly defined.
• Keep processes under review, and identify, test and implement process improvements.
• Process survey and inspection results using mapping software (ArcGIS) and Microsoft programmes (Access and Excel) and produce reports. Maintain databases and review / cleanse stored data. Monitor incoming data, and request updates from partner organisations (e.g., Forest Research).
• As required, lead on, or participate in, workstreams or projects related to the work of the business support team, both within Plant Health Forestry and the wider Forest Services.

Person specification

The Essential and Desirable criteria for this role are as follows:

Essential:

• Experience working in an administrative post or posts
• Excellent interpersonal and customer service skills
• Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal
• Strong organisational skills with the ability to coordinate multiple work streams
• Excellent attention to detail
• Comfortable working with numbers and large data sets
• Competent IT user with a good working knowledge of standard MS Office applications including Outlook, Word and Teams.
• Experienced user of MS Excel, with experience of managing data and generating reports.
• Experience of working at pace, and independently managing caseloads

Desirable:

• Experience of working within the UK forestry or environmental sector.
• Experience of handling customer queries over the phone and in writing.
• Experience of using ArcGIS or similar mapping software
• Experience reviewing processes and / or systems, assisting with development, and implementing change.

Behaviours

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

• Delivering at Pace
• Working Together
• Managing a Quality Service
• Making Effective Decisions

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

• Delivering at Pace

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £26,959, Forestry Commission contributes £7,810 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 and Experience.

This is a Fixed Term Appointment ending 30 September 2026, with possibility but no guarantee of extension or permanency.

As part of the application process, you will complete the following:

1. A CV setting out your career history, with key responsibilities and achievements. Please ensure you have provided reasons for any gaps within the last two years.
2. A personal statement – in no more than 750 words please provide details of how you meet the Essential relevant experience and criteria as set out in the person specification.
3. You will be asked to provide 250-word statement relating to the Behaviour ‘Delivering at pace’, details within the application form.

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

Should a large number of applications be received, the initial sift may be conducted using the lead behaviour ‘Delivering at pace’. Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift, or progressed straight to assessment/interview.

Applications will be sifted w/c 9th March 2026. This date is subject to change.

Interview Stage

For candidates successful for interview, we will be assessing you on Experience, Behaviours and Strengths. Applications are planned to be sifted for the w/c 9th March and interviews planned for the w/c 23rd March.

Dates may be subject to change.

We will be conducting online interviews with the use of Microsoft Teams or equivalent online communication methods. Candidates would therefore require access to a computer and internet at interview stage.

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. Determine your eligibility at 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.

New entrants are expected to join on the minimum of the pay band.

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.

The post is full time. 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

Travel options include: -

Some occasional travel may be required as part of the duties of this post. The FC is willing to consider any proposals put forward by applicants that would allow them to do the job by any method of travel, subject to prior approval. Successful candidates wishing to use their own private vehicle for business travel will need to comply with the FC Travel Policy on CO2 emissions.

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 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

Open to UK nationals only.

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