Senior Ecologist

Job summary

What you’ll do…

We are looking for an experienced and highly motivated Senior Ecologist to provide expert ecological leadership across the district. This is a key role within the Planning & Environment team, supporting delivery of our statutory responsibilities, driving nature recovery, and ensuring that all our operations meet the highest ecological standards.

You will work across the whole of South Forest District, covering diverse habitats, species, and project types- from SSSI enhancement and ancient woodland restoration to landscape‑scale biodiversity programmes.

Please see the job description below for more information and details about what we need from you.

Where you’ll work…

Our South England Forest District team is made up of around 170 people with a diverse range of roles - from foresters and wildlife rangers to civil engineers, and ecologists to marketing professionals. We all contribute towards the management of 46,000 hectares of public forest estate that stretch from Sussex to Dorset, and from Berkshire to the Isle of Wight. Nearly all of our forests are within either a National Park or Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Much of this forest is of high national importance for nature conservation and wildlife, and of international importance for biodiversity. South England Forest District is therefore responsible for land that includes Sites of Special Scientific Interest, Special Areas of Conservation (for habitats), Special Protection Areas (for birds) and Ramsar sites (for wetlands). We also provide public access and recreation in our forests, with nearly 50 million visits every year to South England Forest District.

The role can be based in any district office. Our main offices are in the New Forest, Hampshire and Bucks Horn Oak. There is an option for flexible working including hybrid work. You will be expected to work across the whole South District from Dorset to west Sussex.

A full UK drivers' licence is required, automatic licence holders are welcome to apply.

Job description

• Oversee specialist surveys, baseline assessments, monitoring frameworks and habitat prescriptions.

• Manage relevant ecology and SSSI budgets, ensuring efficient, compliant, and timely delivery against statutory obligations.

• Line-manage members of the Ecology team, supporting professional development and building ecological capacity across the district.

• Build and maintain excellent professional relationships and communications providing expert advice to Forestry England staff, contractors, and partners to ensure ecological risks are managed and opportunities for enhancement maximised.

• Undertake regular travel to locations that are inaccessible by public transport.

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

Person specification

Essential professional and technical experience

• Extensive experience working in applied ecology, ideally within land management, forestry, conservation, or a similar sector.

• Strong knowledge of UK habitats, protected species legislation, SSSI management and ecological survey.

• Experience in planning and delivering ecological programmes or projects, including budget responsibility.

• Ability to communicate ecological issues clearly to a wide range of colleagues, partners and contractors.

• Experience supervising staff or leading technical workstreams.

• Competent IT user including MS Office.

Desirable professional and technical experience

• Competent using Geographic Information Systems (GIS).

• Strong ecological knowledge and understanding of the key ecosystems found in the district.

• Experience or understanding of the UK forestry sector, the UK Forestry Standard and UKWAS certification.

• Experience of procurement and contract management.

Qualifications

Essential

• A degree (or equivalent experience) in ecology, conservation, environmental science or a related field.

• A full and current driving licence that enables you to drive in the UK.

Desirable

• Member of the Chartered Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management.

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 £40,388, Forestry Commission contributes £11,700 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.

How to apply…

You will be asked to upload your CV and 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
• Delivering at pace
• Working together
• Making effective decisions

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.

The duties of this post require the applicant to have a full current driving licence that enables them to drive in the UK. However, the Forestry Commission is willing to consider any proposals put forward by applicants that would allow them to do the job by any other means

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.

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

Candidate Pack - Senior Ecologist Opens in new window (pdf, 1224kB)Forestry England Job Description - Senior Ecologist (PB4) Opens in new window (pdf, 132kB)