Woodland Officer

Job summary

About the team

Our Woodland Officers are part of the Conservancy operations team. We have five Conservancies across Scotland and these teams are responsible for all regulatory case work, including felling regulations, environmental impact assessment and plant health. The teams are also responsible for delivering all aspects of the Forestry Grant Scheme across Scotland.

What you will do

Our Woodland Officers have a key role in delivering the Scottish Government’s priorities for forestry including woodland creation and expansion. You will carry out grants and regulation work, provide guidance and professional advice to woodland owners and managers and promote sustainable forest management.

Your time will be divided between field visits and working from the office or your home, to assess and process applications and ensure compliance with the UK Forestry Standard and relevant grant conditions.

When you join us, you will be enrolled onto our Woodland Officer Operational Development Sessions (WOODS), a structured programme to further develop your skills, knowledge and expertise and help you become fully proficient in your role.

You will be supported on your journey with ongoing guidance from your manager and input from our Learning and Skills Development team.

Job description

Main Duties

As a Woodland Officer, you will:-

• Assess and process applications for the Forestry Grant Scheme, forest plans and felling permissions;
• Undertake regulator roles in delivery of the Forest and Land Management Scotland Act and Forestry (Environmental Impact Assessment) (Scotland) Regulations 2017;
• Undertake the regulation and management of tree diseases;
• Promote sustainable forest management;
• Network and engage with other Scottish Government agencies and other organisations, to increase public knowledge and community participation in forestry;
• Investigate cases where unauthorised felling is reported;
• Be responsible for line management of an Assistant Woodland Officer or student placement (this is dependent on the structure of the team in your Conservancy).

Person specification

Success Profile

The Success Profile below set outs the essential and desirable elements that make up the vacant position – you will be expected to demonstrate these elements in your application and during your interview if invited..

Experience

Essential:

• Experience of working on your own and as part of a team.
• Good organisational skills and proven ability to prioritise work.

• An understanding of the rural sector and ability to effectively communicate with landowners and land managers both verbally and in writing.
• Good IT skills and a working knowledge of Microsoft packages.

Desirable:

• Knowledge of the Scottish Forestry Grant Scheme and felling regulations.
• Experience in forest management and the practicalities of successful woodland establishment.

Technical

Essential:

• Forestry, environment or land management qualification, to at least HND level.

Desirable:

• Student, associate or chartered membership of the Institute of Chartered Foresters (ICF).

Behaviours

On the application form you will find four free text boxes to provide your behaviour responses. You are required to provide evidence against the following behaviours on your application.

Behaviour 1 and Lead Criteria: Managing a Quality Service

Behaviour 2: Working Together

Behaviour 3: Making Effective Decisions

Behaviour 4: Communicating and Influencing

Driving licence

This role requires you to have a full UK driving licence, however, we are willing to consider any proposals that would allow you to do the job by other means.

Travel

As this role involves working with colleagues across the conservancy, there will be regular travel involved which may include overnight stays away from home.

What we offer you

If successful, you will be entitled to a wide range of benefits, the detail of which can be found here.

Additional information

We believe it’s important to create an inclusive and supportive work culture, and we welcome applications from everyone, regardless of background.

It’s important you complete the entire application form in sufficient detail. This will give you the best chance of being invited for interview and/or assessment.

Where a vacancy attracts a higher number of applications, only ‘Behaviour 1 - lead criteria’ will be assessed at sift stage. However, it is still important that you complete the entire application form in sufficient detail, as there is no way of knowing that a vacancy will have a high number of applications.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £36,987, Scottish Forestry contributes £10,715 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

To apply, please click the link to apply, and complete an online application form on our website. Too read more about the selection process, please see Success profiles for candidates , Scottish Forestry.

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.

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

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.

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

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 : sfrecruitment@forestry.gov.scot
• Email : sfrecruitment@forestry.gov.scot

Recruitment team

• Email : sfrecruitment@forestry.gov.scot

Further information

If you believe the Civil Service Recruitment Principles have been breached, you can submit a complaint to the Head of People and Organisational Development - they will assess compliance with the Principles, but will not review the decision(s) of the recruitment panel.