Works Supervisor - Thetford

Job summary

In a Beat team, the Work Supervisor supports the Beat Forester to plan, organise, supervise and monitor operational programme delivery by Beat Craftspeople and contractors in accordance Forestry England environmental, safety and quality standards and procedures as outlined in Forestry England guidance and industry standards such as UKFS, UKWAS and FISA. The role involves a mixture of office work and time spent in the forest.

The job is varied and wide ranging, requiring close team working to continually re-balance priorities as unplanned situations arise that need dealing with, whilst maintaining momentum to deliver planned programmes. The Work Supervisor takes responsibility for managing their own workload and balancing time supervising operations, time spent assisting Beat Craftspeople with practical tasks time working independently in the forest and time carrying out computer-based work in a busy office.

Job description

Key responsibilities & accountabilities

Work practices and methods evolve over time, they will generally be related to:

• Assisting the beat forester in all aspects of the day-to-day management of the beat and in planning, organising and supervising forest operations by staff and contractors to ensure agreed work is delivered to required standards safely, effectively and efficiently
• Being a visible presence on site, championing our health and safety culture and consistently demonstrating our core value of “look out and look after”.
• Developing and coaching the beat team through demonstration and clear verbal communication
• Collecting accurate site measurements and observations and use these in informing decisions, monitoring outcomes and updating records
• Communicating appropriately with colleagues and all stakeholders including landowners, neighbours, contractors, customers and members of the public

Typical Beat Work Supervisor tasks are listed below, and although the focus shifts depending on the season and priorities they will include:

• Carrying out forest surveys, assessments, marking and measuring to inform work programme decisions and monitor achievement of outcomes
• Ground truthing and updating forest inventories and mapped features
• Assisting forester to plan and organise work programmes
• Drafting job specifications for staff and tender documents for contracts
• Promoting a culture of safe working
• Working collaboratively, maintaining strong relationships to support effective site operations
• Monitoring and supervising staff and contractors to ensure full compliance with work specifications and health & safety requirements, maintaining a site monitoring diary.
• Carrying out FISA checks and audits, ensuring forestry operations meet relevant safety and competency standards.
• Providing craftspeople with direction and support, ensuring high quality work across all assigned tasks.
• Maintaining yard and estate safety and security
• Overseeing stock control of materials and maintenance of equipment
• Organising legally compliant handling, storage and disposal of waste
• Lead on hazard tree surveys, including organising and overseeing associated remedial works where appropriate.
• Undertake any other duties reasonably requested by your line manager.

Person specification

Skills, knowledge & experience

Essential professional and technical experience

• Experience in supervising and monitoring contracts to ensure quality and compliance
• Experience of delivering to tight deadlines
• A sound understanding of UK Forestry Standard (UKFS) and UK Woodland Assurance Standard (UKWAS) requirements.
• Working knowledge of health and safety systems relevant to practical countryside and forestry work including risk assessments, Forest Industry Safety Accord (FISA) guidance, and lone working procedures.
• Competence in use of software to create and edit spreadsheets and documents.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills and the ability to work effectively both independently and as part of a wider team.
• Proven experience of effective team working and supervision.

Desirable professional and technical experience

• Experience of carrying out practical forestry operations
• Competence in GIS systems

Qualifications

Essential:

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

Desirable:

• A formal Forestry education and/or practical qualification

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £30,105, Forestry Commission contributes £8,721 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

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 behaviours, experience and strength based questions during your interview.

The Behaviours being assessed at interview are –

• Seeing the big picture
• Managing a quality service
• Communicating and Influencing
• Delivering at pace

Interviews will be held at Santon Downham (IP27 0TJ) and may include tests of forestry experience and knowledge.

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 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 : fcerecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.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

Thetford Beat Work Supervisor JOB DESCRIPTION Opens in new window (pdf, 178kB)