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We live and breathe forests.

Job title – Senior Landscape Architect

Salary- £40,388 - £43,482

Contract type – Fixed Term Appointment until 31st March 2028

Hours – 37 per week

Vacancy closes - 23:58 on 23 July

Join us. We're foresters, professionals and experts—including designers and landscape architects shaping the nation’s forests. We are a passionate team who care deeply about the places we create and want to make a positive difference for people and the environment.

At Forestry England, we care for the nation’s forests for people, nature and the economy. We plan, design and steward inspiring landscapes where everyone can feel welcome - places to explore, to connect, to reflect, and to belong. From nationally significant destinations to everyday green spaces close to communities, our forests are shaped through thoughtful, high-quality design to be accessible, inclusive and meaningful for all.

We connect people with nature through carefully considered landscapes, creating opportunities for everyone to experience the proven health and wellbeing benefits that time spent in forests can bring.

Together, we combine creativity, technical expertise and environmental stewardship to design and deliver places that respond to their setting, reflect the needs of diverse communities, and stand the test of time—creating landscapes that matter today and for generations to come.

What you’ll do…

Join us as a Senior Landscape Architect and help shape the future of England’s forests and visitor hubs. You’ll be part of a high-performing national team delivering projects that make a real difference—creating beautiful, inclusive spaces for people and nature.

Help us deliver one of Forestry England’s significant national projects—creating inclusive, co-designed green spaces for reflection and wellbeing across England’s forests.

In this role, you’ll:

• Lead and support exciting landscape projects, including involvement in high-profile national programmes.
• Bring creativity and technical expertise to improve visitor experiences and green spaces across the country.
• Manage your own workstreams within a complex programme, working at pace to meet tight deadlines.
• Collaborate with talented colleagues and partners to turn ideas into reality.

Our team has delivered projects like Delamere Visitor Centre, Whinlatter WOW trail, inclusive play spaces at Sherwood Pines and Westonbirt Arboretum, and community woodland designs. This is your chance to combine your skills and experience as a landscape architect with our purpose - creating landscapes that matter.

Please watch our Making the Nation’s Forest’s More Accessible project video to gain an understanding of the sort of projects we have delivered recently.

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

Where you’ll work…

The role will be based in a north or centrally located Forestry England office with flexibility for blended working (with the ability to commute to the local Forestry England office regularly).

There will be a need for travel in this role, with occasional overnight stays necessary.

Please be aware that this role can only be worked in the UK and not overseas.

Benefits…

Alongside your salary, Forestry England contributes an average of 28.97% towards your pension. You will become a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension Scheme.

• 25 days holiday a year, raising by one day every year’s service, up to 30 days (pro-rated for part time employees) plus additional days off such as bank holidays.
• STaR is our employee benefits scheme offering discounts on everyday supermarket shopping, as well as other things such as hotel stays clothes, mobile phones, other electrical items, medical and car insurance, holidays, gym discounts, household bills, Headspace wellbeing app.
• free parking at Forestry England sites and free entry to our National Arboretums at Westonbirt and Bedgebury.
• a commitment to lifelong learning through career development. Forestry England will support your career development in a variety of ways, including continual professional development, support for individual learning plans and sponsored membership of professional bodies.

Read more about the benefits on the Forestry England website.

How to apply…

You will be asked to write a 200 word statement on your relevant experience and provide a full career history, along with a personal statement of no more than 500 words.

You will also be asked to answer the following question to prove you have the essential skills required for this role.

• Describe how you feel your experience working as a qualified landscape architect makes you suitable for this role (creating inclusive, co-designed green spaces for reflection and wellbeing in the nation’s forests). Answer in 150 words.

You will be assessed on the above during sifting. More details about how to apply are listed on the application form.

You will be assessed on technical skills (a design portfolio presentation) and behaviours questions during your interview.

The Behaviours being assessed at interview are –

• Making effective decisions
• Delivering at pace
• Managing a quality service

We expect interviews to be held on Microsoft Teams on the 4th and 5th August.

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.

Nationality requirements…

Read more about nationality requirements here.

Working for the Civil Service…

Forestry England is part of the Civil Service. The Civil Service has a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS). This means candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria during the application process will be guaranteed an interview. We also offer a Redeployment Interview Scheme to current civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the role. This role is also part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans and Prison Leaver Recruitment initiative.

Within Part 7 of the Immigration Act 2016, it is essential that applicants should have the ability to provide conversation in accurate spoken English.

Our recruitment process makes appointments based on fair and open competition and merit, as outlined in the Civil Service Commissioners’ Recruitment Principles. If you feel your application has not been treated in in line with/according to these principles and you wish to make a complaint, please email: englandhr.services@forestryengland.uk.