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Job summary

What you’ll do…

High Lodge is one of Forestry England’s flagship outdoor recreation destinations, receiving over 500,000 visitors annually and offering high‑quality facilities, trails, heritage features, play areas, cycling, events, and commercial partnerships.

As the Recreation Operations Manager, you will lead the delivery, management and development of recreation operations across High Lodge and support recreation management across wider beat areas. The role is responsible for day‑to‑day operational excellence, facility and asset management, health and safety leadership, contract oversight, budget management, and developing a positive and inclusive “one‑team” culture.

You will play a central role in ensuring that High Lodge provides an outstanding visitor experience while contributing to the wider East District recreation strategy, commercial growth targets and Forestry England’s values of sustainability, safety, access and wellbeing.

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

Where you’ll work…

High Lodge Thetford Forest, Thetford Road, Brandon IP27 0AF

Occasional national travel with overnight stay may be required.

Job description

Key responsibilities & accountabilities

Leadership & People

• Lead, manage and develop the recreation team (Recreation Rangers, Assistant Rangers, Craftsperson roles, apprentices).
• Provide coaching, direction and support to foster a positive, inclusive and collaborative “one-team” culture.
• Act as Duty Manager on a rota (including weekends, public holidays, peak visitor periods).
• Promote Forestry England’s values, behaviours and health and safety culture (“Look Out & Look After”).

Health, Safety & Compliance

• Ensure full compliance with health and safety guidance.
• Oversee safe working practices for staff, volunteers, contractors, and visitors.
• Lead and support accident investigations, reporting, and corrective actions.
• Maintain safe and compliant recreational facilities including play areas, trails, cycling routes and buildings.

Recreation Operations & Facility Management

• Oversee the day-to-day management and presentation of High Lodge facilities, including buildings, play, trails, heritage and visitor infrastructure.
• Lead building and asset management, facility inspections, audits and civil engineering–related works.
• Maintain High Lodge’s buildings to statutory standards and customer expectations, working with Estates and specialist teams where required.
• Implement district-wide Woodland Access Review actions and manage permissions, unauthorised trails and volunteer activities.

Commercial Management & Business Development

• Identify and develop opportunities for commercial growth while ensuring alignment with sustainable land management principles.
• Manage budgets, monitor income/expenditure and report on variances.
• Oversee delivery of commercial activities contributing towards c.£1.5m of annual income.
• Support the growth and diversification of the recreation business across East District beats.

Contract & Partnership Management

• Lead contract management for recreation-related contracts (e.g., cleaning, vegetation management, gate locking, maintenance).
• Manage contractors’ performance and health & safety compliance.
• Work closely with external partners, concessionaires (e.g. Go Ape), volunteers and stakeholders.
• Achieve value for money through fair, transparent procurement processes.

Events & Programme Delivery

• Collaborate with the Visitor Services Manager on event development and delivery, including Forestry England–led events (e.g., Forest Live) and externally delivered events.
• Support the planning, permissions, logistics and safe delivery of activities and special events.

Stakeholder Engagement & Representation

• Build and maintain strong relationships with internal teams (Sustainable Land Management, Civils, Ecology, Estates, Marketing).
• Represent Forestry England at external meetings where required.
• Provide site information and updates at internal district and national meetings. And any other tasks, reasonably requested by your line manager.

Person specification

Skills, knowledge & experience

Essential professional and technical experience

• Experience in outdoor recreation operations or a public-facing role in a comparable environment.
• Experience leading teams and managing staff, volunteers or contractors.
• Demonstrable experience of health, safety and wellbeing management, including risk assessments and incident reporting.
• Proven experience in facilities or asset management.
• Understanding of budget management, income/expenditure monitoring and commercial delivery.
• Experience of contract management and delivering value for money.
• Ability to engage stakeholders, partners and volunteers effectively.
• Competent IT user (Microsoft Office applications; experience with ForesterWeb desirable).

Desirable professional and technical experience

• Understanding of Forestry England recreation practices and national standards.
• Experience managing tenants or partnership businesses.
• Project management experience.
• Knowledge of managing volunteer programmes.
• Qualification in a relevant discipline (NVQ, HND, Degree).

Qualifications

Essential

• a GCSE in Maths and English or functional skills equivalent.
• Full current UK Driving Licence (or the ability to fulfil the needs of the role through alternative means)

Desirable

• A relevant vocational or academic qualification in recreation, land management, environmental management or similar discipline.

Behaviours

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

• Leadership
• Communicating and Influencing
• Managing a Quality Service
• Making Effective Decisions
• Working Together

Technical skills

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

• A 5‑minute presentation will need to be prepared in advance. The subject will be provided to applicants who are invited to interview.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £33,854, Forestry Commission contributes £9,807 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

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours and Technical skills.

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 a technical skill during your interview. A 5‑minute presentation will need to be prepared in advance. The subject will be provided to applicants who are invited to interview.

The Behaviours being assessed at interview are –

• Leadership
• Communicating & Influencing
• Managing a Quality Service
• Making Effective Decisions
• Working Together

Interviews will take place in person at High Lodge, Thetford Forest, IP27 0AF and are expected to take place on Friday 14th August, 2026. (Exact date TBC - subject to change)

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.

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 : 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

Forestry England Job Description - Operations Manager - High Lodge (PB5) Opens in new window (pdf, 148kB)