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Job summary

Protecting our country from pests and diseases is vital to safeguard the value our trees provide to the environment, economy and our health. As well as commercial timber, forests and trees deliver many non-market public goods such as carbon sequestration, air pollution absorption, biodiversity, recreation, landscape value, noise, flood and heat reduction and a whole range of other benefits. Delivering and enhancing the public goods delivered by healthy trees is a top priority for the Forestry Commission and Defra as demonstrated in the 25 Year Environmental Plan and the Tree Health Resilience Strategy.

Owing to several factors including climate change and growing globalisation in trade and travel, the threats to our trees from pests and diseases have risen dramatically over the past 20 years. Several of our most prominent broadleaf species are threatened, for example ash from ash dieback, oak from Acute Oak Decline and Oak Processionary Moth and four of our major conifer species are impacted by current outbreaks of Phytophthora and Ips typographus.

This post will complement our existing Tree Health Pilot Woodland Officer and Plant Health Officer from the Forestry Commission’s specialist Plant Heath Forestry operational team working across the south and east of England. In particular, proactively engaging and supporting woodland owners impacted by the eight toothed spruce bark beetle Ips typographus facilitating the removal of spruce trees impacted by the beetle and restocking the woodland concerned.

Job description

Working with the Area Team, Forestry Plant Health and the Tree Health Incentives policy colleagues, the post holder will facilitate and deliver tree health grants to land managers and groups of land managers to help manage tree pest and disease outbreaks and support restocking of trees. They will support the Area team in carrying out core Woodland officer work involving other grants and licences.

These roles are based in either:

• South East England with easy access to either of our offices near Tonbridge or Farnham. The focus of the work will be Kent, Sussex and Surrey, but may well extend beyond this to the wider South East
• East and East Midlands, within a 1 hour commute of either Santon Downham or Fineshades

The successful candidate will be expected to:

Promotion and Engagement

• Lead targeted promotion and engagement of Tree Health Grants with stakeholders and potential applicants, particularly where alternative support to existing grant schemes is required.
• Encourage collaboration between landowners to improve tree health resilience at a landscape scale.
• Use local intelligence, data and evidence to identify pest and disease outbreaks and suitable grant applicants.
• Provide advice on tree pest and disease management as part of wider woodland and tree management objectives.

Protecting and Improving Trees and Woodlands in England

• Support woodland owners and managers in responding to tree pests and diseases, including Ips typographus, Ash Dieback, Phytophthora ramorum, Sweet Chestnut Blight and Oak Processionary Moth.
• Support woodland owners in delivering resilient woodland recovery and restocking following tree health-related felling operations.
• Assess Tree Health Grant applications to ensure they deliver maximum impact, value for money and long-term outcomes.
• Identify and facilitate opportunities to work across the forestry supply chain to promote best practice and maximise the utilisation of timber felled for tree health and resilience purposes.
• Ensure tree health management activities comply with relevant environmental legislation and provide advice on regulatory requirements.
• Promote high standards of biosecurity across the forestry sector.
• Champion the environmental, social and economic benefits of resilient woodlands and support landowners in developing long-term woodland management solutions where appropriate.
• Support the region and colleagues by carrying out core Woodland officer work involving processing other grants , Felling licences and Woodland Management plans

Support Learning from Experience

• Contribute to Forestry Commission and Defra project meetings, capturing lessons learned and helping to shape future incentive packages and support mechanisms for land managers.

Working with Other Schemes and Partners

• Support land managers following tree health interventions by promoting ongoing woodland management and future support opportunities.
• Work closely with partner organisations and stakeholders to maximise collective resources and improve long-term woodland resilience.
• Collaborate with Forestry Commission teams delivering environmental land management support to ensure a coordinated approach to government assistance for the forestry sector.

Person specification

Person Specification – Essential Experience

• Strong interpersonal and influencing skills, with the ability to build and maintain effective working relationships with colleagues, stakeholders and customers.
• Experience of practical woodland management.
• Ability to prioritise and manage a varied workload effectively.
• Good IT skills, including experience of Microsoft Word, Excel, Outlook, Teams and ArcGIS (or equivalent GIS software).
• Knowledge of field-based health and safety requirements.
• Full UK driving licence.

Person Specification – Desirable Experience

• Knowledge of a range of UK tree pests and diseases and/or relevant operational tree health experience, together with an understanding of current legislation.
• Ability to proactively manage complex and potentially contentious issues involving people, trees and woodland interests, while delivering positive outcomes.
• Experience and knowledge of forestry regulation, grant incentives and plant health.
• Professional membership of the Institute of Chartered Foresters (ICF), or working towards chartered status.
• Experience of promoting, designing and establishing new woodland.
• Experience of working in partnership with a range of delivery organisations and stakeholders.
• Experience of supporting market development and growth within the forestry sector.

Licences

Full UK driving license

Behaviours

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

• Communicating and Influencing
• Working Together
• Delivering at Pace
• Making Effective Decisions

We only ask for evidence of these behaviours on your application form:

• Communicating and Influencing

Technical skills

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

• Proven knowledge and experience of lowland forestry/woodland management
• Degree/Higher Diploma in forestry / land management / countryside management and/or significant equivalent and related experience in forestry / woodland practice

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £37,537, Forestry Commission contributes £10,874 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).

• • A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%.
  • A range of family friendly benefits.
  • An environment with flexible working options.
  • Learning and development tailored to your role.
  • A culture which promotes a diverse and inclusive work environment.
  • A range of wellbeing benefits including discounted Civil Service Healthcare, access to an Employee Assistance Programme 24/7, Bike to Work Scheme, plus many more.
  • 25 days annual leave, with 1 additional day for each years’ service up to 5 years (pro rata), plus 10.5 bank holidays/privilege days (pro rata).
  • Ability to buy or sell 5 days annual leave.
  • 3 days volunteering per year (pro rata)

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, Strengths, Experience and Technical skills.

As part of the application process, you will complete the following online:

• A tailored CV (curriculum vitae) setting out your qualifications, career history, with key responsibilities and achievements. Please ensure you have provided reasons for any gaps within the last two years. The CV should be split into 3 parts and provide: Job History, Previous Skills/Experience, Full Qualification Details.
• A personal statement – in no more than 750 words showing how you meet the relevant skills and experience as set out in the Person Specification.
• A statement, of no more than 250 words, providing an example of how you have demonstrated the key behaviour of Communicating and Influencing.

The sift will be conducted using your CV, Personal Statement and lead behaviour: Communicating and Influencing. Applicants will be expected to demonstrate the essential role requirements within the application behaviour responses.

Those invited to interview will be further assessed on Behaviours and Strengths in addition to Technical Skills and Experience. You may be asked to complete a simple exercise as part of this.

Indicative timeline:

Applications will be sifted on 17th August 2026. This date is subject to change.

Interviews will be held in person at our Area Office at Santon Downham on the 28th August 2026. These dates are subject to change.

Further Information

A reserve list may be held for a period of 6 months from which further appointments can be made.

Any move to Forestry Commission from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax Free Childcare. Determine your eligibility at visit the Childcare Choices website.

If successful and transferring from another Government Department a criminal record check may be carried out.

In order to process applications without delay, we will be sending a Criminal Record Check to Disclosure and Barring Service on your behalf. However, we recognise in exceptional circumstances some candidates will want to send their completed forms direct. If you will be doing this, please advise Government Recruitment Service of your intention by emailing Pre-EmploymentChecks.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk stating the job reference number in the subject heading.

New entrants are expected to join on the minimum of the pay band.

Existing Civil Servants (excluding Forestry Commission employees) and applicants from accredited NDPBs are eligible to apply, and will only be considered on a loan basis (Civil Servants) or secondment (accredited NDPBs). Prior agreement to be released on a loan basis must be obtained before commencing the application process. In the case of Civil Servants, the terms of the loan will be agreed between the home and host department and the Civil Servant.

Existing Forestry Commission, Forestry England and Forest Research employees are eligible to apply for this Fixed Term Appointment and will only be considered if there is written confirmation from their line manager and HR that their current role will be temporarily backfilled or held open before commencing the application process.

This role is full time only: 44 hours a week. Applicants who wish to work an alternative pattern are welcome to apply however your preferred working pattern may not be available and you should discuss this with the vacancy holder before applying.

Where a role has been identified as one which falls under the scope of the Public Sector English Language Requirements, within Part 7 of the Immigration Act 2016, it is essential that applicants should have the ability to converse at ease with members of the public and provide advice in accurate spoken English. Applicants will be assessed in the selection process in accordance with the requirements.

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.

The Forestry Commission is actively working to reduce the carbon emission of official travel and applicants should be aware of the broad principles which are being applied to reduce carbon emissions to less than 50gCO2/km.

Travel options include:

Use of private car: some Officers choose to use their private car and receive payment for the miles they drive on official business. Emissions are unrestricted below 4,000 miles per year. A reduced mileage payment is applied to travel above4,000 miles per year, where not in a zero emissions vehicle.

Use of Forestry Commission van: usually based from an FC office (NOTE: such vehicles can only be used for official business).

Use of CAPES (lease) Cars: after an employee has successfully completed their probation, they can opt for a CAPES car (the user pays a monthly rate for private use). All new CAPES vehicles are zero emissions.

Reasonable Adjustment

If a person with disabilities is put at a substantial disadvantage compared to a non-disabled person, we have a duty to make reasonable changes to our processes.

If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should:

Contact Government Recruitment Service via FCERecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.

Complete the “Assistance required” section in the “Additional requirements” page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need further on in the recruitment process. For instance, you may need wheelchair access at interview, or if you’re deaf, a Language Service Professional.

If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the 'Contact point for applicants' section.

Feedback

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 : FS Recruitment
• Email : fs.recruitment@forestrycommission.gov.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.