Wildlife Manager

Job summary

What you’ll do…

You will plan and implement safe and professional wildlife management programmes to protect tree crops and improve ecosystems. You will provide leadership and technical support in the district and through national networks.

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

Where you’ll work…

East District offices at Santon Downham, IP27 0TJ

Job description

Key responsibilities & accountabilities

Manage people:

• Manage the wildlife ranger team, to meet our high professional standards.
• Provide technical support in the district and through national networks.
• Lead by example to promote a positive and inclusive culture, and actively promote collaboration and support across the district and with stakeholders.
• Demonstrate Forestry England’s organisational values and behaviours and make sure your team does too.
• Drive improvement in the wildlife team, promoting learning and development opportunities.

Manage resources:

• Manage the district’s wildlife budget.
• Buy and distribute goods and equipment (including restricted items) in line with Forestry England policy.
• Arrange and supervise a range of contracts.

Manage stakeholders:

• Contribute to the day-to-day operation of the district as part of the management team.
• Work with foresters and district ecologists to make sure work programmes are delivered effectively and efficiently.
• Work with deer officer and other external organisations towards effective landscape-scale mammal management.
• Advise and support the estates team with sporting tenancies and sporting retained rights.
• Manage deer control licence holders and contractors to achieve deer management plan targets.
• Help to develop national policy at the request of the lead wildlife manager.
• Represent Forestry England at deer management group and squirrel control group meetings.
• Liaise with the police and neighbours on wildlife crime or as directed by the forest management director.

Manage health and safety:

• Manage health and safety involving firearms and the wildlife management operations.
• Provide leadership to promote a positive safety culture and plan infrastructure to minimise risk during wildlife management operations.
• Control authorising, using, inspecting, and recording firearms and ammunition by the wildlife ranger team, making sure Forestry England complies with legislation and internal policies.
• Make sure that district ‘s deer larders comply with Forestry England policies, food hygiene regulations, and the British Quality Wild Venison standard.
• draft and review risk assessments covering wildlife management activities.
• Take overall responsibility for rifle zero and practise areas in the district and the safety of all activities on these sites.
• Issue and review all firearms cards, maintain the district’s firearm database, and update the national data base as required.
• Issue guidance for safely using equipment and firearms, including managing the wildlife ranger training programmes.
• Monitor ranger and keeper performance including accompanied stalks, and high seat inspections.
• Promote reporting tick bites and using mandated deterrents.

Crop and habitat protection:

• Create and deliver data-led culling plans based upon population censuses and damage/ impact assessments to minimise damage to growing crops and habitats.
• Maintain wildlife management strategies to comply with UK Woodland Assurance Standard (UKWAS) and Forestry England policies.
• Contract deer culling resource where and when needed to effectively deliver culling plans.
  
  And any other tasks, reasonably requested by your line manager.

Person specification

Skills, knowledge & experience

Essential professional and technical experience

Current or relevant experience in wildlife management including:

• Detailed understanding of the legislation for wildlife management.
• Experience in delivering large wildlife management programmes.
• Carcase handling and larder management.
• Impact and census monitoring techniques.
• Experience in planning wildlife management infrastructure.
• Understanding the legislative framework for using firearms.
• Experience in conservation/wildlife projects.
• Experience of working with partners, stakeholders and landowners.

Desirable professional and technical experience

• Experience of line managing staff, and supervising contractors.
• Experience of data management and data-driven decision making.
  

Qualifications

Essential

• Qualification in wildlife or conservation land management, such as a BTEC National Diploma, a BTEC HND or a BSc degree or significant and equivalent experience in a wildlife or conservation land management role.
• Current police firearms certificate.
• Deer stalking certificates (DSC) 1 & 2 (including trained hunter)
• Full UK driving license.
  

Desirable

• Deer management qualification – assessor.
• Range conducting officers' certificate.
• Trained to CDM and FISA standards.
• Forestry First Aid +F, this can also be obtained once employed with Forestry England.
• Membership of a relevant professional body.

Licences

• current police firearms certificate.
• deer stalking certificates (DSC) 1 & 2 (including trained hunter)
• full UK driving license.

Behaviours

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

• Making Effective Decisions
• Working Together
• Seeing the Big Picture

Technical skills

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

• To be confirmed at invitation to interview

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).

• 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 p