Project Manager (Public Facing EV Charging)

Job summary

Forestry England is part of the Forestry Commission. We look after more land and more trees than any other organisation in the country, shaping landscapes for people, wildlife and timber. It's a job that never stops growing. We are the biggest provider of outdoor recreation in the UK.

Forestry England is committed to supporting the transition to net zero and enhancing sustainable visitor access across the nation’s forests. This role will lead the delivery of public-facing electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure across Forestry England sites.

The postholder will manage projects through feasibility, commercial sourcing, and implementation, working with a wide range of internal and external stakeholders to ensure projects deliver value for money, meet governance requirements, and align with Forestry England’s environmental and visitor objectives.

The Project Manager will report to the Lead Parking Programme Manager.

Please note this is a two-year contract and is offered on the basis of blended working, a combination of office based and virtual working. The role can be based at any Forestry England office with good travel and IT connections. This is a full-time role for 37 hours per week, which will normally be worked from Monday to Friday each week. However, the post holder will need to regularly travel (including some overnight stays) to sites across England as required by the role.

Job description

Key responsibilities & accountabilities

Strategic Planning & Delivery
• Develop, implement, and maintain the organisation’s public-facing EV charging strategy, ensuring alignment with environmental and transport policies.
• Conduct needs assessments, usage forecasting, and site prioritisation for EV charging deployment.
• Plan and manage the delivery lifecycle of EV charging infrastructure—from feasibility and design through installation, commissioning, and public launch.

Project Management
• Create detailed project plans, timelines, budgets, risk logs, and reporting tools.
• Manage multiple concurrent projects and ensure delivery within time, scope, and budget constraints.
• Coordinate with procurement, engineering, legal, health & safety, and communications teams to ensure smooth project progression.

Stakeholder Engagement
• Work closely with local authorities, utility companies, private landowners, and charging network operators.
• Lead community engagement efforts to understand public needs, communicate project impacts, and promote adoption.
• Build strong relationships with technology vendors and contractors, ensuring contractual and performance standards are met.

Technical & Operational Oversight
• Oversee technical design reviews, site surveys, and infrastructure readiness assessments.
• Monitor charging system performance, reliability, and user experience metrics.
• Support development of operational procedures, maintenance programmes, and service-level agreements.

Data, Reporting & Continuous Improvement
• Track KPIs such as uptime, utilisation, customer satisfaction, and network growth.
• Use data insights to refine strategy and prioritise upgrades or new deployments.
• Prepare reports for senior leadership, government agencies, and other stakeholders.

And any other tasks, reasonably requested by your line manager

Person specification

Skills, knowledge & experience

Essential professional and technical experience

• Proven experience in project management within infrastructure, transport, energy, or technology sectors.
• Strong understanding of EV charging technologies, mobility trends, renewable energy, or smart infrastructure.
• Exceptional communication and stakeholder management skills.
• Demonstrated ability to manage budgets, contractors, and complex multi-phase projects.
• Proficiency with project management software and reporting tools.
• Strong analytical, organisational, and problem-solving skills.

Desirable professional and technical experience

• Experience working with public sector organisations, utilities, or local councils.
• Knowledge of planning and permitting processes for infrastructure projects.
• Familiarity with sustainability policies, net-zero objectives, or transport decarbonisation strategies.

Qualifications

Essential

• Preferred degree qualification or NVQ Level 3 in essential subject area.
• Project management certification (e.g., PRINCE2, PMP, Agile PM).

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £40,388, Forestry Commission contributes £11,700 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…

We cannot accept applications via email. Please follow the steps outlined below. Any CVs and/or personal statements sent outside the system will not be considered for shortlisting.

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.

The Behaviours being assessed at interview are –

• Communicating and influencing
• Delivering at pace
• Changing and improving
• Making effective decisions

You will also be assessed on Experience based questions and the Technical Success Profile at the interview.

The technical element includes a presentation. Candidates who are short listed for interview will be asked to prepare a 15‑minute presentation to deliver to the interview panel. Your presentation must outline how, if successful in securing this role, you would approach the following:

• A feasibility assessment

• Stakeholder engagement

• Risk management

• Procurement of the solution/system

• Delivery of EV charging installations

You should also be aware there are tight deadlines and budget constraints you must consider, as this project aligns with other sustainability projects which are on-going.

Successful candidates will under