Corporate Services Manager

Job summary

Part of the Forestry Commission family, Forest Research is a world leader in applied forest science, providing evidence and practical solutions to policy makers, forestry practitioners, land managers and anyone with green space, UK-wide. With climate and biodiversity in crisis, and an increasing number of pests and diseases, our research is more vital than ever before. We advise on how woodlands can help combat climate change. We’re identifying tree species that will thrive in the future and ways of safeguarding those species at risk. Our research supports UK timber production because fewer imports reduce carbon emissions. We provide data on forests in Scotland, Wales and England, and provide evidence of the societal benefits of woodland. We do all this working collaboratively with academia, partners and industry, nationally and internationally.

The Forest Research Corporate Services Teams - Finance, Information & Technology, Communications, Human Resources and Programme & Estates, are responsible for ensuring the business systems, processes, governance and reporting are working well and fit-for-purpose. They support the wider business and help manage and deliver some of the corporate plan activities for both Forest Research and connect us with the other parts of the Forestry Commission.

This role will report to the Director of Finance and Corporate Services and will support the director to coordinate the corporate services delivery, including reporting, governance and change projects.

Job description

This role will support the Director of Finance and Corporate Services playing a crucial part in overseeing the delivery of essential corporate services and strategic projects in Forest Research.

This position demands a proactive and highly organised individual capable of managing competing priorities effectively.

As a key member of the multi-disciplinary Corporate Services team, you will collaborate closely with senior colleagues within Forest Research and across the Forestry Commission. You will be expected to contribute to the strategic direction of Corporate Services, ensuring active engagement with stakeholders, and the effective and efficient delivery of a wide range of key corporate and business service outputs.

Person specification

We are seeking a Project Delivery professional with experience of Business Management to join our Corporate Function. The successful candidate will work positively and calmly under pressure, co-ordinating multiple tasks, prioritising, and ensuring accuracy and attention to detail. They will be a self-starter who can work independently whilst having a strong ability to build relationships, working collaboratively and flexibly across teams with others to deliver a common goal.

Essential Criteria:

• A relevant project management qualification e.g. APM Project Management, Prince 2, PMI Project Management and / or demonstrable project management expertise
• Excellent organisational and planning skills, with the ability to reprioritise activities to deliver accurate outputs.
• Excellent communication skills in particular written with the ability to communicate effectively with all levels of staff.
• Expert in developing and managing effective working relationships with internal and external stakeholders, including those with competing interests.
• Ability to quickly assimilate and analyse unfamiliar material, keeping track of multiple activities in a rapidly changing operating environment to deliver sound judgements and recommendations.
  
  

Desirable Criteria:

The below criteria are desirable only. These will not be assessed throughout the recruitment process, but will be used in the event of tied scores between candidates.

• Understanding of policy, corporate governance, security issues, and strategic analysis to provide challenge and innovative ideas across a broad range of issues.
• Experience of working in a corporate function, understanding corporate policy, governance, and security issues and a good understanding of the requirement to protect confidentiality.
• Experience in improving processes, redesigning process flows and ways of working, carrying out research and data analysis to identify issues and propose solutions.
• Experience of using SharePoint.
• Power BI experience

Behaviours

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

• Changing and Improving
• Communicating and Influencing
• Delivering at Pace

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £48,765, Forestry Commission - Forest Research contributes £14,127 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).

Your career

Excellent professional development opportunities which are tailored to your role, with paid professional membership subscriptions, mentoring, and Civil Service Learning available to all
access to world class laboratory facilities, as well as state of the art buildings within forest or science park settings

Your work/life balance

flexible working options such as: up to two days flexi leave per month, blended working, part-time working, paid special leave, career breaks, and unpaid leave. Parents and carers will be supported to enable you to manage work and family responsibilities
A generous annual leave allowance of 25 days on entry increasing by 1 day each year to a maximum of 30 days (pro-rata for part-timers). Plus 2.5 days of additional leave and 8 days’ paid bank/public holidays

Your wellbeing

A culture which promotes a diverse and inclusive work environment
A range of wellbeing benefits including Employee Assistance Programme 24/7
We want you to feel part of something bigger and we encourage a community feel in our workplaces, with everything from cookery competitions to Pilates and fell running, plus topical talks at Wellbeing Wednesdays and Feelgood Fridays
Paid volunteering leave of 3 days per year so you can give back to your community and charitable causes by sharing your skills and time

Your benefits

a highly competitive Civil Service Pension of 28.97% your salary
an employee benefits scheme offering discounts on groceries, gym memberships, holidays, days out, online retailers and high street shops
Cycle to Work scheme and Interest free loans
Free parking is offered on-site, alongside electric car charging ports
With maternity, adoption, and/or shared parental leave there’s the flexibility to have up to 26 weeks full pay, followed by 13 weeks statutory pay and a further 13 weeks unpaid leave. Paternity leave of up to two weeks is available with full pay.

Any move to Forest Research 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 https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk/.

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 cand