Technical Support Officer

Job summary

Forestry Commission - Forest Services - which the Technical Support Officer (Administrator) will be part of, are the government's forestry experts facilitating delivery of government policy to protect. improve and expand England's woods and forests.

We advise nationally and locally on how to unlock the full potential of woodlands and the forestry sector to protect. improve and expand England's valuable woodland assets. We encourage good practice through professional advice, partnerships, advocacy, and grants while discouraging damaging or inappropriate forestry practice through regulations and standards.

Job description

Our work involves engagement with an enormous range of people and organisations, from small landowners and wood business through to large corporations and other public bodies. We are seeking a dynamic individual who learns quickly to provide technical support to our Woodland Officers, Woodland Creation Officers, Field Managers and technical specialists. The post holder will be required to:

Casework Support

Provide administrative support to the North-West and West Midlands Field Teams to assist the effective administration and processing of casework.

• Maintain local and national trackers, ensuring information is recorded accurately and updated throughout the life of a case
• Download applications in accordance with established procedures.
• Carry out routine checks of casework records and trackers to support data accuracy.
• Communicate approved process updates and procedural information to field teams as directed.
• Prepare standard templates, documents and supporting information for use by Woodland Officers e.g. when inspecting schemes.
• Assist with the administration of consultation processes by issuing documentation and maintaining records.
• Produce and maintain progress reports and update local monitoring information for managers.
• Support the uploading and storage of approved case files in accordance with established procedures.
• Produce routine reports and management information from existing data sources.
• Respond to routine enquiries from customers, agents and partner organisations, referring more complex matters to senior colleagues where appropriate.
• Provide administrative support to technical specialists in the delivery of programme activities.

Administrative and Systems Support

• Support colleagues with routine administrative requests, data searches and system queries.
• Maintain information held on Forestry Commission systems, including routine updates to GIS records and mapping information in accordance with guidance and procedures.
• Assist in distributing information relating to process, guidance and regulatory updates.

Compliance and Records Administration

• Prepare documentation and records required to support Felling Licence and Restocking Notice compliance activity.
• Support the team in meeting administrative deadlines by ensuring files and records are complete and available.
• Assist with the review and organisation of electronic filing systems and records management arrangements.

Customer Service and General Administration

• Provide general administrative support to the area team.
• Respond to routine enquiries from members of the public relating to tree felling and felling licences, providing standard information and directing enquiries as required.

While most of the work is administrative, the post offers an opportunity to learn how trees, woods and forestry deliver a range of environmental, social and economic benefits and how Government supports this.

Person specification

ESSENTIAL

• Good computer skills with experience of Office 365 and Microsoft especially Excel
• Excellent communication skills both written and verbal
• Experience of delivering quality services to a diverse customer base
• Demonstrate previous examples of delivering work in a specific timeframe
• Experience of working effectively as part of a remote team
• Ability to prioritise and manage a varied workload
• Good interpersonal and influencing skills demonstrating the ability to build and maintain effective working relationships with internal colleagues and our customers
• A minimum of 5 GCSEs/Standard Grades or equivalent (A-C Passes) including Maths and English/English Language is required

Please clearly demonstrate how the above applies to you throughout your application. Failure to do so will mean that your application is automatically sifted out.

DESIRABLE

• Understanding of forestry and woodland management
• Evidence of maintaining Continuous Professional Development
• Advanced experience in the use of Excel
• Experience of using a Customer Relationship Management system

Behaviours

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

• Communicating and Influencing
• Working Together
• Delivering at Pace
• Managing a Quality Service

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £26,959, Forestry Commission contributes £7,810 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.
• 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).

We aim to provide a great place to work, whichever location you work from. Blended working forms part of our flexible and inclusive approach to future ways of working. It is an informal arrangement which gives you the option to work some of the week from home, and some of the week from our Forestry Commission workplaces, subject to role requirements, business needs, and regular review. Informal blended working arrangements will be available as agreed with the line manager.

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 and Experience.

Fixed term appointment until 30th March 2027, with possibility of extension or