Forest Resilience kills and Capability Lead

Job summary

As part of Forestry England's National Operations team, you will play a pivotal role in shaping the future of sustainable forest management across England, by advancing the development and delivery of critical forest resilience work.

You will

• Provide technical leadership on forest resilience, supporting and upskilling colleagues across the organisation.
• Work with colleagues, researchers and external partners to develop our forest resilience approach and translate scientific evidence into practical guidance and tools.
• Support the implementation of the Forest Resilience Strategy and Action Plan, helping to embed forest resilience principles into planning and operations.
• Contribute to the development of the next iteration of the Forest Resilience Strategy and Action Plan, ensuring it is informed by the latest evidence and best practice.
• Collaborate on projects within a new multi-million-pound Defra-funded programme that will help strengthen resilience across the nation’s forests.

This is a unique opportunity to help shape our forest resilience approach across the country, and make a lasting impact on the forests that will benefit generations to come.

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

Job description

Key responsibilities & accountabilities

Build organisational capability in forest resilience

• Build effective relationships and networks across Forestry England to identify knowledge gaps and
  training needs relating to forest resilience.
• Support the translation of complex research into practical tools, guidance and resources for operational teams.
• Increase understanding and application of forest resilience principles through effective communication, training, mentoring and knowledge-sharing approaches.
• Identify opportunities to improve processes, guidance and approaches to embedding forest resilience principles across Forestry England, contributing to continuous improvement and organisational learning.

Coordinate forest resilience research and evidence

• Coordinate the Forest Resilience Service Level Agreement with Forest Research, which has an approximate value of £200,000 per annum, ensuring research priorities are clearly defined and progress is monitored and communicated.
• Apply organisational, sector and technical knowledge to identify forest resilience knowledge and evidence gaps and contribute to the development and maintenance of Forestry England's forest resilience research pipeline.
• Support the dissemination of research findings across Forestry England, working with research leads to ensure outputs are tailored, relevant, accessible and practical.
• Contribute to the delivery and review of the Forest Resilience Strategy and Action Plan, while supporting the development of its next iteration, ensuring activities are informed by emerging evidence, operational learning, and best practice.

Stakeholder engagement and influencing

• Develop and maintain effective relationships with internal and external stakeholders to support the delivery of Forestry England's forest resilience objectives.
• Work closely with key roles across Forestry England, Forest Services, and Forest Research.
• Represent the Forest Resilience Team in meetings, working groups and stakeholder forums, communicating Forestry England's approach to forest resilience and promoting collaborative working.
• Support clear and consistent communication of Forestry England's Forest Resilience Strategy and Action Plan, helping stakeholders understand its importance and practical application. Project delivery, monitoring, and reporting
• Provide technical advice and support to the delivery of Defra-funded forest resilience projects across Forestry England.
• Collate and analyse forest resilience data to support programme delivery. Additional responsibilities.
• Undertake any other duties consistent with the grade and role as reasonably requested by the line
  manager.

Person specification

Skills, knowledge & experience

Essential professional and technical experience

• Experience of woodland or forest management, with a strong understanding of forest resilience principles and their practical application.
• Knowledge of current and emerging threats to forest resilience, including climate change, pests, diseases and environmental pressures.
• Working knowledge of the UK Forestry Standard (UKFS) and UK Woodland Assurance Standard (UKWAS).
• Experience of supporting the learning and development of others.
• Ability to interpret and apply scientific, technical or policy evidence and translate complex information into clear, practical guidance.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to build effective working relationships and influence across teams and levels.
• Competent user of Microsoft Office, including Excel, PowerPoint, Word and Teams.

Desirable professional and technical experience

• Experience of working with research organisations, scientific partnerships or commissioned research programmes.
• Experience of using GIS and spatial data.
• Project management skills.
• Strong analytical skills, including the ability to collate, interpret and present data and evidence to support decision-making, monitoring and reporting.
• Experience of working collaboratively to develop solutions, influence outcomes and achieve shared objectives.

Qualifications

Essential

• Educated to degree level, with a degree in forestry, ecology or similar discipline, or equivalent professional experience.
• A full current driving license

Desirable

• Professional membership of the Institute of Chartered Foresters or can demonstrate working towards chartered status.

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

This is a Temporary Appointment until 31/03/2029, with the possibility of extension of p