Forest Planner SSSI in Lyndhurst

Join us. We’re foresters, professionals and experts. We are a passionate team who love to share our enthusiasm and want to make a positive difference for you and the environment.

Together, we’re using our scale and expertise to grow the nation’s forests for everyone.

We’re already adapting our landscapes for tomorrow, and getting stuff done today, like creating amazing places and experiences for you to enjoy.

We’re providing vital homes for wildlife, making our air cleaner to breathe and producing sustainable timber.

What you’ll do

As Forest Planner, you will develop, write, review and consult on forest planning matters to ensure Forestry England remains UKWAS compliant and delivers the Forestry England strategy.

The role includes the preparation of Forest Plans, habitat and heritage plans, and other supporting management documentation to ensure the forests and woods of the Forest District are sustainably managed to UKFS standards.

A key focus of this role will be leading the full review and revision of the New Forest Inclosures Forest Plan.

This is a particularly significant and sensitive Forest Plan due to the highly designated landscape, the range of statutory and non-statutory interests, and the wide number of stakeholders with a strong interest in how the land is managed.

The postholder will be responsible for reviewing the existing plan, developing proposals for its revision, and leading engagement with stakeholders throughout the process.

The Forest Planner works closely with colleagues across the Forest District, including ecology, land management, harvesting and external partners, to turn high-level policy ambitions into on-the-ground delivery that improves woodland resilience while balancing biodiversity, recreation and timber objectives.

The role is geographically focused within South Forest District, working across a defined set of woodlands or beats.

You can expect to spend around one third of your time outdoors, often working independently, and will be expected to manage your own time to maximise efficiency and effectiveness.

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

• Job Responsibilities & Accountabilities
• Forest planning and resilience delivery –
• Lead the review and revision of the New Forest Inclosures Forest Plan, ensuring compliance with UKFS, UKWAS, statutory requirements and Forestry England policy.
• Review existing Forest Plan objectives and management prescriptions, evaluate their effectiveness, and develop revised proposals that respond to current evidence, site condition and changing pressures.
• Plan, coordinate and undertake consultation and engagement with internal colleagues, statutory bodies, stakeholder groups and partner organisations, building understanding and consensus around proposed changes.
• Prepare and present clear, well-reasoned planning documents and supporting materials for internal governance, consultation and approval.
• Ensure Forest Plans are realistic, spatially informed and capable of being delivered through operational programmes of work.
• Collect and verify data relating to Forest Plan areas to inform the forest planning process.
• Design and prescribe long term forest management which delivers resilient forests in industry best practice Forest Plans ensuring that Forestry England land is managed for people, wildlife and timber.
• Communicating, consulting and consensus building with a wide range of Forestry England staff, statutory and non-governmental organisations to ensure proposed plans are in compliance with policies, UK Woodland Assurance Standard and UK Forest Standard.
• Monitor and report on progress with delivery.
• Data, mapping and monitoring –
• Interrogate and manage Geographic information Systems.
• Provide support in areas of data analysis to inform business decisions, including timber production and long-term financial models.
• Undertake forest and habitat surveys to improve data and maintain monitoring programme.
• Operational support-
• Support the team in areas of survey, data management and mapping to support forest operations to ensure all opportunities and constraints are fully considered.
• Provide support to colleagues in areas of specialism such as heritage management, ecological habitats, features or processes as training and skills allow.
• Champion high standards of health and safety within the team resource, ensuring compliance with relevant legislation and guidance and any other tasks, reasonably requested by your line manager.

Skills, Knowledge & Experience

Essential professional and technical experience

• Good team worker with the ability to work alone and use own initiative as necessary.
• Excellent written communication skills.
• Excellent verbal communication skills with an ability to bring people together and gain consensus.
• A good understanding of Health & Safety in the workplace.
• Knowledge and understanding of industry standards and best practice.
• Competent IT user with experience in MS Office suite of applications.
• Working in forest and land management.
• Managing complex issues and options.
• Working with Geographical Information Systems (GIS) to manipulate and analyse spatial data.

Qualifications

Essential

• Degree or Higher National Diploma (HND) or significant equivalent experience in forestry or land management, Geographical Information Systems (GIS), geography or environmental sciences.

Desirable

• Membership of the Institute of Chartered Foresters (ICF) or a commitment to achieve membership.
• Where you’ll work

The post will be based at The King’s House, Lyndhurst, Hants SO43 7NH.

Regular travel around Forestry England’s estate in the South District will be required.

There will be occasional trips outside the Forest District for Forestry England meetings, which may require an overnight stay.

Benefits

Alongside your salary, Forestry England contributes an average of 28.97% towards your pension. You will become a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension Scheme.

• 25 days holiday a year, raising by one day every year’s service, up to 30 days (pro‑rated for part‑time employees) plus additional days off such as bank holidays.
• STa Ris our employee benefits scheme offering discounts on everyday supermarket shopping, as well as other things such as hotel stays, clothes, mobile phones, other electrical items, medical and car insurance, holidays, gym discounts, household bills, Headspace wellbeing app.
• Free parking at Forestry England sites and free entry to our National Arboretums at Westonbirt and Bedgebury.
• A commitment to lifelong learning through career development.

Forestry England will support your career development in a variety of ways, including continual professional development, support for individual learning plans and sponsored membership of professional bodies.

• Attached documents
• Forestry England Job Description – Forest Planner (PB5). pdf
• #J-18808-Ljbffr