Projects Officer – Woodland Creation in Stevenage

If you have a passion for the environment and are keen to make a vital contribution within our team to fulfil our commitment to establish 1.8 million trees across Hertfordshire by 2030, then this could be the role for you. We are looking for an individual keen to take the next step in their career and join our Land Management team as a Woodland Creation Projects Officer. You will be involved in everything from identifying woodland creation opportunities to securing funding, planning and delivering tree and hedgerow planting.

The Countryside and Rights of Way Service works in partnership with private landowners, communities, other local authorities and government agencies to develop and deliver projects that enhance the environment for people and wildlife. Our Land Management team has a broad project portfolio encompassing woodland and grassland management, chalk river restoration, tree and hedge planting and developing old railway lines as active travel routes.

Responsibilities of this role include:

• Working with landowners to identify and develop opportunities for tree and hedgerow planting.
• Designing and specifying tree and hedgerow planting schemes.
• Preparing cost estimates for planting and securing external funding to support tree and hedge planting.
• Leading the implementation of planting projects including procurement and management of contractors and suppliers and ensuring robust aftercare protocols are in place.
• Managing project budgets and expenditure.
• Producing and maintaining project records including mapping to support monitoring of progress and reporting.
• Developing a pipeline of future tree and hedgerow planting projects.

You will be involved in managing a diverse range of planting projects simultaneously: large and small, urban and rural, on public and private land, and encompassing woodland creation, hedgerow planting and individual tree planting. Key challenges will include communicating with stakeholders to secure support for projects and effectively prioritising the project workload. Other members of our land management team will provide support through training and facilitating outreach to landowners, and there will be opportunities to work collaboratively with our Communities team to engage volunteers in planting projects.

In this role you will be joining a talented and experienced land management team and will be supported in your further training and development. This is a fantastic opportunity to progress your career in countryside management, while playing a central role in planting tens of thousands of trees across Hertfordshire and contributing to nature recovery in our county.

About you

Essential criteria:

• Demonstrable track record in the delivery of environmental land management.
• Excellent personal communication and consensus building to establish support for ideas.
• Working independently and collaboratively with a range of colleagues, professionals, partners and members of the public.
• Able to proactively manage a range of projects from start to finish, prioritising appropriately.
• A flexible and adaptable approach, problem solving and outcome oriented.
• A structured and well-organised approach to work planning and time management.
• Competent management of allocated resources.

You will have a full, current driving licence, and you will be expected to work in rural locations with difficult terrain. We welcome applications from candidates who currently reside in the UK with established proof of right to work documentation. We are not able to offer sponsorship at this time for this role.

This job role is Level 8.

For an informal discussion, please contact: Andrew Taylor on 01992 556063

Interview Date: 24.08.2026

Benefits of working for us

How to apply

As part of your application, please upload your most recent CV. Ensure your CV is up to date with your employment history (including any employment gaps), and including any training/qualifications. We encourage you to include examples of where you have demonstrated the requirements/criteria in the advert/job profile to allow the panel to fully recognise your skills and abilities. You will have the opportunity to include a short covering paragraph within your application to give us a little more information about your skills, knowledge, and experiences.

Secondment: This role is open to secondments for eligible employees who work for HCC. If you wish to apply on a secondment basis, you must have your line manager’s approval before submitting your application. You will be asked to confirm this within your application form. If you are not eligible for a secondment (e.g., you are currently on a fixed-term contract that would end before this position ends) or you indicate that your manager cannot support a secondment, your application will be considered on a fixed-term contract basis instead.

Additional information

We are changing: Hertfordshire County Council is undergoing Local Government Re-organization (LGR). If you are employed by Hertfordshire County on 1 April 2028, it is expected that most roles will transfer to the newly-created unitary councils on existing terms and conditions under TUPE (Transfer of Undertakings – Protection of Employment) principles. LGR is one of the biggest changes we will face in a generation. It will reshape how we work and how services are organized and gives us a real opportunity to build something better.

Disability Confident: We are proud to be a Disability Confident employer and guarantee an interview to anyone disclosing a disability whose application meets the minimum criteria for the post.

Driving required: You’ll need to have the ability to drive and/or travel around Hertfordshire, either using your own mode of transport or a company car to travel to other locations.

English Fluency: The ability to converse at ease with members of the public and provide advice in accurate spoken English is essential for the post.