Recreation Craftsperson

We are Forestry England. We live and breathe forests.

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.

The Recreation Craftsperson will be part of a customer-facing team supporting the site’s recreational commercial activity. Assisting the team in the upkeep of recreation facilities and site infrastructure, event support, and health and safety responsibilities.

This post sits within the West District Recreation and Engagement team, reporting to the Recreation Manager at Haldon Forest Park near Exeter. Haldon Forest Park attracts over 500,000 visitors each year who come to enjoy the forest environment. Facilities include a network of walking, running and cycling trails, a cafe, play features, Go Ape Tree Top Course and bike hire making for a very busy and popular destination.

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 scheme. You will receive 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. STaR is 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, and the Headspace wellbeing app. Additional benefits include free parking at Forestry England sites and free entry to our National Arboretums at Westonbirt and Bedgebury, along with a commitment to lifelong learning through career development.

You will be asked to write a 200 word statement on your relevant experience and career history, along with a personal statement of no more than 500 words. You will be assessed on both during sifting. More details about how to apply are listed on the application form. You will be assessed on experience, and a technical skill during your interview. The technical element will be an outside based task such as fencing. The skills being assessed at interview are:

• Managing a Quality Service
• Making Effective Decisions
• Communicating and Influencing
• Working Together

Successful candidates will undergo a criminal record check and the government check. If you require any reasonable adjustments, please email fcrecruitmentteam@forestryengland.uk.

If you're planning to use AI to support your application, please ensure you’ve read our guidelines.

Forestry England is part of the Civil Service. The Civil Service has a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS). This means candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria during the application process will be guaranteed an interview. We also offer a Redeployment Interview Scheme to current civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the role. This role is also part of the initiative. Within Part 7 of the Immigration Act 2016, it is essential that applicants should have the ability to provide conversation in accurate spoken English.

Our recruitment process makes appointments based on fair and open competition and merit, as outlined in the Civil Service Commissioners’ Recruitment Principles. If you feel your application has not been treated in line with these principles and you wish to make a complaint, please email: englandhr.services@forestryengland.uk.