South West Moors Project Officer in Exeter

Salary: £33,854 – Contract: 3‑year fixed‑term appointment, possibility of extension or permanency – Hours: 37 hours per week – Vacancy closes: Wednesday 27th May 23:58

What You’ll Do

Forestry England launched its resilience strategy in the autumn of 2025, building on both science and practical forestry expertise. The South West Moors Project Officer will lead a focused piece of work to critically understand the values of Forestry England’s highly productive plantations on Dartmoor, Exmoor and Bodmin Moor, to understand the threats posed by our changing climate to those forests and the wildlife that lives there, and the opportunities presented. This work will bring those issues together in a single vision and high‑level strategic plan that will inform the renewal of the next generation of Forest Plans. The Officer will inspire others to support our work in growing the future, championing Forestry England values. Together we are Forestry England, we grow forests for all, for life.

Where you’ll work

The postholder will be based at our forest office at Haldon Forest Park, Exeter, Devon (other Forestry England office locations within the district may be considered). The postholder will be expected to travel to different office and depot locations as well as remotely located woods & forests to support the delivery teams as may be required, and to attend national meetings and training events. Travel by car will be required; a current driving licence is a role requirement, although a proposal that satisfies the business need to travel without driving may be considered.

Benefits

• £33,854 salary plus a contribution of 28.97% towards your pension into the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension Scheme.
• 25 days holiday a year, rising by one day for every year’s service, up to 30 days (pro‑rated for part‑time employees) plus additional days off such as bank holidays.
• STaR employee benefits scheme offering discounts on supermarket shopping, hotel stays, clothes, mobile phones, other electrical items, medical and car insurance, holidays, gym discounts, household bills, and 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, including continual professional development, support for individual learning plans, and sponsored membership of professional bodies.

How To Apply

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. Both will be assessed during the initial screening. During the interview, behavioural questions will be asked focusing on the following themes:

• Seeing the Big Picture
• Changing and Improving
• Making Effective Decisions
• Communicating and Influencing

Successful candidates will undergo a criminal record check and the government baseline personnel security standard check. If you require any reasonable adjustments, please email fcrecruitmentteam@forestryengland.uk. If you are planning to use AI to support your application, please ensure you have read our guidelines first.

Nationality Requirements

Applicants must be able to provide conversation in accurate spoken English. For more information about nationality requirements, see the policy.

Working for the Civil Service

Forestry England is part of the Civil Service. Candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria will be guaranteed an interview under the Disability Confident Scheme. A Redeployment Interview Scheme is offered to current civil servants at risk of redundancy. The role is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans and Prison Leaver Recruitment initiative. Our recruitment process is based on fair and open competition and merit, in line with the Civil Service Commissioners’ Recruitment Principles. If applicants feel their application has not been treated accordingly, they may file a complaint to englandhr.services@forestryengland.uk. This role is funded by DEFRA and subject to government spending reviews. Funding levels may change at the end of any financial year; we will prioritise retaining staff posts wherever possible.