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Forest Planning Skills and Capability Lead
Job Reference forestryengland/TP/2458/775
Number of Positions:
1
Contract Type:
Fixed Term Appointment
Working Hours:
37
Location:
Flexible
Closing Date:
20/09/2026
Job Category:
Land Management
Region:
Flexible
Business Unit:
National Operations
Job Introduction
We are Forestry England.
We live and breathe forests.
Job title – Forest Planning Skills and Capability Lead
Salary – £40,388 - £43,482 per annum
Contract type – Fixed Term Appointment, until 31/10/2030
Vacancy closes - 20th September, 23:58
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 part of Forestry England's national Forest Planning team, you will play a pivotal role in shaping the future of sustainable forest management across England. Forest Plans are at the heart of everything we do, balancing timber production, nature recovery, climate resilience, recreation and the many benefits forests provide to society. In this influential role, you will help ensure Forestry England remains at the forefront of modern forest planning by developing capability, driving innovation and supporting continuous improvement across the profession.
You will lead a new Trainee Forest Planner programme, helping to recruit and develop the next generation of forest planning professionals, while also supporting and enhancing the skills of our existing Forest Planners. Working closely with colleagues across the organisation, you will provide technical leadership, champion best practice and identify opportunities to improve processes and approaches. This is a rare opportunity to make a lasting impact on both the future of forest planning and 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.
Where you’ll work…
Primary office location will be situated at National Office, 620 Bristol Business Park, Coldharbour Lane, Bristol, BS16 1EJ.
However the role has a national remit and location is flexible. This post will involve dealing with contacts across England, and travel with overnight stays. The use of Microsoft Teams video software is encouraged to reduce travel; however the postholder will be expected to regularly travel in accordance with the needs of the business and the demands of the post. It is expected that if the successful applicant is new to Forestry England they will be embedded within a Forestry England office for part of the working week during an induction period.
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.
- STaRis 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.
If you're planning to use AI to support your application, please ensure you've read our guidelines here first.
Read more about nationality requirements here.
Working for the Civil Service…
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 Great Place to Work for Veterans and Prison Leaver Recruitment 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 in line with/according to these principles and you wish to make a complaint, please email: englandhr.services@forestryengland.uk .
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Forest Planning Skills and Capability Lead employer: Forestry England
Forestry England is an exceptional employer, offering a supportive and inclusive work environment at our National Office in Bristol. With a strong commitment to employee growth through continuous professional development and a generous benefits package including 25 days of annual leave, a robust pension scheme, and discounts through our STaR employee benefits scheme, we ensure that our team members thrive both personally and professionally. Join us in making a positive impact on the environment while enjoying the flexibility of blended working arrangements.
