Nature Recovery Manager in England

As Nature Recovery Manager, you will work across the East England District, covering a large and diverse area of around 35,000 hectares. The district spans from Norfolk in the north to the Sussex coast in the south, and extends west to Buckinghamshire. You will lead a programme of ambitious nature recovery projects and build strong relationships with internal and external stakeholders. Your work will include restoring habitats to improve ecological connectivity, such as chalk streams, restoring plantations on ancient woodland sites, improving the condition of the district’s two largest Sites of Special Scientific Interest, the Brecklands and Sandling Forests, and assessing opportunities to reintroduce pine marten to woodlands in the district.

The Nature Recovery Manager will oversee the strategic development and delivery of a suite of wild area and species recovery projects in District under the Forest Wilding Programme. This will include initiating, overseeing existing projects and developing new ones, ensuring that these progress through the project lifecycle to effective delivery on the ground, reporting on progress to project and programme boards, and managing dedicated project officer staff.

Key responsibilities & accountabilities

• Detailed project planning, control and implementation, including managing district-based forest wilding projects, applying appropriate project management frameworks in accordance with Forest Wilding Programme guidance and principles, to ensure effective and timely project implementation.
• Developing and maintaining appropriate project documentation, including project management plans, land management plans, stakeholder management plans, and communications plans.
• Managing the delegated forest wilding budget, as a component of the wider Forest Wilding Programme budget.
• Procuring, commissioning and managing contracts and contractors, especially for practical land management, feasibility studies, and ecological survey and monitoring.
• Identifying and managing project risks and issues, managing project scope, overseeing change control, and escalating where necessary with Senior Responsible Owners and the Forest Wilding Programme Manager.
• Ensuring projects integrate Forestry England’s principal functions of timber production, nature recovery and engagement with visitors, resolving cross‑functional issues at project and district levels.
• Ensuring forest wilding projects meet the defined project objectives, outcomes and benefits.
• Monitoring project progress and performance, including through milestones and gateway reviews, and reporting on these to Project Boards and the Forest Wilding Programme.

Provide strong technical leadership in ecology and nature‑focussed land management, and its integration with forestry, especially through:

• Leading and managing district‑based forest wilding officers, responsible for delivering wild area and species recovery projects, providing line‑management, coaching and mentoring, supporting personal and professional development, and promoting a positive and inclusive culture.
• Initiating and supporting the development of appropriate project initiatives, such as strategic land management plans, feasibility studies, and implementation plans, to produce a workable programme of nature‑focussed land management.
• Working with technical experts, contractors and colleagues to implement the strategic land management priorities on the ground.
• Using best practice, technical knowledge and scientific evidence to contribute to the meeting Forestry England’s strategic ambition for nature recovery and resilience in the Nation’s Forests.
• Working with the Forest Wilding Programme team to support the implementation of a coherent evidence framework, which both supports our decision‑making and monitors the outcomes of our land management.

Develop and manage strong relationships with internal and external stakeholders, including:

• Supporting the district senior leadership team and relevant project boards, in providing confident and coherent leadership and governance to nature recovery projects.
• Managing the engagement and communications with colleagues and internal stakeholders of forest wilding across the Forestry Commission family.
• Managing the engagement and communications with external partners and stakeholders on district based projects, especially those with a high‑risk factor and high influence on the outcomes of the projects, through effective stakeholder management and communications plans.
• Representing Forestry England and the Forest Wilding Programme with relevant external projects, working groups, conferences and other forums, both in district and, where relevant, nationally.

Work with Forest Wilding Programme team and district colleagues to explore, secure and develop external funding for Forest Wilding projects, for example through:

• UK Government grants, especially Defra’s Environmental Land Management Landscape Recovery Scheme.
• Corporate sponsorship.
• Biodiversity net gain.
• Green finance.

And any other tasks, reasonably requested by your line manager.

Person specification

Skills, knowledge & experience

• Previous knowledge and practical experience of managing change at pace in the environmental sector, including planning, risk, issue and dependency management.
• Strong ecological background, with experience in land management implementation for nature conservation outcomes.
• A skilled project manager, able to manage and prioritise workloads, meet deadlines and solve problems, and manage budgets.
• Strong evidence of stakeholder management, demonstrating negotiation and influencing skills at a high level.
• A great team worker, with a strong track record of collaboration and relationship management.
• Strong leadership and communication skills.
• Experience of analysing and evaluating complex or conflicting evidence to provide usable advice and guidance to multi‑disciplinary teams.
• An excellent communicator, both written and verbally, able to adapt to a range of audiences.
• Competent using IT and Microsoft Office.

Desirable professional and technical experience

• Sound experience in the forestry sector.
• Experience of procurement and contract management.
• Competence in the use of Geographic Information Systems (GIS).
• Working knowledge of environmental legislation and designations, including their practical application.

Qualifications

• Essential: Ecology or environmental degree, or equivalent professional experience in nature‑focussed land management.
• A full and current driving licence that enables you to drive in the UK.

Desirable

• A recognised project management qualification.
• A member of a relevant professional body, e.g. Chartered Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management, Institute of Chartered Foresters.

Licences

• A full and current driving licence that enables you to drive in the UK.

Behaviours

• Seeing the Big Picture.
• Delivering at Pace.
• Working Together.
• Making Effective Decisions.

Benefits

• Alongside your salary of £40,388, Forestry Commission contributes £11,700 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme.
• Learning and development tailored to your role.
• An environment with flexible working options.
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity.
• Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%.