Overview

Reference number: 162567
Salary: £27,235 – £29,577
Grade: Executive Officer, Pay Band 5
Contract type: Fixed Term
Length of employment: 1 year
Business area: FC – Forestry Commission England
Type of role: Environment and Sustainability
Working pattern: Flexible working, Full-time
Number of posts: 1
Location: Lyndhurst, South East, SO43 7NH

Apply before 11:55 pm on Wednesday 1st December 2021

South England Forest District manages some 46,000 hectares of the public forest estate across West Sussex, Surrey, Berkshire, Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Dorset & South Wiltshire.

Much of the land is of high importance for nature conservation, supporting some 29,000 hectares (ha) deemed to be of national importance for wildlife of which approximately 28,000 ha are also designated as being of international importance for biodiversity as Special Areas of Conservation (SACs), Special Protection Areas (SPAs) and Ramsar sites.

The majority of the land managed by the District is also within areas designated for their landscape value, including 4,000 ha within AONBs and 31,500 ha across two National Parks.

The District Ecologists role is to work closely with the beat managers to identify ways to improve the conservation value, so for instance if we are carrying out a harvesting operation in a wood, we would identify areas where we could cut some scallops to make the area better for butterflies.

The Ecologist will also ensure that all work conducted in our woods is to the highest ecological standards, ensuring we adhere to all the wildlife legislation.

You would oversee all the work within the designated sites and find ways to improve the SSSI conditions. The District Ecologist will also be involved in some project work, where we get specific funding to carry out bigger scale improvements, restoration of heathland or reintroductions of species.

Job description

District Ecologist to cover the west area of the district, including the Isle of Wight and Dorset.
  • To lead on the protection and enhancement of biodiversity (species and habitats) in line with current legislation, principally via close working with the beat managers to deliver the conservation program;
  • To lead on the provision of ecological advice (concerning protected and priority species and habitats) to colleagues across the West of the district and support/enable the compilation and delivery of planned operational programmes via the Operational Site Assessment (OSA) process;
  • To communicate and liaise with stakeholders regarding our commitments to the environment and nature conservation legislation;
  • To support the Senior Ecologist with project delivery.

Key Work Areas:

Evolving our offer

  • Liaise with Foresters to give ecological advice on specific issues, including support for delivery of SSSI plans – work with the beat teams to ensure conservation budgets are planned and work is organised for the year.
  • Provide ecological input to Operational Site Assessments (OSAs), submitting advice and comments for OSAs.
  • Liaise with Natural England over the SSSI Condition Monitoring.
  • Provide ecological support to the Civil Engineering and the Recreation team.
  • Set up and manage survey contracts and operational delivery projects.

Increasing our commercial value

  • Link with stakeholder groups to support their survey work and help engage them.
    • Provide ecological support to the Estates team e.g. planning applications, post-minerals restoration projects, infrastructure upgrades, development mitigation and biodiversity offsetting opportunities.
    • Manage existing conservation projects and provide support as required for new projects.

Engaging our customers

  • Represent FE at events and steering groups in the west of the District.
  • Attend all team and district meetings.
  • Build and maintain good relations with partners in statutory and NGO conservation organisations.
  • Support the beat teams with assistance in organising volunteering days.

Responsibilities

PERSON SPECIFICATION: Experience and Professional/Technical Expertise

Essential

  • Substantive experience of working in the environmental management sector.
  • Degree or equivalent in Ecology or Environmental Management.
  • Sound knowledge and understanding of ecology.
  • Experience working with local stakeholder groups, including: landowners; non-governmental organisations; charities; local government.
  • Experience of providing ecological advice to a wide audience.
  • An effective communicator, both written and verbally.
  • Competent in IT – Microsoft Office.
  • Experience of delivering SSSI plans.
  • Sound knowledge of the application of environmental legislation to project planning and delivery.
  • Experience in running consultations with a range of stakeholders.

Desirable

  • Understanding of protected species and the forestry sector.
  • Experience of presenting on wildlife topics, dealing with media and public engagement activities.
  • Experience of setting up and managing contracts.
  • An understanding of UK Forestry Standards and UKWAS certification.
  • Experience of setting up and delivering monitoring programmes.
  • Member of Chartered Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management.

Behaviours

Seeing the Big Picture

  • Focus on the overall goal and intent of what you are trying to achieve, not just the task.
  • Ability to communicate the wider context of your work to others.
  • Keep up to date with issues that affect your work area.
  • Take a keen interest in expanding knowledge in areas related to your work.

Making Effective Decisions

  • Demonstrate accountability and make unbiased decisions.
  • Speak with the relevant people in order to obtain the most accurate information and get advice when unsure of how to proceed.

Communicating and influencing

  • Display enthusiasm around goals and activities – adopting a positive approach when interacting with others.
  • Identify key players and seek to gain their co-operation in advance of formal communications.
  • Actively listens, allowing others to fully express their opinion.
  • Be an effective representative of the team
  • Listen to, understand, respect and accept the value of different views, ideas and ways of working.

Working Together

  • Build, maintain and improve relationships with different stakeholders at the relevant level to understand differing views and issues.
  • Be approachable, open, polite and helpful to others.
  • Proactively contribute to the work of the whole team and remain open to taking on new and different roles.
  • Build supportive relationships with your colleagues.
  • Listen to alternative perspectives and needs, respond sensitively and check understanding where necessary
  • Ask for help when needed and support others when the opportunity arises.

Delivering at Pace

  • Create regular reviews of what and who is required to make a project/activity successful and make ongoing improvements.
  • Remain positive and focused on achieving outcomes despite setbacks.

Qualifications

Degree or equivalent in Ecology or Environmental Management

Behaviours

We’ll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

  • Seeing the Big Picture
  • Making Effective Decisions
  • Communicating and Influencing
  • Working Together
  • Delivering at Pace

Benefits

  • Learning and development tailored to your role
  • An environment with flexible working options
  • A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
  • A Civil Service pension

Things you need to know

Security

Successful candidates must pass a disclosure and barring security check.
People working with government assets must complete basic personnel security standard checks.

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles, and will assess your Behaviours and Experience.
This is a Temporary Appointment for 1 year with the possibility of extension or permanency but no guarantee.

This vacancy is using success profiles and will assess your behaviours and experience.

As part of the application process you will be asked to complete a CV and personal statement.

Your CV should include your career history, with key responsibilities and achievements. The CV will be split into 3 sections and request: Job History, Previous Skills/Experience, Full Qualification Details.

Please ensure you have provided any reasons for any gaps in employment history.

The Personal Statement should include why you are applying to the post and what you think is your relevant experience and knowledge. The statement should be no longer than 500 words.

You will also be asked to provide 250-word statements relating to the Behaviours being assessed.

Should a large number of applications be received, the initial sift may be conducted using the lead behaviour, Seeing the Big Picture. Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift, or progressed straight to assessment/interview.

Applicants will be expected to demonstrate their experience for the essential behaviours within their responses in the application.

Sift and interview dates to be confirmed. The interviews will take place at Queens House.

Further Information

A reserve list may be held for a period of 6 months from which further appointments can be made.

Any move to Forestry from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax Free Childcare. Determine your eligibility at here

The duties of this post require the applicant to have a full current driving licence that enables them to drive in the UK. However, the Forestry Commission is willing to consider any proposals put forward by applicants that would allow them to do the job by any other means.

If successful and transferring from another Government Department a criminal record check may be carried out.

In order to process applications without delay, we will be sending a Criminal Record Check to Disclosure and Barring Service on your behalf. However, we recognise in exceptional circumstances some candidates will want to send their completed forms direct. If you will be doing this, please advise Government Recruitment Service of your intention by emailing Pre-EmploymentChecks.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk stating the job reference number in the subject heading.

New entrants are expected to join on the minimum of the pay band.

If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the ‘Contact point for applicants’ section.

This role is full time (with flexible working) only. Applicants who wish to work an alternative pattern are welcome to apply however your preferred working pattern may not be available and you should discuss this with the vacancy holder before applying.

Reasonable Adjustment

If a person with disabilities is put at a substantial disadvantage compared to a non-disabled person, we have a duty to make reasonable changes to our processes.

If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should:

Contact Government Recruitment Service via fcerecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.

Complete the “Assistance required” section in the “Additional requirements” page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need further on in the recruitment process. For instance, you may need wheelchair access at interview, or if you’re deaf, a Language Service Professional.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Nationality requirements

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

  • UK nationals
  • nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
  • nationals of the Republic of Ireland
  • nationals from the EU, EEA or Switzerland with settled or pre-settled status or who apply for either status by the deadline of the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
  • relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals working in the Civil Service
  • relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals who have built up the right to work in the Civil Service
  • certain family members of the relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals

Further information on nationality requirements

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission’s recruitment principles.

The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.

Apply and further information

Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Contact point for applicants

Job contact :
Name : Sarah Oakley
Email : sarah.oakley@forestryengland.uk
Recruitment team :
Email : fcerecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk

Further information

Our recruitment process is underpinned by the principle of appointment on the basis of fair and open competition and appointment on merit, as outlined in the Civil Service Commissioners’ Recruitment Principles.If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with these principles and you wish to make a complaint, you should in the first instance contact FCE by email: englandhr.services@forestryengland.uk. If you are not satisfied with the response you receive, you can contact the Civil Service Commission, which regulates all Civil Service recruitment.