Forestry Commission Scotland (FCS) is the Forestry Department of the Scottish Government. FCS works in partnership with other regulatory bodies to promote the interests of Scottish Forestry, which includes the implementation and delivery of policies set out in the Scottish Forestry Strategy.

Alongside their National Office in Silvan House, Edinburgh, FCS works collaboratively from 5 conservancies (South Scotland, Central, Perth & Argyll, Grampian and Highlands & Islands).

The people within our five conservancies are responsible for carrying out regulatory and grant support functions. It is their duty to promote sustainable forestry within their area, balancing the need for timber production with the importance of encouraging re-development and biodiversity. The provide advice and guidance on the forestry and manage the grant aid to land owners for the establishment and ongoing management of woodlands within Scotland.

Purpose of the Job

FCS is looking to welcome five students on board to work with them from September 2018 – August 2019 on a work experience placement for 51 weeks, with students being placed equally between the following conservancies;

• Dumfries (South Scotland)
• Hamilton (Central)
• Perth (Perth &Argyll)
• Huntly(Grampian)
• Dingwall (Highland &Islands)

The successful candidates will be active members of passionate and proactive teams, delivering on the objectives and work programmes of each Conservancy office.

The one-year work placement will give students hands-on experience of promoting, influencing and regulating private sector forestry operations and administering grant scheme contracts. Working both on-site within our forests and in our offices, our students will develop a working knowledge of a wide range of woodland management and environmental topics in relation to the successful delivery of Scottish Government policies and the Scottish Forestry Strategy.

Student placements are seen by FCS as a key developmental opportunity for individuals to experience working within FCS and gain an insight into the work we do. It also offers a great opportunity for students to understand what potential future employment opportunities may be available for them with FCS. Many of our previous students have, following a successful placement with us, gone on to take up employment opportunities with FCS and this is something which FCS are keen to support.

Here at FCS we are proud of the developmental opportunites that our student placements offer, and how they allow indiviuals the chance to experience working within FCS and gain a hands on insight into the important work we do. The placements offer a chance to understand and explore the many potential paths of employment which are available within FCS. Many of our previous students, upon successful completion of their placements, have chosen to remain within FCS and further their career with us which is something we are delighted to support.

Learning and professional support will be provided by a dedicated manager locally, and centrally through our Learning & Development team and guided by an individual training plan.

Key Work Areas

Undertake site inspections to assess compliance with grant conditions and felling licences;

Support Woodland Officers in handling grant applications including new planting, forest plans and felling licences;

Support any Conservancy development work undertaken through direct and partnership projects, including plant health, education and health, and environmental projects.

Person Specification

Experience and Professional/Technical Expertise

Essential:

Currently engaged in further or higher education study within a forestry, environmental or land-based management discipline.

Desirable:

Previous experience of woodland operations;

Confidence to project a positive, professional image while interacting externally with forest owners and stakeholders.

For more details and how to apply, click here.

Remember to mention UK Forestry Jobs when applying.

North England Forest District is headed by Kevin May and has a complement of 128 staff. The District is the largest in England, covering some 86,000 ha across the Counties of Northumberland, Durham, Cumbria and Lancashire. The district is comprised of 61,000 ha of forest and 25,000 ha of open land. Annual timber production is 600 000 m3 (30% of England’s timber production).

The District has 45 SSSIs totalling over 10 000 ha and is a major contributor to local biodiversity through projects such as red squirrels, ospreys and red kites, forest re-wilding, limestone woodland and blanket bog restoration.

The District also has five visitor centres at Gisburn, Grizedale, Whinlatter, Kielder and Hamsterley. The public forest estate in North England District attracts over one million visits per annum.

The wildlife team consists of 12 wildlife rangers who report directly to the Wildlife Manager and the districts deer cull target is c3500 per annum with the largest proportion being roe deer (approximately 3000)

Purpose of the Job

The purpose of the Trainee Wildlife Ranger post will be to train up an enthusiastic and motivated individual to commence a safe and effective career in wildlife management. Initially, the Trainee Wildlife Ranger will be supporting the Wildlife Rangers in Kielder Forest focusing primarily on deer culling there will also be opportunities to support the team with conservation and operational roles

Key Work Areas

Train to undertake safe use and maintenance of firearms in line with Forestry Commission procedures.

Train to become a safe and effective Wildlife Ranger operating on the public forest estate – managing populations of wild deer in accordance with national best practice and Forestry Commission guidance.

Gain experience to be able support and offer advice to local beat teams on damage to trees and other vegetation/natural habitats caused by rabbits, deer and other herbivores.

Support the wider district team with conservation work such as bat box monitoring and raptor work.

Build knowledge and confidence to work within a team supporting other colleagues as necessary and contribute to forest district wildlife and design plans.

Experience/Professional and Technical Expertise

Essential

The candidate will demonstrate a keen interest in the field of wildlife management through experience in countryside management /use of firearms with a body of experience built up through either employment, volunteering or as a hobby.

The candidate must hold a valid police firearms certificate and may be expected to pass a skills test as part of the recruitment process.

Desirable

• Achieved Deer Management Qualification Level 1
• Achieved Deer Management Qualification Level 2.
• Proficient use of IT including Microsoft Outlook, Excel and Word.

Civil Service Competencies

Making Effective Decisions

Ask questions when unsure of what to do.
Think through the implications of your decisions before confirming how to approach a problem/issue.

Seeing the Big Picture

Gather information from a range of relevant sources inside and outside of your Department to inform your work.
Understand what is required of you in your role and how this contributes to team and Departmental priorities.

Delivering at Pace

Work in an organised manner using your knowledge and expertise to deliver on time and to standard.
Work with energy and pace to get the job done.
Maintain consistent performance.

Managing a Quality Service

Act to prevent problems including health and safety, reporting issues where necessary.
Gain the knowledge needed to follow relevant legislation, policies, procedures and rules that apply to the job.

Licenses

Essential

Police Firearms Certificate is required for this role.

Full UK Driving license

Desirable

Trailer towing license

Licences

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.

Competencies

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

Experience/Professional and Technical Expertise as detailed in the Job Description
Making effective decisions
Seeing the big picture
Delivering at pace
Managing a quality service
Civil Service Competency Framework

Civil Service pension schemes may be available for successful candidates.

Click here  for more details and to apply.

If you have a love of the outdoors/environment, want to become a senior leader in the future and you also want to have the opportunity to make a real impact on a business then the Forest Enterprise England (FEE) is the company for you.

We are part of the Forestry Commission and manage the public forest estate in England and all the associated commercial and business interests. The 254,000 hectare estate is the single largest landholding in the Country, comprising over 1,500 separate properties including some of the finest woodlands forest and open land in England, a wide range of housing and commercial property, and a variety recreation/leisure businesses.

What does our programme involve?

You will start your journey on our two year graduate programme working in an operational forestry environment at managerial level so you will need to quickly learn a wide range of forestry terms, skills and knowledge that will help you manage tasks from fencing, planting and felling operations to community consultations, recreation and staff management. During year one, you will be placed in the South England Forest District, the principal office for which is Lyndhurst.

During year two, to help you broaden and develop your understanding of the business, you will be based at either the National Office in Bristol or another office location within England. You therefore have to be willing to be mobile during these two years.

Essential Requirements:

• A 2:1 equivalent or above in any discipline
• Full UK driving license
• A GCSE or equivalent in English and Maths at grade C or above
• Willingness to live within a commutable distance in year one of Lyndhurst in Hampshire and to be mobile during year two of the programme

Desirable:

We have a preference for any Science, Environmental, Business, Humanities, Economics, Management or commercial related degrees but we are open to applications from anyone with a passion to get into a commercial role with the relevant transferable skills.

Success in this role will require self-motivation, energy and a willingness to learn across a wide range of activities. Good leadership skills will be required to succeed as a manager of staff and to influence people we work with.

Salary: £25,000

Closing date for applications: 9th February 2018

Click here to apply: