Assistant Trees & Woodland Adviser

National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty; Chesterfield; Hybrid; GBP 28,000 - 38,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Pension

Free entry to NT places

Season ticket loan

EV car lease

Perks at work discounts

Holiday allowance

Job summary

National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty is seeking an Assistant Tree & Woodland Adviser to support woodland creation, restoration and management across the Midlands and East of England. You’ll work hybrid, combining office and field time, and contribute to major woodland targets.

You’ll provide professional advice on tree establishment, woodland management and delivery, assist with UKWAS-compliant work and help protect Ancient Woodlands and Veteran trees.

Qualifications

• Technical knowledge and experience in tree and woodland management.
• Experience delivering tree safety management.
• Familiarity with the UK Forestry and UK Woodland Assurance Standards.
• Knowledge of woodland creation and tree establishment.
• Strong problem-solving and delivery focus.
• Confident communicator with mentoring and training ability.
• Ability to work independently and balance multiple priorities.
• Membership or progression toward a relevant professional body.

Responsibilities

• Support delivery of National Trust woodland priorities with planning guidance.
• Provide woodland management guidance and reporting, including silvicultural advice.
• Identify opportunities, develop proposals, secure funding and deliver planting operations.
• Help protect Ancient Woodlands and Ancient & Veteran trees.
• Ensure compliance with health and safety, contract management and best practice.

Skills

Tree & woodland management

Tree safety management

UK Forestry Standards

Woodland creation

Problem solving

Communication

Independent work

Professional body membership

Job description

We’re looking for an Assistant Tree & Woodland Delivery Partner to support our ambitions for high‑quality woodland creation, restoration and management across the Midlands and East of England. You’ll be joining us at an exciting time, as our strategy People and Nature Thriving sets out a bold ambition to restore nature at scale, including creating 250,000 hectares of nature‑rich habitat across three countries.

You’ll help colleagues improve the condition, resilience and long‑term management of woodlands by providing professional advice on tree establishment, woodland management and operational delivery. You’ll contribute to our national 20‑million‑trees target, support UKWAS‑compliant woodland management, and help protect Ancient Woodland and Ancient and Veteran trees — some of our most precious natural assets.

Interview date: 11th November 2026

What it's like to work here

You’ll be part of our Restore Nature team, working closely with the Tree & Woodland Delivery Partner and colleagues across the Midlands and East of England. The role is hybrid, based at your local National Trust office, combined with the flexibility to work from home when appropriate.

Your week will be varied — balancing office time, home working and time spent supporting teams on the ground. You’ll spend plenty of time in the woods, working across a wide range of landscapes, from coastal to upland sites, established woodlands to new planting sites and helping colleagues deliver high‑quality outcomes for nature.

You’ll be supported by our national Tree & Woodland team, who provide specialist guidance, training and technical expertise. Collaboration is central to how we work; you’ll build strong relationships with property teams, regional specialists, contractors and partners as you help deliver woodland priorities across the region.

What you'll be doing

Your work will support the delivery of National Trust woodland priorities, including:

• Tree Safety Management – Helping properties implement mandatory procedures, including providing advice and supporting training.
• UKWAS‑compliant woodland management – Providing Woodland Management and planning advice, silvicultural guidance and certification reporting.
• Tree planting and woodland creation – Supporting colleagues and partners to identify opportunities, develop proposals, secure funding and deliver planting operations.
• Ancient Woodlands, Ancient & Veteran Trees – Helping properties improve condition and ensure protection and appropriate management of these irreplaceable features.
• Compliance and best practice – Providing guidance on legal compliance, contract management, health & safety, tree health and general silvicultural issues.

Who we're looking for

We’d love to hear from you if you’re:

• technical knowledge and experience in tree and woodland management; manging complex tree collections including ancient and veteran trees and overseeing forestry operations
• understanding of tree safety management principles and experience of delivery
• familiarity with the UK Forestry and UK Woodland Assurance Standards
• knowledge and experience of woodland creation and tree establishment
• strong problem‑solving skills and commitment to delivering high‑quality outcomes
• confident communicator able to build collaborative working relationships, mentoring, supporting and training colleagues
• ability to work independently, manage time effectively and balance multiple priorities
• membership of a relevant professional body, or looking to work towards it, such as the Institute of Chartered Foresters or the Arboricultural Association.

The package

The National Trust has the motto ‘For everyone, for ever’ at its heart. We’re working hard to create an inclusive culture, where everyone feels they belong. It’s important that our people reflect and represent the diversity of the communities and audiences we serve. We welcome and value difference, so when we say we’re for everyone, we want everyone to be welcome in our teams too.

• Substantial pension scheme of up to 10% basic salary
• Free entry to National Trust places for you, a guest and your children (under 18)
• Season ticket loan
• EV car lease scheme (for roles that meet the salary criteria)
• Perks at work discounts such as gym memberships, shopping discount codes, cinema discounts
• Holiday allowance up to 32 days relating to length of service, plus holiday purchase scheme, subject to meeting minimum criteria.

National Trust place

Hardwick Consultancy Hub, The Croft, Chesterfield, S44 5QJ

Documents

Assistant Trees & Woodland Adviser - Grade 7.pdf

Requirements

• Compliance.
• Eligibility to Work in the UK

Additional information

Closing Date: 1st November 2026

The National Trust celebrates diversity and is committed to creating a fair and equal society, free from discrimination. You can read more about our commitment to inclusion and diversity here.

The National Trust is committed to a safe recruitment processes to help the organisation attract and appoint the right staff/volunteer for the role and responsibilities as set out in the vacancy advert. We will not accept applicants who are not suitable to work with children, young people or adults at risk. If you have any questions around your suitability for this vacancy, please contact the people service centre.