Head of Nature Recovery Programme Delivery

The Methodist Church in Britain; Harry Stoke; On-site; GBP 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Civil Service pension (28.97%)

25 days holiday (rising to 30)

STaR employee benefits scheme

Free parking at Forestry England sites

Free entry to National Arboretums

Career development & CPD sponsorship

Job summary

Forestry England is seeking a senior leader in National Operations to oversee the Nature Recovery Programme, ensuring governance and delivery across the national forest estate. The role focuses on meeting priority nature recovery aims and relies on DEFRA funding with annual budget cycles, requiring national travel and screening checks.

Applicants must demonstrate accurate spoken English and pass criminal record and baseline personnel security checks before appointment.

Qualifications

• Accurate spoken English required.
• Ability to see the bigger picture and connect strategy with delivery.
• Strong communication and influencing skills.
• Capable of making effective decisions in complex environments.
• Proactive approach to changing and improving processes.

Responsibilities

• Provide leadership, governance and delivery oversight for the Nature Recovery Programme.
• Ensure priority nature recovery outcomes are implemented across the national forest estate.

Skills

Accurate spoken English

Seeing the bigger picture

Communicating and influencing

Making effective decisions

Changing and improving

Job description

This senior post in National Operations at Forestry England leads the nature recovery programme, overseeing its governance and delivery across the national forest estate. The fixed-term role centres on making sure the programme meets its priority nature recovery aims. It is funded by DEFRA's Biodiversity Programme rather than Forestry England's own revenue, so continuity depends on annual government budgets, and national travel is required. Applicants must show accurate spoken English and pass criminal record and baseline personnel security checks.

What the job involves

• Provide leadership, governance and delivery oversight for the Nature Recovery Programme
• Ensure priority nature recovery outcomes are implemented across the national forest estate

What’s required

Experience

• Relevant experience and career history, set out in a 200-word statement

Skills & knowledge

• Accurate spoken English
• Seeing the bigger picture
• Communicating and influencing
• Making effective decisionscoicing
• Changing and improving

Checks & eligibility

• Criminal record check
• Baseline personnel security standard check
• Meets the published nationality requirements

Other

• Personal statement of no more than 500 words

What’s offered

• Employer pension contribution averaging 28.97%, in the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension Scheme
• 25 days holiday a year, rising by one day per year of service to 30, pro-rated for part time, plus bank holidays
• STaR employee benefits scheme with discounts on shopping, insurance, holidays and other goods and services
• Free parking at Forestry England sites
• Free entry to the National Arboretums at Westonbirt and Bedgebury
• Career development, including continual professional development, individual learning plans and sponsored professional membership