Head of Nature Recovery Programme Delivery

Forestry England; West of England; On-site; GBP 62,000 - 68,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Pension contribution 28.97%

Holiday entitlement 25–30 days

Discounts (STaRis)

Free parking

Free arboretum entry

Career development

Job summary

Forestry England is seeking a Head of Nature Recovery Programme Delivery to provide strategic leadership and delivery oversight for national nature recovery outcomes across the forest estate.

The role is fixed-term to 31 March 2029, 37 hours, with pension contributions, generous holidays, discounts and opportunities for professional development.

Qualifications

• Requires leadership, governance and delivery oversight experience.
• Experience coordinating across multiple forests or national programmes.
• Ability to work with partners and stakeholders to achieve nature recovery outcomes.

Responsibilities

• Provide leadership, governance and delivery oversight for Forestry England’s Nature Recovery Programme.
• Ensure successful implementation of priority nature recovery outcomes across the nation’s forests.
• Oversee governance, risk management and delivery milestones across the programme.

Skills

Leadership

Governance

Programme delivery

Stakeholder management

Job description

The following content displays a map of the jobs location - National

Head of Nature Recovery Programme Delivery

Job Reference forestryengland/TP/1811/857

Number of Positions:

1

Contract Type:

Fixed Term Appointment

Working Hours:

37

Location:

National

Closing Date:

15/11/2026

Job Category:

Project Management

Region:

National

Business Unit:

National Operations

Job Introduction

We are Forestry England.

We live and breathe forests.

Job title – Head of Nature Recovery Programme Delivery

Salary – £62,404 - £68,433 per annum

Contract type – Fixed term appointment until 31st March 2029 with the possibility of extension or permanency

Vacancy closes – Sunday 15th November 23:58

Join us. We're foresters, professionals and experts. We are a passionate team who love to share our enthusiasm and want to make a positive difference for you and the environment.

Together, we’re using our scale and expertise to grow the nation’s forests for everyone. We’re already adapting our landscapes for tomorrow, and getting stuff done today, like creating amazing places and experiences for you to enjoy. We're providing vital homes for wildlife, making our air cleaner to breathe and producing sustainable timber.

What you’ll do…

Provide leadership, governance and delivery oversight for Forestry England’s Nature Recovery Programme, ensuring successful implementation of priority nature recovery outcomes across the nation’s forests.

Please see the job description below for more information and details about what we need from you.

Where you’ll work…

Any Forestry England office, with the some national travel required.

Alongside your salary, Forestry England contributes an average of 28.97% towards your pension. You will become a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension Scheme.

• 25 days holiday a year, raising by one day every year’s service, up to 30 days (pro-rated for part time employees) plus additional days off such as bank holidays.
• STaRis our employee benefits scheme offering discounts on everyday supermarket shopping, as well as other things such as hotel stays clothes, mobile phones, other electrical items, medical and car insurance, holidays, gym discounts, household bills, Headspace wellbeing app.
• free parking at Forestry England sites and free entry to our National Arboretums at Westonbirt and Bedgebury.
• a commitment to lifelong learning through career development. Forestry England will support your career development in a variety of ways, including continual professional development, support for individual learning plans and sponsored membership of professional bodies.

If you're planning to use AI to support your application, please ensure you've read our guidelines here first.

Read more about nationality requirements here.

Working for the Civil Service…

Forestry England is part of the Civil Service . The Civil Service has a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS). This means candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria during the application process will be guaranteed an interview. We also offer a Redeployment Interview Scheme to current civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the role. This role is also part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans and Prison Leaver Recruitment initiative.

Within Part 7 of the Immigration Act 2016, it is essential that applicants should have the ability to provide conversation in accurate spoken English.

Our recruitment process makes appointments based on fair and open competition and merit, as outlined in the Civil Service Commissioners’ Recruitment Principles. If you feel your application has not been treated in in line with/according to these principles and you wish to make a complaint, please email: [e-mail] .

This role is funded by DEFRA rather than through Forestry England generated revenue and is therefore subject to government spending reviews. While DEFRA has indicated long term support for the Biodiversity Programme and we expect funding to continue, it is possible that funding levels may change at the end of any financial year depending on DEFRA’s budget allocations. In the event of funding changes, we would prioritise retaining staff posts wherever possible. This approach is consistent for roles within publicly funded organisations. We are committed to keeping staff informed and supported through any changes.