Ips typographus Support Officer

Royal Forestry Society; United Kingdom; Hybrid; GBP 26,000 - 36,000; Part time

Job summary

The Forestry Commission is seeking an Ips typographus Support Officer to join the Plant Health Operations Team. You will help protect England’s trees and woodlands by assisting with surveillance, fieldwork and outbreak response activities, while supporting wider plant health work across Great Britain.

These roles offer varied environmental fieldwork and opportunities to develop expertise in outbreak detection, pest surveillance and biosecurity practice.

Responsibilities

• Assisting with surveillance, fieldwork and outbreak response activities.
• Contributing to coordinated ground-level operations, combining regular fieldwork and site visits with office-based activities.
• Detecting, containing and eradicating Ips typographus outbreaks across south-east England under direction of the Ips typographus Project Team.
• Data collection and reporting to support pest surveillance and biosecurity practice.

Job description

Corby, Farnham, London, Tonbridge, Wendover, Worthing

Hours of work

Contract

Temporary

November 22, 2026

Location

This role can be based at any Forestry Commission approved office, or on a home/office hybrid basis, provided you are located within the Ips typographus Demarcated Area – or within a reasonable commuting distance of it.

The Ips typographus Demarcated Area is a defined zone established for control purposes. You can view the current boundary on the latest map: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/665ed3bd16cf36f4d63ebda6/20240603_Demarcated_Area_Colour_June.pdf

About the job

Job summary

Join the Plant Health Operations Team within Forest Services, part of the Forestry Commission, as an Ips typographus Support Officer. You will help protect England’s trees and woodlands, while supporting wider plant health work across Great Britain, by assisting with surveillance, fieldwork and outbreak response activities.

These roles offer varied environmental fieldwork and opportunities to develop expertise in outbreak detection, pest surveillance and biosecurity practice. You will work with knowledgeable colleagues and contribute to coordinated ground-level operations, combining regular fieldwork and site visits with office-based activities.

About Forest Services and the Plant Health Forestry Team

Forest Services are the Government’s forestry experts. We support the forestry sector and landowners to protect, improve, and expand England’s woodlands through regulation, incentives, and expert advice.

Within Forest Services, the Plant Health Forestry (PHF) Team delivers technical policy advice, operational activities (border and inland), and the Forest Reproductive Materials (FRM) programme. Our work ensures that GB’s treescape is protected from pests and diseases, and that we are prepared to respond to emerging threats.

The PHF Team operates with both England and GB-wide responsibilities:

• England: Inland surveillance, outbreak management, biosecurity promotion, and regulatory implementation, working with Defra and the Devolved Governments as part of the GB Plant Health Service.
• GB-wide: Statutory functions (including border inspections) and technical advice and support on plant health.

About the Ips typographus Project Team

The Ips typographus Project Team works with landowners, the forestry industry and partner agencies to prevent, detect and eradicate Ips typographus in England. Our work ranges from surveying vulnerable spruce and responding to outbreaks to arranging felling and control work with contractors. We also help landowners manage spruce in high-risk areas and authorise felling, timber movement and processing in line with biosecurity requirements.

Working alongside Forest Research and government partners, we use survey data and pheromone trapping to guide our response and explore new approaches, including remote sensing, debarking and canine detection. Sharing knowledge is an important part of the programme. Through training, practical guidance and conversations with landowners and forestry workers, we help others play their part in protecting woodlands.

About the roles: We are seeking one Ips typographus Support Officer to assist in detecting, containing and eradicating Ips typographus outbreaks across south-east England. Working under the direction of the Ips typographus Project Officer, you will play a vital hands-on role in fieldwork, data collection and surveillance operations.