Operations Administrative Manager

Government Recruitment Service; Exeter; On-site; GBP 35,000 - 45,000; Full time

Job summary

A government agency is seeking an Operations Admin Manager in Exeter to lead a team in managing regulations and customer service within the Forestry Commission. You will guide Operations Admin Officers, ensure effective operation of felling license applications, and provide high-quality service to stakeholders. Key responsibilities include performance management, regulatory oversight, and professional leadership in a collaborative team environment. This position is vital for supporting environmental objectives and enhancing the forestry sector's effectiveness.

Qualifications

• Proven experience in line management, preferably in an operational setting.
• Strong understanding of regulatory processes, particularly in forestry.
• Excellent communication skills for customer engagement and team collaboration.

Responsibilities

• Manage and monitor the performance of Operations Admin Officers.
• Provide leadership and improve team performance.
• Handle operational aspects of regulations and grants.

Skills

Leadership

Customer Service

Performance Management

Regulatory Knowledge

Job description

Never has there been a more important time for trees and forests to help tackle the climate emergency and provide a much-needed sanctuary for people and wildlife. Our Prime Minister and our government are committed as part of the Environmental Improvement Plan to increasing the tree canopy cover across England from the current 14.5% to at least 16.5% by 2050 – this means 34,000 ha of new tree cover by 2028.

This acceleration in current planting rates in England will contribute to meeting the net-zero by 2050 ambitions, and to government’s wider environmental targets.

If you are passionate about the role of forestry in creating a better future for England, and want to play a key part in that, we want to hear from you.

By joining the Forestry Commission, you will become part of a team of passionate, committed colleagues, and be able to build on a wealth of expertise to take this ambitious work forward. You will be able to make your mark by helping the Forestry Commission to transform how we work together and reach new stakeholders. Forest Services as part of Forestry Commission are the Government’s forestry experts. We advise nationally and locally on how to unlock the full potential of woodlands and support the forestry sector to protect, improve and expand England’s valuable woodland assets, ensuring that they continue to provide benefits to people, the environment, and the economy.

This role sits within the Forest Services (FS) Operational Delivery Team (ODT).

The Operational Delivery Team delivers services to Forestry Commission (FC) customers for Grants and Regulations, including circa 2500 felling licences per year, and 3000 grant applications

The team works closely with the Area teams, our technical experts in the field, to administer woodland grants and regulations across England. The team\'s main function is to provide grants for tree planting, woodland management, and tree health, also enforcing the Forestry Act through regulatory processes such as felling licence applications and environmental impact assessments.

The Operations Admin Manager within the ODT Regulations Team is responsible for managing and monitoring the performance of their team, working with peers to deliver a consistent approach to Regulations functions across the country, maintaining good working relationships with colleagues in other FC and Defra teams, and providing a high standard of service to customers.

Effectively managing the administration of felling licences and other regulatory functions in accordance with Forestry commission procedures.

Working with the other Operations Admin Managers to provide leadership and carry out line management duties for the Operational Delivery Regulations team, including supporting the team through the introduction of a new online felling licence system and new areas of work such as woodland management plan amendments, working collaboratively with other managers to manage change and transition.

Working with peers, area staff and the woodland sector to ensure a high quality of customer service and the coordinated delivery of FC targets.

Key Work Areas

• Effectively line-manage up to a maximum of 6 Operations Admin Officers within the Operational delivery team, ensuring they have the information and tools needed to fulfil their role.
• Provide leadership and demonstrate positive behaviours for the team to follow; be firm on poor performance to ensure everyone works to their best ability.
• Ensure effective handling of transactional aspects of Regulations, following FC guidelines, processes and procedures, and complying with legislation and scheme rules.
• Provide a customer service function for the above activities, including supporting customers using the new online felling licence system, and providing clear verbal and written advice and communication to customers.
• Liaise with area staff (particularly Woodland Officers) on technical issues and queries.
• Deal with public enquiries through triage to the Area teams or other appropriate FC staff where necessary.
• Liaise with Operations Admin Manager peers, Area teams, and the National Grants & Regulations team to ensure consistent implementation of business processes and identify further opportunities for continuous improvement.
• Contribute to the overall delivery of Forest Services objectives and business including local and national projects and initiatives.
• Support and manage change, establishing new ways of working within the team and across Forest Services.

The post will report to the Operations Team Manager.