Operations Manager at Forestry England

Forestry England; Brandon; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 37,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Civil Service Pension

25 days holiday

STaRBenefits

Free parking

Free entry to National Arboretums

Career development support

Job summary

Forestry England in Brandon is seeking an Operations Manager to lead the delivery and development of recreation operations at High Lodge. The role covers day-to-day operational excellence, facility and asset management, health and safety leadership, contract oversight, and budget management to create an outstanding visitor experience.

You will help drive sustainability, safety, access and wellbeing across the beat, contribute to district recreation strategy, and collaborate with a diverse team

Qualifications

• Leadership and management experience in recreation or outdoor settings.
• Budget management and contract oversight experience.
• Strong emphasis on health and safety leadership and incident prevention.

Responsibilities

• Lead delivery, management and development of recreation operations across High Lodge.
• Oversee day-to-day operational excellence, facilities and asset management.
• Drive health and safety leadership, contract oversight and budget management.
• Foster a positive, inclusive team culture and support wider district strategies.

Skills

Leadership

Budget management

Health and safety

Contract oversight

Visitor experience

Job description

Apply for Operations Manager at Forestry England in Brandon, ENG, GB. This Full time on site position offers great opportunities for career growth. Job Introduction We are Forestry England. We live and breathe forests. Job title – Operations Manager - High Lodge Salary - £33,854 per annum Contract type – Permanent Hours – 37 hours per week Vacancy closes - 6th September 2026, 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…

High Lodge is one of Forestry England’s flagship outdoor recreation destinations, receiving over 500,000 visitors annually and offering high‑quality facilities, trails, heritage features, play areas, cycling, events, and commercial partnerships. As the Recreation Operations Manager, you will lead the delivery, management and development of recreation operations across High Lodge and support recreation management across wider beat areas. The role is responsible for day‑to‑day operational excellence, facility and asset management, health and safety leadership, contract oversight, budget management, and developing a positive and inclusive “one‑team” culture. You will play a central role in ensuring that High Lodge provides an outstanding visitor experience while contributing to the wider East District recreation strategy, commercial growth targets and Forestry England’s values of sustainability, safety, access and wellbeing. Please see the job description below for more information and details about what we need from you.

Where you’ll work…

High Lodge Thetford Forest, Thetford Road, Brandon IP27 0AF. Occasional national travel with overnight stay may be required.

Benefits…

• 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.
• STaR is 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.

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. The Behaviours being assessed at interview are – Leadership Communicating & Influencing Managing a Quality Service Making Effective Decisions Working Together.