PAWS Woodland Surveyor

Forestry England; Benenden; On-site; GBP 27,000 - 33,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Civil Service Pension

Discounts on everyday shopping

Free parking at Forestry England sites

Career development opportunities

Job summary

Forestry England invites applications for a PAWS Woodland Surveyor based in the East district. The role involves planning and delivering woodland surveys across diverse habitats, maintaining accurate forest inventory data, and supporting forest plans with field data.

The position is fixed-term until March 2029 with potential extension. The role requires working at Bedgebury and nearby sites, with blended work options.

Responsibilities

• Carry out inventory surveys of the public forest estate in the East District.
• Identify woodland components and provide standing timber measurement.
• Conduct planting density assessments and tree disease monitoring.

Job description

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

Job Reference forestryengland/TP/2320/824

Number of Positions:

1

Contract Type:

Fixed Term Appointment

Fixed term appointment ending in March 2029.

Working Hours:

37

Location:

East

Closing Date:

29/10/2026

Job Category:

Land Management

Region:

East

Business Unit:

East

Job Introduction

We are Forestry England.

We live and breathe forests.

Job title – PAWS Woodland Surveyor

Salary - £30 ,105 per annum

Contract type – Fixed Term Appointment ending March 2029, with the possibility of extension or permanency

Vacancy closes - 26th October, 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…

As a Forest Surveyor for Forestry England, you will support the planning and management of some of England’s most diverse and valued landscapes. You’ll carry out inventory surveys of the public forest estate in the East District, identifying woodland components, providing standing timber measurement, planting density assessments and tree disease monitoring.

You’ll report directly to the Forest Planner, working closely with the district planning team and the local beat teams to support the delivery of woodland surveys, by ensuring the accuracy of the forest inventory database with data collected from the field which will be used to inform both Forest Plans and Forestry England operations.

Please see the job description below for more information.

Where you’ll work…

The role will be based in the Bedgebury office near Bedgebury National Pinetum TN17 2SJ, with flexibility for some optional blended working. Please be aware that this role can only be worked in the UK and not overseas.

The district consists of a myriad of habitats from the largest productive coniferous forest, mixed broadleaved woodlands, heathland, chalk and acid grasslands, to streams in diverse landscapes in south-east of England. We are in the forefront of the climate change pressures, but also of the pro-active planning to ensure that the forests thrive and continue to support society in the future. Our plants outline long-term view of suitable silviculture systems and ambition to create more diverse, healthy and connected habitats. We are accelerating our efforts in restoring Ancient Woodlands and trialling new tree species best suited for future climate.

The role will primarily focus on Weald and Kent woodlands of the East District, though some occasional travel to other parts of the district may be required as part of the role.

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.

We cannot accept applications via email. Please follow the steps outlined below. Any CVs and/or personal statements sent outside the system will not be considered for shortlisting.

You will be asked to write a 200 word statement on your relevant experience and career history, along with a personal statement of no more than 500 words. You will be assessed on both during sifting. More details about how to apply are listed on the application form.

You may also be assessed on Experience, Strength based questions at the interview.

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

If candidates pass the interview but are not the leading candidate they can be placed on a reserve list. We may offer candidates on the reserve list for this role the opportunity to be considered for other roles at the same or lower pay bands.

Nationality requirements…

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 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] .

Additional information for candidates...

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.