Programme Lead - Free Trees for Schools and Communities

The Woodland Trust; Grantham; Hybrid; GBP 50,000 - 70,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible working

Hybrid working

25 Days annual leave

Buy and sell holiday scheme

Employee assistance programme

Job summary

The Woodland Trust is seeking a Senior Project Lead to manage, develop and fulfil the organisation's woodland creation project. The role combines strategic leadership with hands-on delivery across funding schemes and schools/communities, while ensuring compliance with statutory requirements.

You will work in a hybrid setup, with monthly head office attendance at Grantham and occasional travel to other locations.

Qualifications

• Experience delivering successful projects with the ability to adapt.
• Experience managing a budget and forecasting future spends to report to stakeholders.
• Strong collaboration skills with the ability to build and maintain stakeholder relationships and partnerships.
• Experience line managing a team, ensuring efficiency in day-to-day tasks.
• Knowledge of Microsoft Office and database management.
• Strong planning and organisation skills with the ability to work in a busy, target-driven environment.
• Experience representing an organisation internally and externally.
• Experience managing and implementing change internally and externally.
• The successful candidate will be required to undertake a Basic DBS Check, as part of our pre-employment screening.

Responsibilities

• Deliver the Woodland Trusts free tree packs for schools and communities alongside other new funding schemes against targets and contractual funding requirements.
• Support the other teams such as marketing and communications, digital and fundraising to develop case studies, create new digital systems and manage marketing and communication material.
• Ensure adherence to all statutory requirements and update guidance and process as needed.
• Monitor the effectiveness of the scheme, managing risks and opportunities.
• Line manage an effective team, ensuring support and guidance is provided.
• Manage budgets, forecast future spends, analyse costs and monitor the impact to report to stakeholders.
• This is a hybrid position with a mix of home working and from our head office in Grantham, Lincolnshire. Head office attendance would be required once a month on average. Occasional travel to other offices and remote locations may also be required.

Skills

Project management

Budgeting

Stakeholder management

Team leadership

MS Office

Job description

The Woodland Trust is looking for a Senior Project Lead to manage, develop and fulfil the organisations woodland creation project.

The Role:

• Deliver the Woodland Trusts free tree packs for schools and communities alongside other new funding schemes against targets and contractual funding requirements.
• Support the other teams such as marketing and communications, digital and fundraising to develop case studies, create new digital systems and manage marketing and communication material.
• Ensure adherence to all statutory requirements and update guidance and process as needed.
• Monitor the effectiveness of the scheme, managing risks and opportunities.
• Line manage an effective team, ensuring support and guidance is provided.
• Manage budgets, forecast future spends, analyse costs and monitor the impact to report to stakeholders.
• This is a hybrid position with a mix of home working and from our head office in Grantham, Lincolnshire. Head office attendance would be required once a month on average. Occasional travel to other offices and remote locations may also be required.

The Candidate:

• Experience delivering successful projects with the ability to adapt.
• Experience managing a budget and forecasting future spends to report to stakeholders.
• Strong collaboration skills with the ability to build and maintain stakeholder relationships and partnerships.
• Experience line managing a team, ensuring efficiency in day-to-day tasks.
• Knowledge of Microsoft Office and database management.
• Strong planning and organisation skills with the ability to work in a busy, target-driven environment.
• Experience representing an organisation internally and externally.
• Experience managing and implementing change internally and externally.
• The successful candidate will be required to undertake a Basic DBS Check, as part of our pre-employment screening.

Benefits and Wellbeing:

Joining our team means you’ll be part of our fight for a greener, healthier planet for people and wildlife. We take good care of our staff, offering support and training opportunities. We also offer:

• Flexible and hybrid working options (7am - 7pm)
• Generous annual leave - 25 Days plus Bank Holidays (pro rata for part-time)
• Buy and sell holiday scheme
• Employee assistance programme

To support inclusivity and remove barriers for candidates, we publish all salaries upfront and proudly follow the We Show the Salary pledge. The salary listed is the set salary for this role, and we don’t ask applicants to state their current pay or expectations. If you choose to apply, we’ll take that as confirmation that the advertised salary meets your expectations.

About Us:

The Woodland Trust is the UK’s largest woodland conservation charity. We want to see a world where woods and trees thrive for people and nature. The Trust engages and inspires people to make a difference by protecting, restoring and creating woodland and getting more trees in the ground.

Our commitment to Diversity and Inclusion:

To achieve our mission, we need to better reflect society and the communities we work in. People of colour and disabled people are currently under-represented across the environment and conservation sector. If you identify as a person of colour and/or disabled, we particularly encourage you to apply.

Acceptable Use - Artificial Intelligence (AI):

We understand that candidates may choose to use AI tools to support their job applications. However, we ask that any information submitted reflects your own experience, skills and understanding. During interviews, candidates are expected to respond independently without the use of AI tools.

Interviews will take place via Microsoft Teams on 5th October 2026.

For queries about this role, reasonable adjustments, or support with your application, please contact: [e-mail]