Woodland Advisor – Treescapes

Shropshire Wildlife Trust; Shrewsbury; On-site; GBP 28,000 - 38,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

25 days holiday + Bank Holidays

Salary sacrifice benefits

Life assurance

Generous pension - 7% employer

Enhanced Sick Pay

Employee Assistance Programme

Employee away days

Training & development support

Inclusive & supportive work atmosphere

Job summary

Shropshire Wildlife Trust is seeking a Woodland Advisor to work with farmers and landholders to increase woodland and wooded habitat coverage across the Severn Treescapes area in Shropshire. The role involves specialist advice on woodland creation, agroforestry and tree planting, helping access public and private funding.

You will conduct site visits, surveys, and produce management plans, supporting schemes like EWCO, Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier agroforestry, and Biodiversity Net Gain.

Qualifications

• Degree in forestry, agriculture or a related countryside discipline.
• Minimum of 3 years’ experience delivering agricultural advice and/or land management.
• Strong knowledge of woodland creation, agroforestry and lowland farming sector.

Responsibilities

• Provide specialist advice on woodland creation, agroforestry and tree planting.
• Undertake site visits, surveys and prepare management plans.
• Assist landowners with funding applications (EWCO, Countryside Stewardship, etc.).
• Create a pipeline of woodland creation opportunities with farmers groups.
• Manage contractors and involve volunteers in surveys and planting.

Skills

Woodland creation

Agroforestry

Land management

Contractor management

Environmental surveys

Policy & funding

Communication

Education

Degree in forestry/agriculture or related countryside discipline

Job description

Shrewsbury, Shropshire, with travel across the designated region

Fixed-term contract for one year, with an extension intended subject to further funding

35 hours per week

Interviews will be held on 4 November

The Severn Treescapes project aims to create a 60-mile north-to-south corridor across four counties, working towards 30% woodland cover by 2035. The project tests woodland creation at scale across productive landscapes, helping to connect people with nature.

This post has been kindly funded by Reconomy as part of its commitment to sustainability. Through this role, Shropshire Wildlife Trust will focus its delivery in Shropshire, with particular emphasis on the area between the Wyre Forest and the Clee Hills.

What you will be doing

As our Woodland Advisor, you will work closely with farmers and landholders to increase woodland and wooded habitat coverage across the Severn Treescapes project area in Shropshire. You will provide specialist advice on woodland creation, agroforestry and tree planting, helping land holders and farmers to identify suitable planting opportunities and access relevant public and private funding.

You will undertake site visits, woodland and farm surveys, prepare management plans and compile reports that balance positive outcomes for nature with the needs of farm businesses. You will support landowners with applications to schemes such as the England Woodland Creation Offer (EWCO), Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier agroforestry options, Farming in Protected Landscapes, Biodiversity Net Gain and carbon investment opportunities.

A key part of the role will be creating a strong pipeline of woodland creation opportunities and supporting farms to access relevant funding. You will also support the local farmers group to develop an area-wide tree planting plan to benefit Hazel Dormouse populations and help extend tree planting activity beyond the Clee Hills towards the Wyre Forest National Nature Reserve.

You will appoint and manage contractors, oversee habitat creation and practical land management work, and involve volunteers in surveys, monitoring and planting activities where appropriate. You will also coordinate and participate in events, contribute to promotional materials, monitor project budgets and timescales, and provide progress reports to ensure funding requirements and project objectives are met.

About You

To succeed in this role, you will have a degree or equivalent experience in forestry, agriculture or another relevant countryside discipline, alongside at least three years’ experience of delivering agricultural advice and/or land management. You will have a strong working knowledge of woodland creation, traditional woodland management, agroforestry and the lowland farming sector, as well as an understanding of relevant policy frameworks and land-based funding incentives.

You will have experience of undertaking environmental, woodland or farm surveys and producing management plans. You should also be confident managing practical land management projects and contractors to deliver environmental improvements. Excellent written and verbal communication skills, strong organisational abilities and the confidence to build positive relationships with a wide range of landowners, farmers and partners are essential.

As the role involves regular travel to meet farmers, landowners and colleagues, you must hold a current UK-valid driving licence and have access to appropriate transport. Experience of supporting farm businesses into agri-environment or woodland schemes, facilitating farmer clusters, or holding relevant forestry, arboriculture or BASIS qualifications would be advantageous.

The Trust is committed to building an equal, diverse and inclusive workforce we encourage applications from a diverse range of suitably qualified candidates. Please let us know if you require any adjustments to make our recruitment process more accessible.

Why work for us - benefits we offer:

• 25 days holiday plus Bank Holidays and Service related holiday (pro-rated for part time staff)
• Salary sacrifice benefits
• Life assurance
• Generous pension - company contribution 7%, employee contribution 3%
• Enhanced Sick Pay
• Employee Assistance Programme
• Employee away days
• Enhanced pay for maternity and adoption leave
• Coaching
• Support with training and development to assist career progression
• Inclusive & supportive work atmosphere

About us:

Shropshire Wildlife Trust (SWT) has a vision of a thriving natural world, where Shropshire's wildlife and natural habitats play a valued role in addressing the climate and ecological emergencies, and people are inspired and empowered to take action for nature. We combine projects across Shropshire (including Telford & Wrekin) with advocacy and campaigning to restore nature and to engage people. We manage over 40 nature reserves and have almost 50 staff, 300 volunteers, and over 9000 members. SWT is an autonomous charity, but we are increasingly working collectively, as part of The Wildlife Trusts (TWT), to ensure that our local actions have a national impact and help to address global issues.