Plant Health Forestry Operational Support Officer - North West, United Kingdom - Forestry Commission

Forestry Commission
Forestry Commission
Verified Company
North West, United Kingdom

3 weeks ago

Tom O´Connor

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Tom O´Connor

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Description

Details:


Reference number:


Salary:

- £29,832 - £31,077
  • New entrants to the civil service will be expected to start on the minimum of the payband

Job grade:


  • Administrative Officer
  • Pay Band 6a(Op)
    Contract type:
  • Permanent
    Business area:
  • FC
  • Forest Services
  • The Forestry Commission are the Government's forestry experts, and our role is to protect, improve, expand and connect England's trees, woodlands and forestry sector

Type of role:


  • Operational Delivery
    Working pattern:
  • Flexible working, Fulltime
    Number of jobs available:
  • 1Contents
Location

About the job


Benefits:

Things you need to know

Location

  • North West England, West Midlands (England)About the job

Job summary:


We are seeking a well-motivated individual with skills and experience related to practical field surveys and a passion for the protection of trees, woodlands and forests from pests and diseases.

The Plant Health Forestry team supports healthy trees, woods and forests, now and in the future.

We work together to prevent entry, provide early detection, and minimise impacts of harmful tree pests and diseases, and to ensure traceability of forestry planting material.

Interception, identification, eradication, control and management of pests and diseases is fundamental to the government's commitment to preparing for future climate change and developing green and healthy places to live.

The Plant Health Forestry team is geographically dispersed with individuals based in a variety of locations nationally.

We work with a wide range of partners, stakeholders and customers, including:

other teams within the Forestry Commission; Forest Research; the devolved administrations of Wales and Scotland; as well as various, trade and industry bodies and businesses, including importers, processors, forest management companies and landowners.


The Plant Health Forestry team is part of the Forestry Commission's Forest Services who are the government's forestry experts, responsible for enabling landowners and managers, businesses, civil society organisations, and local communities to expand, protect, improve and connect England's woodlands; it achieves this through regulation, incentives and advice.


Job description:

This Plant Health Forestry Operational Support Officer post will be based in:

North West England, based either from an agreed FC office, working in a blended manner directly from your home or as a designated home worker.

If your home lies outside your work area you will be expected to travel to your work area or office in your own time and cost.


Key Work Areas:

Primary site investigation

  • Respond to sites of potential disease incidence or pest infestation and support primary site investigation and intelligenceled planning
  • Support pest and disease surveillance activities, including surveys across a range of forest, woodland and urban sites and installation, collection and maintenance of a variety of insect traps
  • Work with Plant Health Team colleagues and other organisations (e.g., Forest Research, Animal and Plant Health Agency) to respond effectively to new incidences of pest and disease findings and assist with outbreak response
  • Support Plant Health Forestry team colleagues with various operations as required, including inspections of wood packaging material for quarantine pests and compliance with international phytosanitary measures; inspections of regulated timber, Pest-Free Area surveys; deskbased checks to identify potential survey sites; and gathering of data and samples
  • Organise and supervise tree felling operations in support of investigations as required
Specialist inspection support

  • Undertake targeted and reactive inspections of wood, wood products, firewood, and isolated bark at premises in a variety of working environments. This could include bulk and containerised shipments at end destination and GB point of entry
  • Deliver annual onsite audits of authorised processors handling and moving Phytophthora ramorum affected timber
  • Support Forest Reproductive Material (FRM) team with inspections of FRM seed collections
  • Inspect spruce from known infested areas of Ips typographus prior to movement
  • Inspect western hemlock, Douglas fir and Pinus sp. from Phytophthora pluvialis demarcated zones prior to movement
  • Undertake surveys for GB Priority and Quarantine pests for official reporting to the EU
  • Increase awareness of plant health issues, instilling best practice within FC and wider sector, and enabling local delivery teams to make informed decisions
  • Support Plant Health Forestry colleagues in dissemination of specialist knowledge and data and assist delivery of training and events to FC colleagues and other stakeholders

Person specification:


Essential:


  • Proven ability to be selfmotivated, organised, enthusiastic, and prepared to work on own initiative
  • Able to identify tree species commonly associated with UK forests
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