Beat Forester - Upminster, United Kingdom - Forestry Commission

Forestry Commission
Forestry Commission
Verified Company
Upminster, United Kingdom

1 week ago

Tom O´Connor

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Tom O´Connor

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Description

Details:


Reference number:


Salary:

- £32,612 - £35,343
Job grade:


  • Executive Officer
  • Pay Band 5a (Ops)
    Contract type:
  • Fixed Term
  • Loan
  • Secondment
    Length of employment:
  • 12 months
    Business area:
  • FC
  • Forestry England
    Type of role:
  • Environment and Sustainability
  • Operational Delivery
    Working pattern:
  • Flexible working, Fulltime
    Number of jobs available:
  • 1Contents
Location

About the job


Benefits:

Things you need to know

Location

  • Thames Chase Forest Centre, Pike Lane, Upminster RM14 3NSAbout the job

Job summary:


This post is an exciting opportunity to join Forestry England's Thames Beat team as Beat Forester, responsible for managing multiple community woodlands within the Thames Chase Community Forest area (East London, Essex) and Jeskyn's Community Woodland (near Gravesend, Kent).


As Beat Forester you will be responsible for managing forestry operations, health and safety, and maintaining the recreation offer across the Thames Beat estate, working to the lead of the Community Woodland Manager.

As an experienced forester, you will bring with you knowledge and practical experience of woodland establishment, silviculture, and managing landscapes accessible to the public.

Using your forestry management skills and expertise, you will manage a small team and contractors to deliver operational programmes of work across a number of woodland sites.


Job description:


Purpose of the role
Thames Beat covers an area of 520 hectares across 11 community woodlands.

Created with both people and nature in mind, the majority of the community woodlands are less than 20-30 years old and located in urban areas.

As Beat Forester you will be responsible for bringing these young woodlands into a sustainable programme of forestry management. Using your planning and delivery skills, you will manage the community woodlands to the UK Forestry Standard (UKFS).


Key work areas

  • Line manage 6 direct reports (currently 2 x Community Rangers; 2 x Assistant Rangers; and 2 x Forest Craftpersons) in the delivery of forestry operations and recreation management. As a line manager, you'll conduct regular 1:1s, set objectives and hold performance reviews, and support training and development needs.
  • Plan and deliver economic, social and environmental programmes of work. Working with staff, volunteers, contractors and partners, you will ensure that programmes are planned and delivered effectively and safely, in line with district and national guidance.
  • Promote a safe working environment by: role modelling high standards of health and safety; through regular monitoring and recording of H&S compliance; and the prompt reporting and investigation of accidents and near misses ensuring that lessons learned are shared and implemented.
  • Oversee the maintenance of recreational facilities (eg trails, play, car parks) and the promotion and safe management of events and activities to connect people with the nations forests.
  • Provide forestry expertise and knowledge to the team, bringing the woodlands into management and contributing to the longterm vision for forest management across the Beat.
  • Prepare, monitor and review the Beat budgets and resources needed to deliver programmes. Seek out and deliver opportunities to improve the financial sustainability through cost control, good contractor management, and supporting the wider team with income generation.
  • Build and maintain good working relationships with external partners such as The Thames Chase Trust, local authorities, statutory bodies, business tenants, and landowners.

Background
The Thames Beat community woodlands have been created close to communities on both greenfield and brownfield land.

Today they support a range of habitats from established woodland, to orchards, and wildflower meadows, and offer a diverse range of community involvement and recreational opportunities.

The Thames Beat team is part of Forestry England's East England Forest District. The district employs over 150 staff and covers an area of 35,000 ha.

The district's woodlands are varied and range from the huge conifer plantations in Norfolk and Suffolk to small community woodlands on the outskirts of London.

The woodlands are important for timber production and conservation, with a large proportion of the landholding designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and offer opportunities for a wide range of recreation from the informal use of open access woodland to the adventurous play and trails.


Person specification:


Essential

  • A degree or HND in forestry, countryside management or other relevant discipline (or be able to demonstrate significant current management experience in a forestry or community woodland setting).
  • Proven experience of managing and leading teams in a countryside management setting (eg forestry, community woodland, country park) including contractor and volunteer mana
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