Forestry Commission
Land Use Advisor
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Job Location
The post primarily covers North East England, with frequent travel within this patch, as well as travel across the wider Yorkshire and North East Area as required. Blended working available, with Tyneside House, Newcastle as the parent office. The post includes occasional overnight stays, national travel, and occasional weekend/out of hours working to attend events.
Job Summary
Never has there been a more important time for trees and forests to help tackle the climate emergency and provide a much-needed sanctuary for people and wildlife.
The Land Use Advisor role will inform and encourage farmers and other land managers to consider how woodland creation and management can help meet their objectives for their land. You will work closely with a broad range of land managers and stakeholders and will have a sound understanding of land management and/or agriculture complemented by an understanding of forestry.
If you are passionate about the role forestry can play in creating a better future for England, and want to play a part in that, we want to hear from you. You will be joining a team of committed colleagues, and you will have the opportunity to build on a wealth of expertise to take our ambitious programme of woodland creation forward.
You will be able to make your mark by helping the Forestry Commission reach new audiences and accelerate the rate of woodland creation in England.
Our staff engagement levels are consistently well above the Civil Service average and staff turnover is well below.
Job Description
Key Work Areas
- Plan and prioritise engagement with landowners and managers based on Area plans and priorities, and relevant data available, working closely with Area team colleagues.
- Meet landowners and managers to assess their business requirements, conduct whole holding or business reviews, where appropriate and identify woodland creation and management opportunities that meet the landowner’s objectives.
- Develop a local network with the forestry and land management sector, sharing skills and knowledge with advisors and those supporting land-use decisions.
- Approach and engage with local advisors/agents/stakeholder networks offering information on woodland creation.
- Attend events to talk directly to farmers/landowners engaging in proactive lead generation/targeting and to provide advice on woodland creation.
- Assist with the planning and delivery of local networking events and agricultural shows.
- Engage with existing and new customers and stakeholders to strengthen understanding and awareness of the woodland creation offer, building on established relationships there might be with other Area team members.
- Manage customer journey from initial engagement through to the point of proceeding with woodland creation project, liaising with the Woodland Creation Officer and Woodland Officer.
- Keep lead tracker system information up to date, following up on all leads and tracking prospective customers.
- Support the roll out of a new Customer Engagement Tracker.
- Collect and feedback intelligence to inform development or improvement of promotional tools, and to inform improvements to the woodland creation offer.
- Provide content input to promotional materials as subject matter expert.
- Maintain an overview of current agricultural economics and markets and those for forestry to enable an understanding of challenges and opportunities in the land management sector.
The role will report to the North East Partnerships and Expertise Manager.
The duties of this post require the applicant to have a full current driving licence that enables them to drive in the UK. However, the Forestry Commission is willing to consider any proposals put forward by applicants that would allow them to do the job by any other means.
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If your home is outside North East England you will be expected to travel to your work area in your own time and at your own cost.
Person Specification
Essential
- Agricultural/environmental/forestry degree or equivalent qualification or considerable relevant experience.
- Sound technical understanding of land management and/or agriculture, able to understand estate/farm business objectives and current agricultural landscape.
- Experience of advising on and designing land management proposals.
- Strong interpersonal and influencing skills.
- Experience of successfully building and maintaining relationships and networks.
- Highly organised and a proactive communicator.
- Team player, able to work effectively with colleagues.
- Competent with IT systems and Microsoft Office.
Please clearly demonstrate how the above applies to you throughout your application. Failure to do so will mean that your application is sifted out.
We welcome applications from candidates who are currently completing a relevant degree or Higher National Diploma. However, successful applicants must obtain their degree or diploma within the first 6 months of employment.
Desirable
- Working knowledge of forestry.
- FACTS and/or BASIS qualifications advantageous, and/or member of Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors.
- Existing landowner/stakeholder networks.
- Experience in GIS software.
Behaviours
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
- Communicating and Influencing
- Working Together
- Managing a Quality Service
- Seeing the Big Picture
Technical Skills
We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:
You will be asked to complete a task/presentation at interview stage. Further details will be provided to those invited to interview.
Benefits
Alongside your salary of £40,388, Forestry Commission contributes £11,700 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.
- Learning and development tailored to your role
- An environment with flexible working options
- A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
- A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%
- A range of wellbeing benefits including discounted Civil Service Healthcare, access to an Employee Assistance Programme 24/7, Bike to Work Scheme, plus many more.
- 25 days annual leave, with 1 additional day for each years’ service up to 5 years (pro rata), plus 10.5 bank holidays/privilege days (pro rata).
- Ability to buy or sell 5 days annual leave.
- 3 days volunteering per year (pro rata).
We aim to provide a great place to work, whichever location you work from. Blended working forms part of our flexible and inclusive approach to future ways of working. It is an informal arrangement which gives you the option to work some of the week from home, and some of the week from our Forestry Commission workplaces, subject to role requirements, business needs, and regular review. Informal blended working arrangements will be available as agreed with the line manager. Further information will be available for candidates invited to interview.
Artificial Intelligence
Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.
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Selection Process Details
This vacancy is using Success Profiles, and will assess your Behaviours, Strengths, Experience and Technical skills.
Fixed Term Appointment until 30th March 2027 with possibility of extension or permanency, but no guarantee.
As part of the application process, you will complete the following online:
- A tailored CV (curriculum vitae) setting out your qualifications, career history, with key responsibilities and achievements. Please ensure you have provided reasons for any gaps within the last two years. The CV should be split into 3 parts and provide: Job History, Previous Skills/Experience, Full Qualification Details.
- A personal statement – in no more than 750 words showing how you meet the relevant skills and experience as set out in the Person Specification.
Should a large number of applications be received, the initial sift may be conducted using the personal statement. Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift, or progressed straight to assessment/interview.
Should you be successful at this stage you will be progressed to interview stage. These interviews will consist of a mixture of behaviour and strength based questions. Candidates will also be asked to complete a short task at interview which will focus on the technical skills required for the role.
Applications will be sifted on w/c 31 August 2026. This date is subject to change.
Interviews will be held Face to face in Newcastle, Tyneside House, w/c 7 September 2026. These dates are subject to change.
Further Information
A reserve list may be held for a period of 12 months from which further appointments can be made.
Any move to Forestry Commission from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax Free Childcare; for further information visit the Childcare Choices website.
If successful and transferring from another Government Department a criminal record check may be carried out.
In order to process applications without delay, we will be sending a Criminal Record Check to Disclosure and Barring Service on your behalf.
However, we recognise in exceptional circumstances some candidates will want to send their completed forms direct. If you will be doing this, please advise Government Recruitment Service of your intention by emailing Pre-EmploymentChecks.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk stating the job reference number in the subject heading.
New entrants are expected to join on the minimum of the pay band.
Existing Civil Servants (excluding Forestry Commission employees) and applicants from accredited NDPBs are eligible to apply, and will only be considered on a loan basis (Civil Servants) or secondment (accredited NDPBs). Prior agreement to be released on a loan basis must be obtained before commencing the application process. In the case of Civil Servants, the terms of the loan will be agreed between the home and host department and the Civil Servant.
Existing Forestry Commission, Forestry England and Forest Research employees are eligible to apply for this Fixed Term Appointment and will only be considered if there is written
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