Forestry Commission
Tree Health Pilot Woodland Officer
How your CV stacks up
Upload your CV to see how well it fits this job role
?%
These Roles Are Based In Either:
- South East England with easy access to either of our offices near Tonbridge or Farnham. The focus of the work will be Kent, Sussex and Surrey, but may well extend beyond this to the wider South East
- East and East Midlands, within a 1 hour commute of either Santon Downham or Fineshades
Job Summary
Protecting our country from pests and diseases is vital to safeguard the value our trees provide to the environment, economy and our health. As well as commercial timber, forests and trees deliver many non-market public goods such as carbon sequestration, air pollution absorption, biodiversity, recreation, landscape value, noise, flood and heat reduction and a whole range of other benefits. Delivering and enhancing the public goods delivered by healthy trees is a top priority for the Forestry Commission and Defra as demonstrated in the 25 Year Environmental Plan and the Tree Health Resilience Strategy.
Owing to several factors including climate change and growing globalisation in trade and travel, the threats to our trees from pests and diseases have risen dramatically over the past 20 years. Several of our most prominent broadleaf species are threatened, for example ash from ash dieback, oak from Acute Oak Decline and Oak Processionary Moth and four of our major conifer species are impacted by current outbreaks of Phytophthora and Ips typographus.
This post will complement our existing Tree Health Pilot Woodland Officer and Plant Health Officer from the Forestry Commission’s specialist Plant Heath Forestry operational team working across the south and east of England. In particular, proactively engaging and supporting woodland owners impacted by the eight toothed spruce bark beetle Ips typographus facilitating the removal of spruce trees impacted by the beetle and restocking the woodland concerned.
Job Description
Working with the Area Team, Forestry Plant Health and the Tree Health Incentives policy colleagues, the post holder will facilitate and deliver tree health grants to land managers and groups of land managers to help manage tree pest and disease outbreaks and support restocking of trees. They will support the Area team in carrying out core Woodland officer work involving other grants and licences.
These Roles Are Based In Either:
- South East England with easy access to either of our offices near Tonbridge or Farnham. The focus of the work will be Kent, Sussex and Surrey, but may well extend beyond this to the wider South East
- East and East Midlands, within a 1 hour commute of either Santon Downham or Fineshades
The Successful Candidate Will Be Expected To:
Promotion and Engagement
- Lead targeted promotion and engagement of Tree Health Grants with stakeholders and potential applicants, particularly where alternative support to existing grant schemes is required.
- Encourage collaboration between landowners to improve tree health resilience at a landscape scale.
- Use local intelligence, data and evidence to identify pest and disease outbreaks and suitable grant applicants.
- Provide advice on tree pest and disease management as part of wider woodland and tree management objectives.
Protecting and Improving Trees and Woodlands in England
- Support woodland owners and managers in responding to tree pests and diseases, including Ips typographus, Ash Dieback, Phytophthora ramorum, Sweet Chestnut Blight and Oak Processionary Moth.
- Support woodland owners in delivering resilient woodland recovery and restocking following tree health-related felling operations.
- Assess Tree Health Grant applications to ensure they deliver maximum impact, value for money and long-term outcomes.
- Identify and facilitate opportunities to work across the forestry supply chain to promote best practice and maximise the utilisation of timber felled for tree health and resilience purposes.
- Ensure tree health management activities comply with relevant environmental legislation and provide advice on regulatory requirements.
- Promote high standards of biosecurity across the forestry sector.
- Champion the environmental, social and economic benefits of resilient woodlands and support landowners in developing long-term woodland management solutions where appropriate.
- Support the region and colleagues by carrying out core Woodland officer work involving processing other grants, Felling licences and Woodland Management plans
Reasons to use Rodeo
Start with a chat, not a search bar
Grad scheme, placement, apprenticeship? Not sure what you want yet — that's fine. Your agent talks it through with you and turns "I have no idea" into a shortlist.
It searches the market for you
Every day your agent scans the market matching roles against what actually matters to you, not just keywords on a CV.
Only hits
No noise. No "maybe this fits." Just roles with a clear explanation of why they're right — and where to focus when applying.
Support Learning From Experience
- Contribute to Forestry Commission and Defra project meetings, capturing lessons learned and helping to shape future incentive packages and support mechanisms for land managers.
Working With Other Schemes And Partners
- Support land managers following tree health interventions by promoting ongoing woodland management and future support opportunities.
- Work closely with partner organisations and stakeholders to maximise collective resources and improve long-term woodland resilience.
- Collaborate with Forestry Commission teams delivering environmental land management support to ensure a coordinated approach to government assistance for the forestry sector.
Working with the Area Team, Forestry Plant Health and the Tree Health Incentives policy colleagues, the post holder will facilitate and deliver tree health grants to land managers and groups of land managers to help manage tree pest and disease outbreaks and support restocking of trees. They will support the Area team in carrying out core Woodland officer work involving other grants and licences.
Working With Other Schemes And Partners
- Support land managers following tree health interventions by promoting ongoing woodland management and future support opportunities.
- Work closely with partner organisations and stakeholders to maximise collective resources and improve long-term woodland resilience.
- Collaborate with Forestry Commission teams delivering environmental land management support to ensure a coordinated approach to government assistance for the forestry sector.
Person specification
Person Specification – Essential Experience
- Strong interpersonal and influencing skills, with the ability to build and maintain effective working relationships with colleagues, stakeholders and customers.
- Experience of practical woodland management.
- Ability to prioritise and manage a varied workload effectively.
- Good IT skills, including experience of Microsoft Word, Excel, Outlook, Teams and ArcGIS (or equivalent GIS software).
- Knowledge of field-based health and safety requirements.
- Full UK driving licence.
Person Specification – Desirable Experience
- Knowledge of a range of UK tree pests and diseases and/or relevant operational tree health experience, together with an understanding of current legislation.
- Ability to proactively manage complex and potentially contentious issues involving people, trees and woodland interests, while delivering positive outcomes.
- Experience and knowledge of forestry regulation, grant incentives and plant health.
- Professional membership of the Institute of Chartered Foresters (ICF), or working towards chartered status.
- Experience of promoting, designing and establishing new woodland.
- Experience of working in partnership with a range of delivery organisations and stakeholders.
- Experience of supporting market development and growth within the forestry sector.
Get help with your application
Your very own career expert that helps elevate your application to the next level.
Licences
- Full UK driving license
Behaviours
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
- Communicating and Influencing
- Working Together
- Delivering at Pace
- Making Effective Decisions
We only ask for evidence of these behaviours on your application form:
Communicating and Influencing
Technical skills
We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:
- Proven knowledge and experience of lowland forestry/woodland management
- Degree/Higher Diploma in forestry / land management / countryside management and/or significant equivalent and related experience in forestry / woodland practice
Alongside your salary of £37,537, Forestry Commission contributes £10,874 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides (opens in a new window).
- A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%.
- A range of family friendly benefits.
- An environment with flexible working options.
- Learning and development tailored to your role.
- A culture which promotes a diverse and inclusive work environment.
- 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)
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 (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.
Selection process details
This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Strengths, Experience and Technical skills.
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.
- A statement, of no more than 250 words, providing an example of how you have demonstrated the key behaviour of Communicating and Influencing.
The sift will be conducted using your CV, Personal Statement and lead behaviour: Communicating and Influencing. Applicants will be expected to demonstrate the essential role requirements within the application behaviour responses.
Those invited to interview will be further assessed on Behaviours and Strengths in addition to Technical Skills and Experience. You may be asked to complete a simple exercise as part of this.
Indicative Timeline:
- Applications will be sifted on 17th August 2026. This date is subject to change.
- Interviews will be held in person at our Area Office at Santon Downham on the 28
“It took my CV and asked me questions relevant to understanding what kind of jobs to suggest for me. Suggestions were almost perfect. Jobs were exactly what I’ve been looking for.”
Jessica, London
Skills