Forestry Commission
Volunteer Coordinator
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Grizedale, North West England, LA22 0QJ
Job Summary
Forestry England’s Biodiversity Programme is a multi-year work stream to accelerate nature recovery at scale in England. With a multi-million-pound budget, supported by Defra and a growing portfolio of external funders, the programme makes a significant investment in nature recovery, alongside Forestry England’s parallel ambitions for sustainable timber production and connecting people with our forests.
We are looking for a Volunteer Coordinator to help deliver and grow our volunteering programme across our North District which covers Northumberland, Cumbria, County Durham and North Lancashire. Volunteering plays a key role in how we connect people with our forests, and this post will support over 50,000 volunteer hours delivered each year. You will work with teams across recreation, land management and business support to help plan, recruit and manage a wide range of volunteering opportunities. This is a varied, operational role combining coordination, monitoring and hands-on support. You will spend time both working at a desk and out on site, supporting volunteer supervisors and helping ensure activities are delivered safely, effectively and in line with Forestry England standards.
This role is funded by DEFRA rather than through Forestry England generated revenue, and is therefore subject to government spending reviews. While DEFRA has indicated long term support for the Biodiversity Programme and we expect funding to continue, it is possible that funding levels may change at the end of any financial year depending on DEFRA’s budget allocations. In the event of funding changes, we would prioritise retaining staff posts wherever possible. This approach is consistent for roles within publicly funded organisations. We are committed to keeping staff informed and supported through any changes.
Job Description
Key responsibilities & accountabilities
Supporting volunteer delivery
- Provide practical, day-to-day support to volunteer supervisors across multiple sites
- Attend sites to support the set-up of new volunteer groups and sessions
- Act as a point of contact for queries and help resolve operational issues
Monitoring and Administration
- Maintain accurate volunteer records using internal systems
- Monitor workflows and follow up with teams to ensure actions are completed
- Support processes including parking permits, kit and welfare equipment
Recruitment, Engagement and Communication
- Support volunteer recruitment activity, including seasonal Forest Live delivery
- Assist with volunteer communications, including newsletters and updates
- Support recognition initiatives such as long service awards
Flexible Support
- Respond to changing priorities and provide general support to ensure the volunteer programme, and other social delivery programmes, run effectively
And any other tasks, reasonably requested by your line manager.
Key Responsibilities & Accountabilities
Supporting volunteer delivery
- Provide practical, day-to-day support to volunteer supervisors across multiple sites
- Attend sites to support the set-up of new volunteer groups and sessions
- Act as a point of contact for queries and help resolve operational issues
Monitoring and Administration
- Maintain accurate volunteer records using internal systems
- Monitor workflows and follow up with teams to ensure actions are completed
- Support processes including parking permits, kit and welfare equipment
Recruitment, Engagement and Communication
- Support volunteer recruitment activity, including seasonal Forest Live delivery
- Assist with volunteer communications, including newsletters and updates
- Support recognition initiatives such as long service awards
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Flexible Support
- Respond to changing priorities and provide general support to ensure the volunteer programme, and other social delivery programmes, run effectively
And any other tasks, reasonably requested by your line manager.
Person specification
Skills, Knowledge & Experience
Essential professional and technical experience
- Experience supporting volunteering, community engagement, learning, or similar operational activity
- Ability to manage routine work alongside reactive tasks and changing priorities
- Strong organisational skills with attention to detail and ability to maintain accurate records
- Confident communicator, able to work with a wide range of people including staff, volunteers and partners
- Practical, solution-focused approach with the ability to work independently and use initiative
- Willingness and ability to travel regularly across District sites
Desirable Professional And Technical Experience
- Experience in a visitor-facing, environmental or land-based organisation
- Experience supporting volunteer recruitment, onboarding or coordination
- Experience delivering communications or engagement activity (e.g. newsletters, updates, events)
- Familiarity with CRM or data management systems (e.g. Salesforce/Connections)
- Experience working with monitoring, reporting or compliance data
Qualifications
Essential
- A full and current driving licence that enables you to drive in the UK.
Desirable
- Qualification in a relevant subject (e.g. countryside management, environmental studies, community engagement or similar)
- First Aid qualification (or willingness to obtain)
- Health & Safety or risk assessment training
- Volunteer management or project coordination training (formal or informal)
Location-Specific Information
The post is full time and based at our Grizedale office, Cumbria, with blended working opportunities. It is fixed term until the end of March 2029.
The duties of this post will require the applicant to sometimes travel to remote locations that are not accessible by public transport. You will therefore need to hold a full and current driving licence that enables you to drive in the UK and be willing to stay away from home. We are willing to consider any proposals put forward by applicants that would allow them to do the job by other means.
Alongside your salary of £30,105, Forestry Commission contributes £8,721 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).
- 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%
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
How To Apply…
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You will be asked to write a 200 word statement on your relevant experience and career history, along with a personal statement of no more than 500 words. You will be assessed on both during sifting. More details about how to apply are listed on the application form.
You will be assessed on experience and strength based questions during your interview.
The Behaviours being assessed at interview are –
- Working together
- Making effective decisions
- Managing a quality service
- Communicating and influencing
“If candidates pass the interview but are not the leading candidate they can be placed on a reserve list. We may offer candidates on the reserve list for this role the opportunity to be considered for other roles at the same or lower pay bands.”
Successful candidates will undergo a criminal record check and the government baseline personnel security standard check.
If you require any reasonable adjustments, please email fcrecruitmentteam@forestryengland.uk.
If you're planning to use AI to support your application, please ensure you've read our guidelines here first.
Read more about our application process and working with us on the Forestry England website.
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
Security
Successful candidates must undergo an enhanced (or equivalent) criminal record check.
People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.
Medical
Successful candidates will be expected to have a medical.
Nationality requirements
This Job Is Broadly Open To The Following Groups
- UK nationals
- nationals of the Republic of Ireland
- nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
- nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
- nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
- individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
- Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service
Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)
Working for the Civil Service
Please note this Post is NOT regulated by the Civil Service Commission.
The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.
The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.
Diversity and Inclusion
The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).
This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative.
The Civil Service welcomes applications from people who have recently left prison or have an unspent conviction. Read more about prison leaver recruitment (opens in a new window).
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