Ecologist (New Forest Habitat Restoration Team)
We are Forestry England. We live and breathe forests, working to grow the nation’s forests for everyone. We are already adapting our landscapes for tomorrow, delivering projects that create vibrant places, provide vital homes for wildlife, improve air quality, and produce sustainable timber.
Salary: £33,854 | Hours: 37 per week | Contract: 3‑year fixed‑term with potential for permanency | Vacancy closes: 29 March 2026 23:58
What You’ll Do
You will work as part of a team delivering terrestrial and wetland habitat restoration programmes with a specific emphasis on HLS funded work delivery. As an ecologist you will provide essential ecological support to plan and deliver habitat restoration projects across the New Forest, and you will take a leading role in the development and delivery of your own restoration projects, ensuring high ecological standards are met throughout.
Where you’ll work
Based at The King’s House, Lyndhurst, Hampshire, SO43 7NH in the South District team. Our South England Forest District team is made up of around 160 people, with roles ranging from wildlife rangers to ecologists to marketing professionals, all contributing to the management of 46,000 ha of public forest estate and national parks from Sussex to Dorset, and from Berkshire to the Isle of Wight.
The New Forest is part of the Higher‑Level Stewardship (HLS) scheme, delivering landscape‑scale habitat restoration projects funded by the Verderer’s of the New Forest HLS scheme. The scheme focuses on restoring and enhancing internationally important habitats across about 20,000 ha.
Benefits
* 25 days holiday a year, rising by one day each year of service up to 30 days (pro‑rated for part‑time employees) plus additional days such as bank holidays.
* STaR gives employees discounts on everyday supermarket shopping, hotel stays, clothing, mobile phones, other electrical items, medical and car insurance, holidays, gym discounts, household bills, and the Headspace wellbeing app.
* Free parking at Forestry England sites and free entry to our National Arboretums at Westonbirt and Bedgebury.
* A commitment to lifelong learning through career development, including continual professional development, individual learning plans, and sponsored membership of professional bodies.
Read more about the benefits on the Forestry England website.
How To Apply
You will be asked to write a 200‑word statement on your relevant experience and a personal statement of no more than 500 words. These will be assessed during initial sifting. Further details are listed on the application form.
During the interview you will be assessed on experience, technical skills, and strength‑based questions. The behaviours being assessed at interview are:
* Making Effective Decisions
* Communicating and Influencing
* Working Together
* Changing and Improving
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 are planning to use AI to support your application, please ensure you have read our guidelines here first. Read more about our application process and working with us on the Forestry England website.
Nationality Requirements
Read more about nationality requirements here.
Working for the Civil Service
Forestry England is part of the Civil Service. The Civil Service has a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS), guaranteeing an interview to candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria. A Redeployment Interview Scheme is also offered to current civil servants at risk of redundancy. This role is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans and Prison Leaver Recruitment initiative.
Under Part 7 of the Immigration Act 2016, applicants should be able to provide conversation in accurate spoken English.
Our recruitment process makes appointments based on fair and open competition and merit, as outlined in the Civil Service Commissioners’ Recruitment Principles. If you feel your application has not been treated in line with these principles and you wish to make a complaint, please email: englandhr.services@forestryengland.uk.
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