Aston Clinton, South East England, HP22 5NF
Job Summary
What you’ll do…
You will drive a tractor for approximately 30% of your time, carrying out flailing and mowing, post knocking, and light timber forwarding operations. The remaining 70% will involve working as a forest craftsperson, utilizing a range of practical and countryside skills including chainsaw and clearing saw work, grass strimming, fencing, planting, applying herbicides, path maintenance, and basic surveying.
Please see the job description below for more information and details about what we need from you.
Where you’ll work…
These roles will be based in the Chilterns beat, covering Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire, and Berkshire. You will be based from The Forestry Commission office near Wendover Woods, situated in the beautiful surroundings of the Chiltern Hills, Upper Icknield Way, Aylesbury, HP22 5N.
Job Description
Key responsibilities & accountabilities
Operational
* Operate the district tractor to carry out a range of operations including mowing & flailing of rides and hedgerows, material handling, including front-end loading.
* Restock and establishment work: hand planting, tree guard construction, repairing fences, and controlling vegetation.
* Clearing and maintaining trees: high pruning, cutting back, and felling.
* Tree safety work: surveys, putting up safety signs and safety fencing.
* Tree survey work related to managing potentially hazardous trees.
* Woodland maintenance work such as high pruning operations to maintain access and the management or clearance of trees or other vegetation.
* Make sure work programmes you are responsible for are delivered effectively and efficiently.
* Surveying, including measuring/tariffing, tree safety, stocking density, and a variety of recreation trails.
* When needed, gather operational data accurately and efficiently and maintain appropriate up-to-date records to the standard required.
* Carry out a diverse range of practical woodland maintenance to a high standard meeting health and safety and environmental guidance, including planting trees, felling trees, repairing fences and barriers, maintaining signs, weeding, and cleaning.
* Maintain, restore, and create various habitats for ecological benefit and to improve the landscape. The work will include the felling and planting of trees and shrubs and the management of vegetation, which will include fencing, chainsaw use, and the application of pesticides.
* Monitor and collect data such as general surveying, fence-line and boundary inspections, and assessing tree densities on restocked and newly planted sites.
* Deliver essential plants, materials, consumables, etc., to work sites.
Team Working And Health & Safety:
* Operate and maintain tools and resources to required standards and make sure work on site meets our health and safety standards.
* By effectively liaising with colleagues and stakeholders, plan, implement, and deliver efficient work programmes that help meet Forestry England’s aims and objectives.
* Engage proactively and respond constructively to existing and prospective customers and present the highest standards of professionalism when representing Forestry England in the marketplace.
* Carry out risk assessments working to high health and safety standards which are guided by FISA (Forest Industry Safety Accord).
* Work effectively as part of a small team and respond quickly to unexpected work and issues raised by supervisors and foresters.
* Represent Forestry England well when talking to contractors, customers, visitors, stakeholders, and when working with volunteers.
* Perform any other tasks reasonably requested by your line manager.
Team Working And Health & Safety:
* Operate and maintain tools and resources to required standards and make sure work on site meets our health and safety standards.
* By effectively liaising with colleagues and stakeholders, plan, implement, and deliver efficient work programmes that help meet Forestry England’s aims and objectives.
* Engage proactively and respond constructively to existing and prospective customers and present the highest standards of professionalism when representing Forestry England in the marketplace.
* Carry out risk assessments working to high health and safety standards which are guided by FISA (Forest Industry Safety Accord).
* Work effectively as part of a small team and respond quickly to unexpected work and issues raised by supervisors and foresters.
* Represent Forestry England well when talking to contractors, customers, visitors, stakeholders, and when working with volunteers.
* Perform any other tasks reasonably requested by your line manager.
Person specification
Skills, Knowledge & Experience
Essential professional and technical experience
* Practical experience in forestry or countryside/environmental management.
* General understanding of forestry, arboriculture, nature conservation, outdoor recreation, and countryside-related issues.
* Experience operating and maintaining a tractor and familiarity with a variety of hand tools.
* Competence in using tractor mounted implements such as a side arm flail, front end bucket and forks.
* Awareness of health and safety systems relevant to practical countryside work (e.g., risk assessments, FISA guides, lone working systems).
* NPTC (or equivalent) in safely applying pesticides using handheld applicators.
* Competent IT user with experience in MS Office suite of applications.
* Good interpersonal and communication skills, ability to work effectively alone and as part of a team.
Qualifications
Essential
* City & Guilds NPTC Level 2 Award or equivalent in practical forestry skills (e.g., chainsaw maintenance, cross-cutting, felling and processing trees up to 380mm).
* Full UK driving license.
* GCSE in Maths and English or functional skills equivalent.
Desirable
* Forestry or land management qualification.
* Further NPTC and Lantra qualifications in forestry-based skills.
* Emergency first aid at work + forestry (F).
* NPTC forest machine operator’s certificate in base machine (wheeled ridged).
* NPTC forest machine operator’s certificate in mechanical flails and mulchers.
* NPTC (or equivalent) in safely applying pesticides using handheld applicators.
Behaviours
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
* Managing a Quality Service
* Working Together
* Delivering at Pace
* Making Effective Decisions
Alongside your salary of £26,123, Forestry Commission contributes £7,567 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%
Selection process details
This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours and Experience.
How To Apply…
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.
During the interview stage, you will be assessed on technical skills, strengths, and behaviours.
The Behaviours being assessed at interview are –
* Managing a Quality Service
* Working Together
* Delivering at Pace
* Making Effective Decisions
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.
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.
This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours and Experience.
Security
Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.
People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.
Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.
People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.
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
The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.
We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window).
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.
The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.
We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window).
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 new window).
Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.
Contact point for applicants
Job Contact :
* Name : FC Recruitment Team
* Email : fcrecruitmentteam@forestryengland.uk
Recruitment team
* Email : fcrecruitmentteam@forestryengland.uk
Further information
Our recruitment process is underpinned by the principle of appointment on the basis of fair and open competition and appointment on merit, as outlined in the Civil Service Commissioners’ Recruitment Principles.If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with these principles and you wish to make a complaint, you should in the first instance contact FCE by email: englandhr.services@forestryengland.uk. If you are not satisfied with the response you receive, you can contact the Civil Service Commission, which regulates all Civil Service recruitment. #J-18808-Ljbffr