Forest planner

The following content displays a map of the jobs location - Sherwood NG21 9JL or Cannock Chase WS15 2UQ

Job Reference forestryengland/TP/618/636

Number of Positions:

2

Contract Type:

Fixed Term Appointment

Working Hours:

37

Location:

Sherwood NG21 9JL or Cannock Chase WS15 2UQ

Closing Date:

28/06/2026

Job Category:

Operations

Region:

Central

Business Unit:

Central

Job Introduction

We are Forestry England.

We live and breathe forests.

Job title – Forest Planner

Salary - £33,854

Contract type – Fixed Term Appointment until 31.08.26 with the possibility of extension or permanency.

Vacancy closes - 28th June at 23:58

Join us. We're foresters, professionals and experts. We are a passionate team who love to share our enthusiasm and want to make a positive difference for you and the environment.

Together, we’re using our scale and expertise to grow the nation’s forests for everyone. We’re already adapting our landscapes for tomorrow, and getting stuff done today, like creating amazing places and experiences for you to enjoy. We're providing vital homes for wildlife, making our air cleaner to breathe and producing sustainable timber.

What you’ll do…

As a Forest Planner with Forestry England in Central England, you will help shape the long-term future of some of England’s most diverse and valued landscapes. You’ll develop forest management plans that set the direction for how our woodlands are cared for over the next 30 years and beyond, balancing objectives for biodiversity, forest resilience, sustainable timber production and public access. Working collaboratively with colleagues across Forestry England and a wide range of external partners, you’ll bring together evidence, data and professional judgement to produce UKFS compliant Forest Plans and help maintain our UKWAS certification.

Covering a varied district from Liverpool, across to Hull and down to Bedfordshire, the role combines strategic planning with practical delivery. You’ll use GIS and field surveys to inform decisions, consult widely with stakeholders, and support operational teams by providing high-quality data, mapping and specialist advice. Around a quarter of your time will be spent outdoors, often working independently, with flexibility to manage your own workload. You’ll be part of a supportive district team and a national network of forest planning professionals, with access to tailored training, mentoring and development opportunities to grow your expertise and career.

Please see the job description below for more information and details about what we need from you.

Where you’ll work…

There are two posts available. One post will be based at our Central District office in Sherwood, Nottinghamshire. The other will be based at our Cannock Office, Rugeley.

Regular travel around Forestry England’s estate in Central England will be required. There will be occasional trips outside of in Central England for training and meetings, which may require an overnight stay.

Alongside your salary, Forestry England contributes an average of 28.97% towards your pension. You will become a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension Scheme.

• 25 days holiday a year, raising by one day every year’s service, up to 30 days (pro-rated for part time employees) plus additional days off such as bank holidays.
• STaRis our employee benefits scheme offering discounts on everyday supermarket shopping, as well as other things such as hotel stays clothes, mobile phones, other electrical items, medical and car insurance, holidays, gym discounts, household bills, 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. Forestry England will support your career development in a variety of ways, including continual professional development, support for individual learning plans and sponsorship of membership of professional bodies.

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.

Working for the Civil Service…

Forestry England is part of the Civil Service. The Civil Service has a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS). This means candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria during the application process will be guaranteed an interview. We also offer a Redeployment Interview Scheme to current civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the role. This role is also part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans and Prison Leaver Recruitment initiative.

Within Part 7 of the Immigration Act 2016, it is essential that applicants provide 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 the principles and you wish to make a complaint, please email englandhr.services@forestryengland.uk.

Read more about nationality requirements here.