Forest Planner

Location

Pickering, Yorkshire and the Humber, YO18 7EL

About the Job

What you’ll do…

As a Forest Planner with Forestry England in Yorkshire, you will help shape the long-term future of some of England’s most diverse and valued landscapes. You’ll lead the development of 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 the North York Moors and Yorkshire Dales to the Humber and West Yorkshire, 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 third 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…

The post will initially be based at Forestry England’s Yorkshire Office in Pickering. It will move to the Dalby Forest Office in autumn/winter 2027. Regular travel around Forestry England’s estate in Yorkshire will be required. There will be occasional trips outside of Yorkshire for Forestry England-wide meetings, which may require an overnight stay.

Job Description

Key Responsibilities & Accountabilities  

Forest Planning – 

• Collect and verify data relating to Forest Plan areas to inform the forest planning process
• Design and prescribe long term forest management which delivers resilient forests in industry best practice Forest Plans ensuring that Forestry England land is managed for people, wildlife and timber
• Communicating, consulting and consensus building with a wide range of Forestry England staff, statutory and non-governmental organisations to ensure proposed plans are in compliance with policies, UK Woodland Assurance Standard and UK Forest Standard • Monitor and report on progress with delivery

Data, mapping and monitoring – 

• Interrogate and manage of Geographic information Systems
• Provide support in areas of data analysis to inform business decisions, including timber production and long-term financial models
• Undertake forest surveys to improve data and maintain monitoring programme

Operational support – 

• Support the district team in areas of survey, data management and mapping to support forest operational planning to ensure all opportunities and constraints are fully considered
• Provide support to colleagues in areas of specialism such as UKWAS, regulatory approvals, GIS, and production forecasting as training and skills allow
• Champion high standards of health and safety within the team resource, ensuring compliance with relevant legislation and guidance

Project management – 

• Project manage a range of small to medium-sized projects related to forest planning, biodiversity, and forest resilience programmes, including project planning and the management of delegated budgets.
• Contribute to other project teams as a forest planning specialist.

Person Specification