Forest Resilience Programme Manager

Job Summary

In this pivotal role, you’ll lead Forestry England’s forest resilience ambitions at a critical moment for UK forestry. You will provide strategic leadership and hands-on programme management to help the nation’s forests thrive in the face of climate change, biodiversity loss, and shifting societal demands. You’ll deliver and evolve our Forest Resilience Strategy and Action Plan, ensuring it stays innovative, ambitious, and rooted in the latest science, alongside managing a three-year, £6.5 million Defra-funded programme that will significantly scale up resilience work across our forests. Working collaboratively with colleagues at national and local level, and representing Forestry England with key stakeholders across the Defra family and the wider forestry sector, you’ll be at the heart of an organisation that is boldly setting the course for the future of UK forestry.

You will be part of the Forest Planning team in National Operations. The role will involve working with colleagues across England and there will be regular travel with overnight stays. You will have a reporting office but we can be flexible on the exact location, and we support blended working. If the successful applicant is new to Forestry England then they will need to be embedded within a Forestry England office for a significant proportion of the working week during an induction period.

Job Description

Key responsibilities & accountabilities

• Deliver our Forest Resilience Strategy and Action Plan, ensuring the two-year targets and actions are achieved.
• Provide strategic leadership and programme management oversight for Forestry England’s forest resilience approach, ensuring the organisation remains at the forefront of bold and innovative action in this field.
• Lead and manage a three-year, £6.5m programme, driving delivery across a portfolio of interdependent projects spanning multiple teams.
• You will hold primary accountability for achieving required outcomes, including supporting local delivery teams, leading organisational change, strategically distributing funding to maximise impact, setting targets, monitoring progress, and managing risks and issues.
• You will report progress to the Forest Resilience Steering Group and lead the strategy refresh in 2027.
• Oversee our bespoke forest resilience Service Level Agreement with Forest Research (~£200k/annum), commissioning and embedding applied research that strengthens our scientific understanding and effectiveness of our actions.
• Establish a Forestry England Research Forum to oversee our various research collaborations with Forest Research and other academic institutions, and disseminate findings to colleagues.
• Apply expert technical knowledge of forest resilience challenges and opportunities to shape organisational direction and decision making.
• Work closely with colleagues across Forestry England, supporting national and local teams to deliver forest resilience ambitions.
• Build strong, constructive relationships with key internal and external stakeholders, particularly within the Defra family and wider forestry sector. Represent Forestry England on relevant external working groups.
• Play a visible leadership role within the National Operations team, contributing to the team’s shared vision and collective activities.
• Contribute to wider forest planning, forestry and land management, and nature recovery activities across Forestry England.
• Line manage staff within the national forest planning team, as appropriate.

And any other tasks, reasonably requested by your line manager.

Person Specification

Essential professional and technical experience

• Ability to lead complex programmes, with exceptional organisational and programme management skills.
• Excellent knowledge of forest resilience principles, challenges and opportunities.
• Comprehensive understanding of the UK forestry sector and management considerations.
• Strong communication and analytical skills, with the ability to interpret policy and evidence, and translate it into clear, actionable advice.

Desirable professional and technical experience

• Competence in GIS and data analysis.

Qualifications

Essential

• Forestry, environmental sciences or equivalent degree, or equivalent professional experience.

Desirable

• Member of the Institute of Chartered Foresters • Association of Project Management qualification or similar.

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