Field Manager

Field Managers coordinate and lead the areas Woodland Officers to expand, protect, improve and connect woodlands across the area and ensure the effective use of Forestry Commission incentives and regulations.

The Forestry Commission are the government’s forestry experts and we work to protect, improve, expand and connect England’s woods and forests. We do this by providing policy advice to government and leading delivery through regulation, incentives and protecting tree health. The Environment Act set a target of increasing tree cover in England to at least 16.5% by 2050 and the benefits that trees and woodlands deliver for the environment, society and the economy is increasingly appreciated. We await the revision of the England Trees Action Plan.

The Field Manager role, as part of Forest Services, is responsible for leading a team of Woodland Officers based in their area and for ensuring the effective coordination of our incentives and regulatory activities. Field Managers play a critical role in delivering a step change in our woodland creation levels, and in supporting the woodland management activity across the area. This includes working closely with Natural England, Environment Agency, Rural Payments Agency, Forestry England and Forestry Commission Admin Hubs. The Kent Field Manager also takes a lead in managing Tree Health Pilot Woodland Officers across SE&L.

Responsibilities

• Team working and Managing People – Provide leadership and support to the Woodland Officers, Woodland Creation Officers, Regulations & Incentives Support Officers and Development Woodland Officers to ensure the effective delivery of our incentives and regulatory programmes. The Field Manager will undertake recruitment and induction of Woodland Officers and Woodland Creation Officers and their development.
• Delivery of Government aspirations for trees and woodlands - play a key role in supporting the operational delivery Forest Services Business Plan. This includes work to help promote the opportunities of the Forest Services Strategic Framework and working with delivery partners.
• Manage Tree Health and forestry regulation – Respond to tree health issues and ensure the effective delivery of our regulatory requirements. Work with Plant Health Forestry colleagues to respond to pest and disease outbreaks. Ensure our regulatory work meets the UK Forestry Standard and is completed within the required timescales.
• Manage Incentives – Oversee the delivery of incentives across the area through supporting their area team and partners by building positive working relationships to ensure the effective promotion and delivery of our incentives programme. Including seeking support from technical specialists to process complex cases and influencing the evolution of new initiatives to best deliver government forestry policy.
• Engaging with stakeholders and partnership working - Work with the Area Management Team to identify the partnerships to engage in order to deliver appropriate sector support in identified priority areas. Developing and maintaining good working relationships with advisers and stakeholders.
• Vision and Culture – Support the overall work of the team to ensure the effective delivery of our vision and culture ambition and to help lead on the development of a proactive Health & Safety culture. Play an active role in the wider work of the team including supporting Management and Area Team Meetings.

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