Job Introduction
We are Forestry England.
We live and breathe forests.
Job Title - National Head of Recreation and Visitor Experience
Salary - £58,423 - £64,316
Contract type – Permanent
Hours – 37
Vacancy closes - 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…
Forestry England is the largest provider of Outdoor Recreation in the UK, welcoming c. 285million visits to the nation’s forests each year. Last year 97% of visitors said that their visit had a positive impact on their physical and mental wellbeing.
Heading up the team of national experts who lead the policy and practice that enables this to happen, you will promote the health and wellbeing benefits of connecting with nature in the nation’s forests for all. You will champion access for all and outstanding customer service through your collaborative partnership working, thought leadership, stakeholder management and leadership of cross-functional collaboration across teams, across England. Your leadership will place visitor experience at the core, enabling safe Recreation operations while maximising social benefits and commercial return.
Please see the job description below for more information and details about what we need from you..
Where you’ll work…
Our national office is based in Bristol, our forests are located across England with regional offices at our main forest hubs. This role can be based at any main office and can be hybrid, with a flexible approach to working from home combined with office and site-based work. National travel will be required and is covered through expenses, including transport and accommodation.
Benefits…
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.
- STaR is 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 sponsored membership of professional bodies.
Read more about the benefits on the Forestry England website.
How to apply…
You will be asked to write a 750 word statement on how your relevant experience qualifies you for this role. You will be assessed on both during sifting. More details about how to apply are listed on the application form.
The Behaviours being assessed at interview are –
- Seeing the Bigger Picture
- Communicating and Influencing
- Making Effective Decisions
- Working Together
Interviews will take place on Tuesday 8th April 2025 at Forestry England’s National Office in Bristol.
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.
Nationality requirements…
Read more about nationality requirements here.
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 should have the ability to provide conversation in 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 in line with/according to these principles and you wish to make a complaint, please email: englandhr.services@forestryengland.uk.
