Forest Works Supervisor – Thetford East Beat - East England Forest District

Do you have the experience, skills and enthusiasm required to support efficient and effective implementation of establishment, harvesting and maintenance programmes in Thetford Forest?, The Beat Team work in a focused, motivated, enthusiastic way to plan and implement economic, social and environmental work programmes and projects that effectively, efficiently and safely meet the Forestry England Strategic Plan aim of “secure and grow the social, economic and natural capital value of the nation’s forests”.
The main responsibilities of the Work Supervisor are to:
+ Assist the beat forester in all aspects of the day-to-day management of the beat and in planning, organising and supervising forest operations by staff and contractors to ensure agreed work is delivered safely, effectively and efficiently.
+ Take a focused interest in developing and coaching the beat team through demonstration and clear verbal communication.
+ Accurately collect site measurements and observations and use these in monitoring outcomes, assessing site conditions, updating records and informing decisions.
+ Communicate appropriately with colleagues and all stakeholders including landowners, neighbours, contractors, customers and members of the public.
The role involves a mixture of office work and time spent in the forest. The job is varied and wide ranging, requiring close team working to continually re-balance priorities as unplanned situations arise that need dealing with, whilst maintaining momentum to deliver planned programmes.
A guide to expected Works Supervisor tasks:
+ Promoting a safety-first culture.
+ Ensuring through site set-up and supervision that all operations comply with safety and environmental legislation and meet the site specification.
+ Building team spirit and nurturing staff knowledge and skills.
+ Collecting site hazard information and using it to ensure site plans are accurate.
+ Undertaking surveys that support sustainable timber production such as weeding assessments, stock density, mensuration, basal area checks.
+ Maintaining a site monitoring diary.
+ Collating site and job records, providing evidence for site management decisions and informing programme plans.
+ Ground truthing and updating forest inventories and maps.
+ Carrying out boundary, tree safety and infrastructure inspections.
+ Overseeing stock control of materials and maintenance of equipment.
+ Maintaining yard and estate safety and security.
+ Organising legally compliant handling, storage and disposal of operational and 'gifted' waste.
+ Keeping objective information flowing between craftspeople and the forester.
+ Engaging formally and informally with customers, neighbours, stakeholders and members of the public.
+ Drafting job specifications for staff and tender documents for contracts.
The normal start time is 7am and a standard working week is 37 hours, but the duties of the post require you to work flexibly at times, including participating in the rota for out of hours emergency cover.
Most of the outdoor elements of the job are within 30 minutes drive of the office but there’ll be an occasional requirement to support teams elsewhere in District. Meetings and training events may take place in other parts of the country., We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
+ Seeing the Big Picture
+ Working Together
+ Managing a Quality Service
+ Delivering at Pace

Technical skills
We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:
+ Supervision of a team to meet required standards.
+ Forestry knowledge.
+ Use of software packages., This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Strengths, Experience and Technical skills.
The successful candidate will be selected by application, followed by an in-person interview board incorporating a site-based assessment relevant to the role.
As part of the application process you will be asked to complete:
+ A CV setting out your career history, with key responsibilities and achievements. Please ensure you have provided reasons for any gaps within the last two years.
+ A Personal Statement (no longer than 750 words) explaining how your personal skills, qualities and experience are suitable for the role.
+ Technical skills statements for specific topics.
Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.
Please provide adequate evidence of relevant working knowledge in your CV and Personal Statement and complete each of the technical skills sections so that the assessment panel can score your suitability for the role in each section; omitting a section will reduce your overall score may mean we cannot assess your application.
The selection panel will be looking for applications that demonstrate the best fit with the role by considering the evidence you have provided to show you have the skills, abilities and experience needed for the role.
Should a large number of applications be received, an initial sift may be conducted using the Personal Statement only. Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift, or progressed straight to assessment/interview.
Your interview will be conducted face to face at the District Office in Santon Downham, IP27 0TJ.
Interviews are provisionally arranged for 5th December 2024.
At the interview, we will ask Behaviour and Strength questions as well as for more information about your experience.
Behaviour questions ask for examples from previous/current roles to demonstrate the behaviours we’re asking for in this role. Strength questions help us see whether your natural strengths reflect those needed in the role.
The interview will include an exercise where you will be presented with a scenario and asked to respond as if you were the supervisor. Please bring appropriate outdoor clothing for the weather on the day and steel toe capped boots. Other PPE will be provided if required.
Further Information
A reserve list may be held for a period of 12 months from which further appointments can be made.
Any move to Forestry Commission from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax Free Childcare. Determine your eligibility at https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk
If successful and transferring from another Government Department a criminal record check may be carried out.
In order to process applications without delay, we will be sending a Criminal Record Check to Disclosure and Barring Service on your behalf.
However, we recognise in exceptional circumstances some candidates will want to send their completed forms direct. If you will be doing this, please advise Government Recruitment Service of your intention by emailing Pre-EmploymentChecks.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk stating the job reference number in the subject heading.
New entrants are expected to join on the minimum of the pay band.
This role is full time only. Applicants who wish to work an alternative pattern are welcome to apply however your preferred working pattern may not be available and you should discuss this with the vacancy holder before applying.
The duties of this post require the applicant to have a full current driving licence that enables them to drive in the UK. However, the Forestry Commission is willing to consider any proposals put forward by applicants that would allow them to do the job by any other means.
Reasonable Adjustment
If a person with disabilities is put at a substantial disadvantage compared to a non-disabled person, we have a duty to make reasonable changes to our processes.
If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should:
Contact Government Recruitment Service via fcerecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.
Complete the ‘Assistance required’ section in the ‘Additional requirements’ page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need further on in the recruitment process. For instance, you may need wheelchair access at interview, or if you’re deaf, a Language Service Professional.
If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the 'Contact point for applicants' section.
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security
Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.
People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks., o UK nationals
o nationals of the Republic of Ireland
o nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
o nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
o nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
o individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
o Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service
Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

Working for the Civil Service
The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.
We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window).
The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.
The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.

Diversity and Inclusion
The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).

Apply and further information
This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative.
The Civil Service welcomes applications from people who have recently left prison or have an unspent conviction. Read more about prison leaver recruitment (opens in new window).
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Your previous skills, interests and experience within the forestry and land management sector need to reflect the responsibilities of this role.
You will be interested in developing your existing supervisory ability, technical skills and forestry experience further and be willing to continue to adapt and change.

Licences
Full driving licence valid in the UK.

Thetford Forest is divided into four beats, each managed by a forester. Their Work Supervisor plays a critical role in assisting them to plan and organise tasks for the Beat Craftspeople and contractors, enabling them to achieve our programmes.
This Work Supervisor role covers Thetford East Beat based near Brandon, Suffolk. Most of the outdoor elements of the job are within 30 minutes drive of the office but there’ll be an occasional requirement to support teams elsewhere in District. Meetings and training events may take place in other parts of the country.
The District
Forestry England is the part of the Forestry Commission that looks after the nation’s forests. We are the largest supplier of homegrown, sustainable timber in England. We’re able to share and care for amazing places and incredible wildlife because of the timber we produce.
Comprising 35,000 hectares from North Norfolk to Brighton, East England Forest District’s landholding varies from the extensive Thetford Forest, England’s largest lowland pine forest, to community woods on the outskirts of London.
We are committed to preserving our rich natural and cultural heritage. We look after numerous sites that have been legally designated in recognition of their special characteristics such as rare species, habitats or historic earthworks.
We offer outdoor recreation, leisure, and wellbeing activities for hundreds of thousands of visitors each year. Our entire freehold estate is dedicated to public access on foot, with numerous small carparks and informal access points.
Whilst the nation’s forests are increasingly being appreciated for their environmental and social value, supplying sustainable homegrown timber has remained a core purpose for Forestry England since its origins; an important continuing role given that the UK still imports over 80% of the wood products consumed by the population.
The Beat
Thetford Forest lies in the heart of East Anglia. The forest is approximately 20,000ha with an annual felling programme of around 80,000tonnes and planting programme of around 1million trees a year.
We carry out a significant proportion of these programmes with in-house staff, so we run our own tractors and harvesting machinery in addition to carrying out manual tending and maintenance work.
We supplement our own teams with contractors when we don’t have capacity to complete programmes or require specialist skills and machinery.

Alongside your salary of £27,941, Forestry Commission contributes £8,094 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.
Full benefits information available at Benefits of working for Forestry England including:
+ Learning and development tailored to your role.
+ An environment with flexible working options.
+ A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity.
+ A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%.
+ 25 days annual leave on entry, increasing by 1 day per year up to 5 years, in addition to public holidays.
+ 3 days volunteering a year.
+ Free parking at Forestry Commission sites and free entry to forestry arboreta.