Economist

The role of trees and forests has never been more critical, offering sanctuary for both people and wildlife and improving climate resilience. The UK government is dedicated to significantly increasing woodland coverage by the end of this Parliament, aiming for net-zero emissions by 2050, and achieving broader environmental targets. The Forestry Commission, in collaboration with the Department for the Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra), is at the forefront of expanding, protecting, improving, and connecting woodlands across the country.

The Forestry Commission (FC) are the Government’s forestry experts responsible for enabling landowners and managers, businesses, civil society organisations, and local communities to protect, improve and expand England's woodlands. It achieves this through regulation, incentives and advice.

We seek a motivated economist to join us in the Economics, Evidence and Analysis team. This role is a unique opportunity to be part of an interdisciplinary team that is shaping the future of forestry in England. Positioned within Forest Services (FS), the role involves providing analytical support to help develop effective forestry and woodland policies, as well as engagement with Defra and wider government in supporting the development of the Environmental Land Management schemes.

The post will operate in an interdisciplinary environment, working directly with policy, grants and regulations experts and with social and spatial scientists as well as fellow economists.

What Will You Be Doing?

The main purpose of this role is to provide economic analysis and input to support the development of future forestry policy. This role offers the unique opportunity to join a dynamic and passionate team in this high-profile area of work, leading FC’s economic input into Defra’s Environmental Land Management Schemes (SFI, CS, and Landscape Recovery) and Tree Health Grants.

The post will appeal to an economist, with experience or interest in natural resource management, who wishes to apply economics to practical policy and management issues and who relishes working in an interdisciplinary environment.

In this role, you will blend economic analysis, policy support, and stakeholder engagement. Responsibilities include:

• Contributing to economic analyses and research to inform forestry policy development and government initiatives.
• Support the development of the future forestry incentives, including those within the (for example, woodland creation, woodland management, agroforestry, and Tree Health).
• Assisting in the preparation of economic cases for funding bids and policy proposals, budget forecasting and profiling.
• Collaborating with policy, analysis, and grants experts in a multidisciplinary environment.
• Identify the need for, commission and manage evidence and analysis work to develop the evidence base surrounding forestry economics.
• Present complex economic information accessibly to various stakeholders.
• Engaging in projects that support the range of land based grant schemes which Forestry Commission is involved in. Supporting grant/incentives design, updates, and evaluation.
• Responding to quick turnaround requests for information, drawing on existing work and modelling. Balancing ad hoc work such as this with ongoing, longer term responsibilities.
• Working with both internal and external stakeholders, including Defra, to support evidence-based policy development.
• Increase awareness and communicate the use of economic analysis, data and research in the Forestry Commission and the wider Defra group.
• Collaborate with fellow economists in FC and Defra.

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• 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)
• 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)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• 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)

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Strengths, Experience and Technical skills.

Fixed term Appointment to 30th March 2028. This is a Temporary Appointment with the possibility of extension or permanency but no guarantee.

As part of the application process, you will complete the following:

• A tailored CV setting out your career history with key responsibilities and achievements.
• A personal statement – in no more than 750 words showing how you meet the criteria of the person specification.

Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.

We will be conducting online interviews with the use of Microsoft Teams or equivalent online communication methods. Candidates would therefore require access to a computer and internet at interview stage. The interviews will be based on Technical Skills, Strengths, Experience and Civil Service Behaviours.

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 Service 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; for further information visit the Childcare Choices website.

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.

The Forestry Commission is actively working to reduce the carbon emission of official travel and applicants should be aware of the broad principles which are being applied to reduce carbon emissions to less than 50gCO2/km.

New entrants are expected to join on the minimum of the pay band.

Existing Civil Servants (excluding Forestry Commission employees) and applicants from accredited NDPBs are eligible to apply, and will only be considered on a loan basis (Civil Servants) or secondment (accredited NDPBs). Prior agreement to be released on a loan basis must be obtained before commencing the application process. In the case of Civil Servants, the terms of the loan will be agreed between the home and host department and the Civil Servant.

Existing Forestry Commission, Forestry England and Forest Research employees are eligible to apply for this Fixed Term Appointment and will only be considered if there is written confirmation from their line manager and HR that their current role will be temporarily backfilled or held open before commencing the application process.

Where a role has been identified as one which falls under the scope of the Public Sector English Language Requirements, within Part 7 of the Immigration Act 2016, it is essential that applicants should have the ability to converse at ease with members of the public and provide advice in accurate spoken English. Applicants will be assessed in the selection process in accordance with the requirements.

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

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.