Harvesting and Timber Marketing Manager

This is a significant operational leadership role at the heart of how we manage our forests.

You will lead our Harvesting and Timber Marketing function across the East Forest District, bringing together people, contractors, customers and operational programmes to deliver safe, sustainable and commercially successful harvesting and timber supply.

You will lead a specialist team and contractor network, oversee significant budgets and programmes, and balance safety, environmental, commercial and customer priorities. You will also play an important role in the wider Forestry and Land Management leadership team.

You don’t need to have spent your career in forestry. We are interested in experienced operational leaders who can bring strong people leadership, commercial judgement and delivery experience. Your background could be in forestry or land management, but equally in construction, utilities, infrastructure, agriculture, logistics, manufacturing or another safety-critical industry.

What matters is that you can lead people, manage complex operations and make good decisions, while being motivated to develop your knowledge of forestry and timber.

Please see the job description below for more information and details about what we need from you.

Although offered as a full time role, part-time working or compressed hours would be considered

Key responsibilities & accountabilities

Leadership and Management

• Lead, support and develop the Harvesting and Timber Marketing team, creating an inclusive, collaborative and high-performing working environment. Provide clear direction, empower people to make good decisions and build strong relationships with colleagues and contractors.
• Play an active role in the Forestry and Land Management leadership team and deputise for the Head of Land Management when required.

Operational Delivery

• Lead the planning and delivery of a substantial annual harvesting programme, ensuring work is well planned, safe, efficient and delivered to a high standard.
• Work with colleagues and contractors to manage priorities, resources, risks and changing operational demands. Ensure operations meet relevant industry and environmental standards, including UKWAS requirements.

Timber Marketing and Commercial Management

• Lead our approach to timber sales, marketing and supply, maintaining strong relationships with customers, processors and commercial partners.
• Use sound commercial judgement to secure good value from our timber while maintaining reliable supply and strong long-term customer relationships. Work through your team with District and Beat Foresters to coordinate the quality and continuity of timber coming to market.

Financial Management

• Take responsibility for significant income and expenditure budgets. Monitor performance, forecast income and costs, and use financial and operational information to make informed decisions and keep delivery on track.

Health, Safety and Environmental Management

• Provide visible leadership on health, safety and wellbeing. Create a culture where people take responsibility for managing risk and where operations meet legal, organisational and environmental requirements.

Stakeholder Engagement

• Build effective relationships with customers, contractors, colleagues, communities, regulators and industry partners. Represent Forestry England professionally and work collaboratively to resolve issues, identify opportunities and deliver successful outcomes.

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.

How to apply…

We cannot accept applications via email. Please follow the steps outlined below. Any CVs and/or personal statements sent outside the system will not be considered for shortlisting.

You will be asked to write a 200 word statement on your relevant experience and career history, along with a personal statement of no more than 500 words. 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 –

• Leadership
• Managing a quality service
• Changing and improving
• Making effective decisions
• Delivering at pace

You may also be assessed on Experience, Strength based questions, and/or the Technical Success Profile at the interview. The technical element could include a presentation, practical or written task.

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.

If you're planning to use AI to support your application, please ensure you've read our guidelines here first.

Read more about our application process and working with us on the Forestry England website.

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