Heritage Mapping and Data Officer

What you’ll do…

As the largest land manager in the country, Forestry England oversees a vast and diverse network of more than 1,500 forests and woods, spanning over 250,000 hectares. We often celebrate our landscapes for their natural beauty and ecological significance, yet they also harbour some of England’s most extraordinary historical sites, monuments, and stories. Beneath the leafy canopies and towering trees lies a rich tapestry of human history, preserved and intertwined with the very roots of the land.

As Heritage Mapping and Data Officer, you will support the collection, analysis, management, and ethical use of historic environment data across the biodiversity program. You will work directly with historic environment advisors well as other national and area teams, and external partners to ensure project data is appropriately collated, processed and managed.

You will establish and follow data standards, frameworks, and workflows, supporting the effective use of spatial, environmental, and heritage datasets. The role includes data governance, quality assurance, and compliance, contributing to reporting and evaluation, and identifying opportunities to improve data integration, insight, and long-term value, including through innovation and future funding opportunities.

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

Where you’ll work…

The postholder will be part of the Environment & Nature Recovery Team in National Operations, managed by the Lead Historic Environment Advisor, but can be based out of any of our regional offices, with hybrid working also possible.

Key responsibilities & accountabilities

• Lead in the development of a new historic environment data management approach.
• Support the mapping of archaeological sites and monuments identified with Lidar and arial imagery.
• Yearly request Historic Environment Records data for the Nation’s Forests.
• Manage and maintain national heritage datasets, ensuring accuracy, consistency, and alignment with

organisational standards. Collaborate with district teams to resolve anomalies, and lead the integration of

new data sources, including new surveys and Historic Environment Records, into internal systems.

• Support the cleaning and conversion of survey data.
• Assist with reporting.
• Champion the use of evidence in decision-making, drawing on best practice.
• Lead the integration of emerging technologies such as AI into team policy and practice, to help make

better evidence-based decisions.

• Identify stories and narratives with the data you work with that can be used to engage the public.
• Lead the development and guidance of historic environment data within internal GIS systems.

And any other tasks, reasonably requested by your line manager.

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 and Technical skills.

This is a Temporary Appointment till March 2029 with the possibility of extension or permanency but no guarantee.

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.

At interview a presentation will be required. Your Technical Knowledge and the following Behaviours will be tested at the interview:

• Making Effective Decisions
• Communicating and Influencing:
• Changing and Improving
• Working together

If candidates pass the interview but are not the leading candidate they can be placed on a reserve list. We may offer candidates on the reserve list for this role the opportunity to be considered for other roles at the same or lower pay bands

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

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