Senior Civil Engineer

What you’ll do…

Help deliver one of Forestry England’s significant national projects—creating inclusive, co-designed green spaces for reflection and wellbeing across England’s forests

As our project Senior Civil Engineer, you’ll take ownership of the civil engineering elements of this high-profile national project, ensuring safe, sustainable, and innovative solutions that make a lasting impact.

You’ll work closely with national and district teams, turning plans into reality through expert design, technical guidance, and hands-on project delivery. From developing budgets, procurement and managing contractors to overseeing infrastructure works, you’ll keep everything on track and compliant while driving quality and efficiency. Our small multidisciplinary team will work closely with input from communities and partners, as well as our district teams.

Our team has delivered projects like Delamere Visitor Centre, the Whinlatter WOW trail, inclusive play spaces at Sherwood Pines and Westonbirt Arboretum, and community woodland designs.

This is a chance to combine your engineering expertise with purpose—creating spaces that matter for communities and nature. If you thrive on complex challenges, collaboration, and delivering meaningful outcomes, we’d love to have you on the team.

Please watch our Making the Nation’s Forest’s More Accessible project video to gain an understanding of the sort of projects we have delivered recently.

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

Where you’ll work…

The role will be based in a centrally located Forestry England office with flexibility for blended working. There is a need for travel in this role, with occasional overnight says necessary.

Please be aware that this role can only be worked in the UK and not overseas.

Key Responsibilities & Accountabilities

• Be responsible and accountable for the health and safety of all civil engineering activities undertaken as part of the project delivery. Role model high standards of health and safety and pro-actively seek out opportunities to improve working practices of Forestry England staff and contractors.
• Prepare a plan of civil engineering works to support the delivery of the project over the full project duration working with district colleagues to integrate with their existing programmes.
• Support the delivery of the project programme providing civil engineering technical expertise across all sites, alongside district colleagues.
• Undertake regular monitoring and management of contractor health and safety and environmental performance at a project wide level; pro-active management of health and safety and environmental issues; thorough investigation of accidents and near misses, ensuring that lessons learned are shared and implemented.
• Work closely with the district civil engineering teams to deliver the project civil engineering work programme across England.
• Ensure an asset management plan is in place for each site.
• Work to agreed budgets, and share progress with the project manager through monthly monitoring.
• Be accountable for all commercial aspects associated with the delivery of the works, including compliance with all procurement requirements and contract management.
• Build networks both internally and with external agencies and partners to support the management and delivery of Forestry England’s civil engineering activities.
• Obtain consents for undertaking civil engineering works, including where necessary completion of planning applications among others.
• Actively manage the environmental impacts of our civil engineering activities, including where required, ensuring the accurate measurement and management of carbon emissions. Pro-actively seek out opportunities to reduce carbon emissions within own field of influence.
• Ensure all civil engineering activities comply with the requirements of UKWAS and other applicable legislation and best practice.

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, Strengths and Experience.

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 selection process may include additional assessment and/or interview stages. Candidates will be informed of the assessment format and arrangements during the recruitment process.

You will be assessed on behaviours and strength based questions during your interview.

The Behaviours being assessed at interview are –

• Making effective decisions
• Delivering at pace
• Managing a quality service

Interviews are expected to be held on Thursday 3rd December 2026, in-person at our Santon Downham Office, Brandon, Suffolk, IP27 0TJ.

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.