Job Description
The Role:
• Provide expert technical advice to landowners and farmers on woodland creation, ancient woodland restoration, and sustainable management, ensuring all work aligns with the UK Forestry Standard and Woodland Trust principles.
• Lead site-level assessments and surveys to design diverse projects, ranging from small-scale planting and innovative agroforestry to large, landscape-scale conservation schemes.
• Guide landowners through funding mechanisms, identifying appropriate grants and support offers to increase confidence and uptake in nature-positive interventions.
• Manage the full project lifecycle, including planning, budgeting, contractor oversight, and reporting to ensure delivery is on time and cost-effective.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with internal teams and external partners to secure funding and share best practices in wooded habitat innovation.
• Utilize GIS and CRM systems to maintain accurate records of site assessments, client contacts, and project progress.
• Collaborate across the Trust (Outreach, Estate, Policy, and Comms) to develop new engagement strategies and maximize publicity for conservation successes.
• Champion best practices in woodland management, identifying opportunities to demonstrate innovation and communicate these wins to a wider audience.
The Candidate:
• Experience of working in the land management sector, preferably in woodland conservation, and a working knowledge of land management funding streams including grants.
• You have an enthusiasm for the environment and share our core values-Grow Together, Explore, Focus and Make it Count.
• Proven ability to successfully manage and deliver landscape-scale projects, including ensuring targets are met on time and within budget.
• Experience of overseeing a complex and diverse programme of activity and working as part of a team to ensure it is delivered effectively.
• You ll have extensive experience in delivering woodland creation both practically on the ground, and through advising others. You ll also have experience working on landscape scale projects ideally where this engages with individual farmers and landowner, organisations, businesses or councils.
• You ll have a collaborative approach, with the ability to work with multiple teams, building relationships with both internal and external stakeholders effectively.
• Experience of partnership working, and excellent skills in networking and relationship development and management.
• Track record of building and maintaining positive relationships with landowners, partner organisations, contractors and local communities.
• The role is based in Northern Ireland and will require travel to sites and offices. A driving licence will be required.
Our Organisational Nature enables us to better understand what it means to be part of the Woodland Trust, empowering us to make an impact, every day. We want you to be able to role model our values; Grow Together , Focus , Explore and Make it Count to ensure each of us plays our part in helping to protect, restore and create our woods and trees.
Benefits & Wellbeing: Joining our team means you'll be a big part of tackling environmental and climate issues. We take good care of our staff, offering support and training opportunities. We also offer:
• Enhanced Employer Pension
• Life Assurance
• Flexible & Hybrid Working Options
• Generous Annual Leave
• Enhanced Parental Pay
• Employee Assistance Programme
Commitment to Diversity & Inclusion: The Woodland Trust embraces diversity and inclusion. We want our team to reflect the UK's diverse community. We support people from all backgrounds to apply, especially those who are under-represented.
Application Advice: For fairness we keep our candidates personal details hidden from the hiring managers, we do not ask for your CV at application stage OR so they do not see your CV until shortlisting is completed. Make sure that your Personal Statement clearly shows how your skills and knowledge link to the specifications in the job description and you share with us your passion for the role.
Acceptable Use Policy - Artificial Intelligence (AI)
We understand that candidates may choose to use AI tools to support their job applications-for example, to help structure or edit written responses. We welcome the use of AI in this way, particularly where it helps improve accessibility, such as for neurodivergent applicants. However, we ask that any information submitted reflects your own experience, skills and understanding. During interviews, candidates are expected to respond independently without the use of AI tools.
Interviews will be held via Microsoft Teams.
