We are seeking an exceptional forester or land manager to join our dynamic team

Salary range: £27,000-32,000     Position: Permanent, Full-time         Location: Sylva office / home working

Sylva is known for its highly innovative approaches to supporting sustainable forest management across Britain. The myForest platform is one of our flagship projects, used by thousands of woodland owners and managers to care for an area in excess of 185,000ha (8% of private woodland area). We work very closely with government, regional initiatives, charities, industry bodies, and businesses, and lead on many significant national projects. For example, the PIES project is supporting delivery of advice to landowners across England on behalf of Defra, while in another we are working with the European Space Agency. Our work is truly cutting edge!

We are seeking an exceptional individual with experience managing or creating woodlands, and who is looking for a unique career challenge. You will be able to apply your practical knowledge and experience in the development of a platform that supports those who own and manage forests at unprecedented scale. As myForest Manager you will have unrivalled opportunities to influence practice across Britain, and be at the forefront of innovative developments to support sustainable forest management. We have ambitious plans to help support even more land owners and managers, and help bring a greater number of woodlands into good condition. We want to increase our collaborations and integrations with partners in both public and private sectors. We are also developing a new tool within myForest, working with scientists to engage our users in collecting and sharing information to improve the resilience of Britain’s woodlands.

Working as part of our dynamic small team, you will lead on the development of myForest, focussing on improving the services we provide to our users, providing help and guidance, developing new services, and fostering cooperative partnerships.

You are likely to be an early to mid-stage forester or environmental land manager with at least two years working experience. You will have a strong interest in information technology, which is an important attribute while working alongside our in-house team of web developers. You will have a natural flair for communication, both written and spoken.

You could be based full-time at our offices in south Oxfordshire, or work as a blend of home and office working. The balance of any hybrid working can be negotiated, but we would expect face-to-face working on a regular basis. This post will require attendance of some meetings in person, and your work will take you across Britain, so a willingness to travel is essential.

Core Competencies

• A degree in Forestry or a related land management discipline.
• Working knowledge of forestry and land management, including practice and policy.
• Excellent written and verbal English language.
• Highly competent using information technology, including web-based tools and social media.
• Full UK driving licence.

Desirable Competencies

• Experience in creating and delivering management plans for woodlands and related land types.
• Working knowledge of GIS.
• Candidates should be Chartered or willing to work towards Chartered status of the Institute of Chartered Foresters or similar body.

Benefits

• Unrivalled opportunities to gain experience working with government bodies, major NGOs, land businesses, land managers and others.
• Competitive salary.
• Generous pension contribution.
• A flexible and supportive working environment.
• Support in your personal training and development, with opportunities to specialise, learn, and grow in experience.
• Provision of professional membership fees.
• Based wholly or partly at the Sylva Wood Centre in glorious countryside, surrounded by wood-using businesses.

Apply online

Visit                                         www.sylva.org.uk/jobs

Application deadline:            Sunday 5th March 2023

Interviews:                              w/c 20th March 2023

Job start:                                 June 2023 (negotiable)

Equal opportunities

Sylva Foundation welcomes applications from any person among groups that are under-represented in the industry, for example candidates who identify as female or non-binary, or who are from any ethnic minority. Whilst the charity will not positively discriminate, ‘positive action’ will be used in any tie-break situation, where there are two equally qualified and suitable candidates. In this way, when choosing between two people who are both suitable, positive action will be used to select the person from a legally-protected characteristic group with a view to diversifying our team. Regardless, all applicants will be rigorously assessed and scored objectively against their experience and qualifications.