Area Marketing and Communications Manager

Forestry Commission Offices in the South East and London - Bucks Horn Oak, Tonbridge, Worthing, Wendover, Bedgebury. The successful candidate will be mainly based in the office, with some opportunity for a blended working approach at home (1-2 days). They will live within the geographical area with regular travel required across the South East and London to facilitate team support.

Job Summary

Forest Services as part of Forestry Commission are the Government’s forestry experts. We advise nationally and locally on how to unlock the full potential of woodlands and support the forestry sector to protect, improve and expand England’s valuable woodland assets, ensuring that they continue to provide benefits to people, the environment and the economy.

Never has there been a more important time for trees and forests to help tackle the climate emergency and provide a much-needed sanctuary for people and wildlife.

The Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) and Forestry Commission have a joint Nature for Climate tree programme for England, to support the forestry sector, farmers, landowners, and communities in the delivery of these ambitions.

Forestry Commission leads the delivery of the following parts of the tree planting programme:

• sector capacity
• planting on private land
• promotion and engagement

This role will focus on developing and delivering regional promotion and engagement plans, and building strong partnerships with local stakeholders to drive the woodland creation agenda across the South East and London. You will be based in the South East and London Area team, and work closely with the national promotion and engagement team and existing regional teams.

If you are passionate about the role of forestry in creating a better future for England, and want to play a key part in that, we want to hear from you!

By joining this programme and Area Team, you will become part of a team of passionate, committed colleagues and you will have the opportunity to build on a wealth of expertise to take this ambitious work forward. You will be able to make your mark by helping the Forestry Commission to revolutionise how we promote woodland creation and reach new audiences.

Our staff engagement levels are consistently well above the Civil Service average and staff turnover is well below. We value people, we look after them, and we will look after you. We hope you will join us for the challenge.

The post offers blended working within the South East and London Area, with a combination of office based and virtual flexible working and events across the Area. The parent office for this role can be Bucks Horn Oak (near Farnham), Tonbridge, Bedgebury, Worthing or Wendover.

Successful candidates are expected to travel to their designated parent office or work area in their own time and cost.

Job Description

The Area Marketing and Communications Manager is responsible for the planning and delivery of all woodland creation promotional activities and stakeholder engagement in their Area, to create a pipeline of woodland creation proposals supporting tree planting ambitions. You will also be expected to lead the Promotion and Engagement team and contribute to the wider management of the Area team.

Key work areas

• Own and deliver regional promotion and engagement activities, together with the wider Area team, reflecting national strategic priorities and campaigns, and Area specificities.
• Build strong relationships with a broad spectrum of local stakeholders, establishing or reinvigorating partnerships and agreements to encourage and facilitate woodland creation. This could include joint delivery of promotional messages, shared event and content strategies, or operational memoranda of understanding.
• Develop and drive engagement models with individuals, customers, stakeholders and communities, working in tandem with the wider Area team.
• Develop and manage regional events and networking programme.
• Line management of three Land Use Advisors and an Engagement Officer. Own regional CRM system management, ensuring all team members are appropriately trained and maintaining accurate data records.
• Leverage data-driven insight to inform engagement tactics and target promotional efforts in order to understand local opportunities and barriers to woodland creation and feedback into work of Area and national teams.
• Co-ordinate training and resources at a regional level, to colleagues, customers and stakeholders. Develop localised resources as required to support promotional activity.
• Drive engagement activity internally across the Area team, ensuring it is embedded across all roles.
• Provide support across wider Forest Services Areas, working with Area Marketing and Comms Managers in 3 other Areas to lead a consistent level of promotion and engagement across the 5 FS Areas in total, with project level involvement.
• Play a positive and active role in the Area senior leadership team.

The role will require travel within the Area and will require the applicant to have a full current driving licence that enables them to drive in the UK. However, the Forestry Commission is willing to consider any proposals put forward by applicants that would allow them to do the job by any other means.

The role will report to the South East and London Area Director.

Person specification

Essential

• Highly organised and a proactive communicator
• Experience of developing and delivering strong engagement plans tailored to different audiences’ needs, and promoting key messages via different channels
• Experience of successfully building and maintaining effective relationships and networks
• Experience of managing and motivating a team
• Project management experience
• Able to prioritise effectively
• High level of attention to detail
• Competent with IT systems
• Qualified to degree level in relevant subject, or equivalent experience

Please clearly demonstrate how the above applies to you throughout your application. Failure to do so will mean that your application is automatically sifted out.

DESIRABLE

• Forestry and/or land management knowledge and experience highly advantageous but not essential.
• Existing landowner/stakeholder networks desirable but not essential.
• Experience in GIS software desirable, to support customer targeting based on spatial information.

Behaviours

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Communicating and Influencing
• Working Together
• Leadership
• Seeing the Big Picture

We only ask for evidence of these behaviours on your application form:

• Communicating and Influencing

Alongside your salary of £47,252, Forestry Commission contributes £13,688 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

• A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%.
• A range of family friendly benefits.
• An environment with flexible working options.
• Learning and development tailored to your role.
• A culture which promotes a diverse and inclusive work environment.
• A range of wellbeing benefits including discounted Civil Service Healthcare, access to an Employee Assistance Programme 24/7, Bike to Work Scheme, plus many more.
• 25 days annual leave, with 1 additional day for each years’ service up to 5 years (pro rata), plus 10.5 bank holidays/privilege days (pro rata).
• Ability to buy or sell 5 days annual leave.
• 3 days volunteering per year (pro rata).

We aim to provide a great place to work, whichever location you work from. Blended working forms part of our flexible and inclusive approach to future ways of working. It is an informal arrangement which gives you the option to work some of the week from home, and some of the week from our Forestry Commission workplaces, subject to role requirements, business needs, and regular review. Informal blended working arrangements will be available as agreed with the line manager.

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles, and will assess your Behaviours, Strengths and Experience.

This is a full time Fixed Term Appointment from 1st August 2025 - 31st March 2026 (maternity cover). There is potential, but no guarantee for this post to be extended or made permanent.

As part of the application process you will be asked to complete a CV and personal statement. Further details around what this will entail are listed below.

• A tailored CV setting out your career history, with key responsibilities and achievements, of no more than two pages. Please ensure you have provided reasons for any gaps within the last two years.
• A personal statement – in no more than 500 words showing how you meet the criteria of the person specification evidence.
• You will also be asked to provide a 250-word statement relating to the lead behaviour, Communicating and Influencing.

Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.

Should a large number of applications be received, an initial sift may be conducted using the Personal Statement. Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift, or progressed straight to assessment/interview.

Should you be successful at this stage you will be progressed to interview stage. These interviews will consist of a mixture of behaviour and strength based questions. You may be asked to prepare a presentation.

Applications will be sifted on 7th May. This date is subject to change.

Interviews will be held in person at our Wendover Office at Upper Icknield Way, Aston Clinton, Aylesbury, Bucks, HP22 5NF on 23rd May. These dates are subject to change.

Further Information

A reserve list may be held for a period of 12 months from which further appointments can be made.

Any move to FC from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax Free Childcare; for further information visit the Childcare Choices website.

This role is full time only. Applicants who wish to work an alternative pattern are welcome to apply however your preferred working pattern may not be available and you should discuss this with the vacancy holder before applying.

If successful and transferring from another Government Department a criminal record check may be carried out.

In order to process applications without delay, we will be sending a Criminal Record Check to Disclosure and Barring Service on your behalf. However, we recognise in exceptional circumstances some candidates will want to send their completed forms direct. If you will be doing this, please advise Government Recruitment Service of your intention by emailing Pre-EmploymentChecks.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk stating the job reference number in the subject heading.

New entrants are expected to join on the minimum of the pay band.

Existing Civil Servants (excluding Forestry Commission employees) and applicants from accredited NDPBs are eligible to apply, and will only be considered on a loan basis (Civil Servants) or secondment (accredited NDPBs). Prior agreement to be released on a loan basis must be obtained before commencing the application process. In the case of Civil Servants, the terms of the loan will be agreed between the home and host department and the Civil Servant.

Existing Forestry Commission, Forestry England and Forest Research employees are eligible to apply for this Fixed Term Appointment and will only be considered if there is written confirmation from their line manager and HR that their current role will be temporarily backfilled or held open before commencing the application process.

The duties of this post require the applicant to have a full current driving licence that enables them to drive in the UK. However, the Forestry Commission is willing to consider any proposals put forward by applicants that would allow them to do the job by any other means.

Reasonable Adjustment

If a person with disabilities is put at a substantial disadvantage compared to a non-disabled person, we have a duty to make reasonable changes to our processes.

If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should:

Contact Government Recruitment Service via FCERecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.

Complete the “Assistance required” section in the “Additional requirements” page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need further on in the recruitment process. For instance, you may need wheelchair access at interview, or if you’re deaf, a Language Service Professional.

If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the 'Contact point for applicants' section.

Feedback

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

This vacancy is using Success Profiles, and will assess your Behaviours, Strengths and Experience.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.

People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard checks.

Nationality requirements

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)
• 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.

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles.

The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.

The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.