Key responsibilities & accountabilities
Strategic leadership
Be accountable and provide strategic leadership across forestry and land management, civil engineering, and recreation operations, ensuring delivery aligns with national priorities and the District Business Plan.
Translate national strategy, business plans and performance targets into clear operational priorities and delivery programmes.
Actively promote a one team culture, working across all district and national functions to improve integration, efficiency and outcomes.
Leadership, people & culture
Provide visible leadership, coaching and support to senior staff and managers, particularly those leading Land Management, Recreation and Visitor Experience, and Civil Engineering.
Create and sustain a strongly positive health, safety and wellbeing culture, ensuring compliance and continuous improvement.
Champion equality, diversity and inclusion, fostering an inclusive, supportive and high-performing working environment.
Lead workforce planning for operational teams, building capability, succession and resilience for the long term.
Provide leadership in emergency response, business continuity and contingency planning, ensuring the district has readiness to manage incidents; in line with national policy.
Business planning & programme leadership
Working closely with the Director and Finance Manager, coordinate the five-year business planning cycle, ensuring the district leadership team is sighted on future opportunities, risks, constraints and resource implications.
Champion and lead a programme management approach in the planning of operations and infrastructure development; aligning forest planning, planting, harvesting, civil engineering, recreation investment and land management programmes over both annual and multi-year timescales.
Work closely with teams to ensure operational programmes are realistic, affordable and deliverable.
Drive efficiency in the planning for and use of the vehicle and machinery fleet across the district.
Performance, commercial & operational improvement
Deliver strong operational performance while ensuring professionalism across teams and demonstrating excellence across the estate through accreditations (e.g., UK Woodland Assurance Standard, Visit England quality assessment at Forest Centres).
Achieve strong commercial and financial outcomes, improving the districts net position and being accountable to the North England Director for budgets, contracts, suppliers and commercial relationships within areas of oversight. This includes ensuring procurement and contract management compliance with organisation policies.
Lead a culture of continuous improvement, driving innovation, modernisation, and improved systems, processes and ways of working.
Deputy & external representation
Act as deputy to the North England Director when required, including chairing meetings and representing Forestry England externally.
Build and maintain effective relationships with key stakeholders, partners and customers.
Coordinate Forestry Englands input into significant regional and national plans and projects affecting Forestry Englands forests in the north and, occasionally, across England.
And any other tasks, reasonably requested by your line manager.
