Key responsibilities & accountabilities
1) Project Management
Lead on the development of the vision and the project plan for one or more wild area projects.
Apply appropriate project management principles to ensure effective and timely project implementation, in accordance with Forest Wilding Programme guidance and framework.
Produce, maintain and review relevant project documentation throughout the project lifecycles.
Develop annual and long-term work programmes and budgets for the projects, supported by relevant project boards and the Forest Wilding Programme Team.
Manage a delegated budget to ensure the projects are managed within budgetary limits and fiscal
guidelines.
Support funding bids for external funding and ensure that commitments to funders for the projects are appropriately met through project delivery.
Work with the Wild Areas Manager and Wild Area projects to ensure that programme, corporate and funder reporting requirements are met.
2) Land Management
Lead on the development of land management plans for individual wild area projects, working with district colleagues and the Forest Wilding Programme Team to drive nature recovery at the landscape scale.
Lead the investigation of appropriate techniques which will deliver the vision for wild areas in restoring natural processes, ensuring there is a sound evidence base for land management interventions.
Implement agreed land management plans on the ground, including for example, installation of grazing infrastructure, management of herbivores, forest management, tree planting, peatland restoration, hydrological restoration.
Lead the development and delivery of a stakeholder management plan, and take the lead in building and managing relationships with relevant stakeholders.
Procure and manage contracts, services and contractors, including graziers, forestry contractors, consultants and academic institutions.
Ensure Forestry England procurement and contract management regulations are followed throughout the project
Support the investigation of the (re)introduction of influential species to wild areas, which help restore natural processes.
3) Knowledge and Monitoring
Support the implementation of Forestry Englands evidence framework, in assembling evidence to support decision-making and monitoring the success of land management interventions for nature recovery.
Work with the national Forest Wilding programme team, colleagues from Forest Research and wider academia to learn from, identify synergies and efficiencies and share best practice across the Forest Wilding programme.
Commission, manage and interpret surveys to gather baseline information relevant to wild area projects, including eDNA soil analysis, ecological and hydrological information.
Undertake or commission feasibility studies to explore innovative approaches to secure nature recovery in wild areas
4) Communications and public engagement
Work with district and national communications colleagues to develop and implement communications plans for relevant wild areas and the Forest Wilding programme
Where relevant, support the development of partnerships with neighbouring landowners to increase the scale and effectiveness of landscape scale nature recovery.
Showcase the project to internal and external stakeholders to gain support for forest wilding, nature recovery and further delivery within the nations forests.
And any other tasks, reasonably requested by your line manager.
