Planning & Environment Manager

Forestry and Land Scotland is a Scottish Government agency that looks after Scotland’s national forests and land (NFL). While a large proportion of our work involves timber production, we reinvest income into management of the NFL for the benefit of Scotland’s economy, environment and society. In FLS we’re knowledgeable about multi-purpose forestry, environmental and wider land management; and we’re committed to managing the land to improve biodiversity, adapt to climate change, secure carbon and create great places for the people of Scotland.
Central Region stretches from the Cowal peninsula in the west, across Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park, to the southern parts of Fife and through the central belt. Whilst much of our landholding comprises commercial forestry, it also includes a diverse range of habitats including Atlantic oak woods in the west, pinewoods in the east and extensive areas of open hill ground and bog habitat.
The Region balances traditional timber production with maintenance of extensive areas of open ground and world class visitor hotspots, renewables developments, and the management of a number of Designated sites and Scheduled Monuments. Other significant activities include rainforest and peatland restoration, new native woodland creation, restoration of Plantation on Ancient Woodland Sites (PAWS) and the management of habitats for key species (including a range of raptor species, red squirrel, great crested newt, pine marten, black grouse).
The Planning & Environment Team works closely with other teams and specialists to design and shape our forests and land now and into the future, ensuring they deliver multiple benefits often within the same space. The team leads on planning our land to meet place-specific objectives; programming and organising the work that needs to be undertaken; and facilitating our environmental objectives., The Planning & Environment Manager is a key role, responsible for providing environmental expertise to inform land management planning and programming of future works on the National Forests and Land, and includes significant project work which requires senior management collaboration and representation. It is interesting and challenging work which balances facilitation of the regional core work programmes (timber harvesting, restocking, civil engineering, and deer control) whilst seeking opportunities to positively contribute to the climate change/biodiversity crisis and manage the estate for optimal environmental benefit.
This role will provide leadership, direction and support to teams working within the Planning & Environment function across the Region. You will lead on all elements of environmental work – identifying, prioritising and planning works to support biodiversity, habitat and species management across the Region, and you will also have strategic oversight of two dedicated teams focussing on rainforest and peatland restoration.
You’ll need to maintain a strategic overview to make sure we’re focused on the most important issues at any one time; maintain momentum to ensure we achieve objectives; and take initiative, liaising across teams and with external stakeholders to ensure plans and programmes are deliverable whilst meeting Scottish Government priorities. You will work with external stakeholders to develop partnerships and represent the Region, including working to identify external funding and partnership working opportunities to develop a portfolio of ‘shovel-ready’ environment projects.
As a member of the Regional Leadership Team, you will have a say in the future direction of the Region, contribute to business planning and develop budgets, and adapt and innovate to efficiently deliver FLS and Scottish Government objectives.

Person specification
Leadership and staff management
+ Lead, inspire and support a motivated team covering core environmental functions as well as two project-specific strands focussing on rainforest and peatland restoration.
+ Provide direct line management for the thematic team leads for your lead work areas, managing staff in line with FLS policies, and optimise team effectiveness through innovation and prioritisation.
+ Have a strong focus on team and individual wellbeing and skills development.
Lead on implementing biodiversity objectives
+ Engage with regional and national teams to identify, scope and set out priorities for habitat and species conservation and enhancement, and adapting our land to meet biodiversity objectives
+ Advise and support other teams to ensure core programmes of operational work remain fully compliant with regard to protected habitats and species, and seek opportunities to optimise environmental benefits;
+ Lead on the strategic approach to large scale environmental initiatives within the Region (e.g. PAWS restoration, Non-native invasives control, Rainforest restoration, Peatland restoration etc.
+ Enable core programmes of environment work, including invasive non-native species control, native woodland restoration and habitat enhancement. Oversee the coordination of surveys relating to these.
Project work
+ Tree Health – act as Regional lead, focussing on implementation of the FLS larch strategy and liaising with national and local Scottish Forestry Tree Health officers
+ SUPERB research project – act as Regional lead for this 4-year EU Horizon project, working in partnership with Forest Research over the final 12 months of the project
+ Glen Croe – act as main point of contact, and coordinate Central Region responses / actions, with a range of stakeholders undertaking work relating to the Rest and Be Thankful engineering works in Glen Croe (Transport Scotland, Bear Scotland, Atkins)
Represent the Region/FLS and work with external stakeholders
+ Engage with partners and other stakeholders to facilitate landscape scale initiatives
+ Represent the Region in key stakeholder forums and relationships
+ Identify and pursue opportunities to work with others where this can deliver externally funded projects or partnership working opportunities
Contribute to Regional leadership
+ Be an effective member of the Regional Leadership Team, helping to develop strategic appreciation of the challenges and opportunities within the Region
+ Contribute to the Business Planning and Monitoring process, think ahead, identifying opportunities to add value and maximise the potential of the estate
+ Contribute to wider FLS working groups and initiatives and work with external partners to deliver Scottish Government objectives

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.
People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Alongside your salary of £49,493, Forestry and Land Scotland contributes £14,338 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.