Forest Craftsperson

South East England

Job details

Location

Bucks Horn Oak, South East England, GU10 4LS : Hill Brow, South East England, GU33 7QP

Salary

£26,959

Hours of work

Flexible working, Full-time

Contract

Permanent

Closing date

January 25, 2026

About the Job

What you’ll do…

We are looking for an enthusiastic, hardworking and highly motivated team player who enjoys practical tasks in an outdoor environment. You must be able to work independently as well as part of a team. You will be part of the South Downs beat team completing a wide range of management and maintenance tasks to help meet the team’s and District’s work commitments as instructed by the beat manager.

This role can be physically challenging, and you will be working outdoors in all weather conditions using a variety of equipment including vibrating power tools.

Please see the job description below for more information and details about what we need from you.

Where you’ll work…

The post covers two geographic areas and time will be split evenly between these areas.

The South Downs beat covers 4,300 ha of mixed woodland that varies from pure beech on the South Downs to ancient broadleaf woodland – remnants of the Royal Hunting Forest of Bere. The woodlands are spread across East Hampshire and West Sussex and include well used recreation sites, conservation areas and sites of Special Scientific Interest. The Beat team are based at Forestry England Operations Yard, Liss, GU33 7QP.

The Chiddingfold beat covers 2,800 ha of mixed woodland ( 60% BL, 40% conifer) that varies from designated ancient woodlands in the west to areas of production conifer in the Surrey Hills to the east. The woodlands are spread across Surrey and East Hampshire. They are well used for recreation and contain nationally important conservation areas consisting of sites of Special Scientific Interest and SNCI’s. Much of the beat area is contained within the Surrey Hills AONB. The Beat team are based at Forestry England Operations Yard, Farnham, GU10 4LS.

Job Description

Operational:

• restock and establishment work: hand planting, tree guard construction, repairing fences and controlling clearing and maintaining trees: high pruning, cutting back and tree safety work: surveys, putting up safety signs and safety tree survey work related to managing potentially hazardous estate maintenance work such as high pruning operations to maintain access and the management or clearance of trees or other vegetation.
• make sure work programmes you are responsible for are delivered effectively and surveying, including measuring/tariffing, tree safety, stocking density and a variety of recreation when needed, gather operational data accurately and efficiently and maintain appropriate up to date records to the standard required.
• assist with delivering the annual tractor programme of works – mowing, flailing, reinstating tracks, recovering timber and delivering materials amongst the key tasks.

Team working and health and safety:

• operate and maintain tools and resources to required standards and make sure work on site meets our health and safety standards.
• by effectively liaising with colleagues and stakeholders, plan, implement and deliver efficient work programmes that help meet Forestry England’s aims and objectives.
• engage proactively and respond constructively to existing and prospective customers and present the highest standards of professionalism when representing Forestry England in the marketplace.
• carrying out risk assessments working to high health and safety standards which are guided by FISA (Forest Industry Safety Accord).

And any other tasks, reasonably requested by your line manager.

Person Specification

Essential Professional and Technical Experience

• practical experience in forestry or countryside / environmental management.
• general understanding of forestry, arboriculture, nature conservation, outdoor recreation and countryside- related issues.
• competently use a range of hand tools.
• awareness of health and safety systems relevant to practical countryside work e.g. risk assessments, Forest Industry Safety Accord (FISA) guides and lone working systems.
• competent IT user with experience in MS Office suite of applications.
• good interpersonal and communication skills, and ability to work effectively alone and as part of a team.

Desirable Professional and Technical Experience:

• experience in tractor based operations including NPTC tractor base unit and flail & mulcher qualifications.

Qualifications

• City & Guilds NPTC Level 2 Award or equivalent in one or more practical forestry skills such as chainsaw maintenance, cross cutting, and felling and processing trees up to 380mm or equivalent qualification.
• full UK driving license, 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.
• NPTC (or equivalent) in safely applying pesticides using handheld applicators.

Desirable

• forestry or land management qualification.
• further NPTC and Lantra qualifications in Forestry based skills.
• emergency first aid at work + forestry (F).
• a GCSE in Maths and English or functional skills equivalent.