Programme Manager
Western Forest
About the Western Forest
The Western Forest is England’s newly announced national forest. The Western Forest will span Gloucestershire, Wiltshire and the West of England, focusing on five core areas over its first five years. It will support over 2.5 million people and plant at least 2,500 hectares of woodland and tree habitat. The project will also restore 1,500 hectares of existing woodland habitat.
The Western Forest will connect and join up our existing woodlands through focused delivery across the region to create and restore the woodlands for people and nature. By doing so, we will create important corridors for our wildlife, mitigate flood risk, create new accessible woodlands for communities in both our rural and urban communities and grow the green economy.
The project has been led by representatives from the Forest of Avon, Great Western Community Forest, Natural History Consortium, local authorities and West of England Combined Authority to success - winning the national forest competition to be the first new national forest in 30 years. A range of additional partners including the Wildlife Trusts, authorities, National Landscapes and others will be closely involved in developing the programme, while a much wider partnership of over 40 stakeholders has come together to support the project.
Purpose of the Role:
The Programme Manager at Western Forest will oversee the delivery of multiple projects within the woodland creation and restoration programme, working closely with Project Managers/leads and the Woodland and Nature Recovery Manager. This role will ensure that all programmes are delivered on time, within scope, and in alignment with the funding requirements and objectives. The Programme Manager will be responsible for monitoring progress, managing reporting to key stakeholders such as Defra and National Forest Company (NFC), and ensuring the quality of the projects. Additionally, the role will involve overseeing GIS/data management, coordinating the efforts of multidisciplinary teams, and serving as the primary contact for Defra and other funding bodies.
Benefits include: Staff pension, Employee Assistance package, 25 days annual leave plus bank holidays, volunteering days and staff training and social events.
Closing at 5pm on Monday 30th June 2025
Interview: Week commencing July 14th
About Western Forest
The Western Forest is the new national forest!
The Western Forest will span Gloucestershire, Wiltshire and the West of England, focusing on five core areas over its first five years. It will support over 2.5 million people and plant at least 2500 hectares of woodland and tree habitats.
The Western Forest will shape a greener, more connected landscape with trees and woodlands at its heart. This will contribute to a resilient future that will benefit the economy, nature and both rural and urban communities.
The Western Forest is the new national forest! The Western Forest will span Gloucestershire, Wiltshire and the West of England, focusing on five core areas over its first five years. It will support over 2.5 million people and plant at least 2500 hectares of woodland and tree habitats. The Western Forest will shape a greener, more connected landscape with trees and woodlands at its heart. This will contribute to a resilient future that will benefit the economy, nature and both rural and urban communities.
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