Operations Manager - Engagement
Forestry Commission
Apply before 11:55 pm on Sunday 3rd November 2024
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About the job
Job summary
We are Forestry England, the country’s largest land manager, caring for the nation’s forests for people, wildlife and timber.
For more than 100 years, Forestry England has been growing, shaping and caring for more than 1,500 of our nation’s forests for the benefit and enjoyment of all. Our forests provide amazing places for people to enjoy, for sustainable timber to grow and are a home in which wildlife can thrive.
Our mission is to connect everyone with the nation’s forests. We’re looking for an experienced communications and marketing manager to help tell our story to a wider audience, deepen engagement and encourage greater access to the benefits of woodlands for all.
Background
West England Forest District is one of six forest districts across the country and is responsible for the sustainable management of over 36,500ha of the nation's forests in the west and south-west of England.
The District extends from the Shropshire Hills AONB south to the majestic oak and beech woods of Savernake Forest in Wiltshire and south-west to Idless Woods near Truro in Cornwall.
The District is managed from the District Office at Coleford, in the Forest of Dean, with a secondary office at Haldon Forest Park near Exeter, supported by ten remotely located forest beat teams and three recreation hub teams that look after the forests and woods on a day-to-day basis.
This post sits within the Recreation and Engagement team which consists of three recreation hub teams, Haldon Forest & Cardinham, Forest of Dean, Wyre & the Marches, and specialist functions such as community engagement, learning, volunteering, marketing and communication.
You’ll be responsible for cultivating richer audience connections with the nation’s forests in the district, leading our marketing and communications team, creating a district marketing and communications strategy, promoting our offer, and telling our story in effective ways and through a variety of different sources.
Job description
Leadership
- Lead and inspire the marketing and communications team. Our marketing and communications team currently consists of three marketing and communications officers, one communications officer, a multimedia officer and two business support officers.
- Monitor and report on evaluation of all campaigns, and be responsible for expenditure relating to marketing and communications.
Marketing
- Lead marketing activity, using market insight, to tell our story and grow our business priorities and improve our income returns.
- Use data to better understand and reach new and existing audiences.
- To manage and develop plans for the district’s marketing activity.
Communications
- Grow our reputation as caring custodians of the nation’s forests.
- Lead proactive communications with District staff and partners to promote and enhance Forestry England’s reputation with local stakeholders, communities and visiting public as leaders in land and visitor management.
- Monitor and anticipate communication activity that may impact on our reputation and design communications plan to mitigate the impact.
- Be an active member of the District’s Operations Team and advise them where communications can be used to limit business risks or improve income returns.
- Provide professional communications advice to senior management and wider district colleagues on issues and reputation, including positioning with the media and external stakeholders.
- Lead design of internal communication activity that distributes consistent messages and profiles positive work of all staff.
- Raise awareness and understanding of sustainable forestry, developing insight-led behaviour change campaigns.
- Lead the district’s contributions to national communications and marketing campaigns.
- Ensure effective use of our complaints process.
Stakeholder Management
- Lead on stakeholder engagement by developing our communications and consultation approach around forest operations and plans to build support from visitors, local communities and other key stakeholders.
- Advise and assist colleagues when dealing with issues management and stakeholder groups.
Engagement
- Lead on our Active Forests programme in the district to increase the number and frequency of people being active in our forests.
- Advise and assist colleagues on issues management and stakeholder groups.
General
- Plan and deliver according to a yearly budget.
- Work within and as part of the wider district recreation and engagement team to plan campaigns and initiatives collaboratively.
Person specification
Essential Professional and Technical experience
- Experience of building strategic communication and marketing plans to enhance corporate objectives.
- Experience of handling media enquiries and using media outlets positively to promote work of the organisation and its staff.
- Experience of designing and implementing marketing campaigns to promote the products and services of the organisation.
- Experience of commissioning and managing marketing and public relations consultants.
- Experience of team leadership and staff management.
- Strong management and leadership skills.
- The ability to build and maintain highly effective working relationships with a range of people (both internally and externally).
- Proven ability to manage competing demands and prioritise workloads.
Desirable Professional and Technical experience
- Experience of budget and staff resource planning and monitoring.
- Experience of working in partnership across organisations for mutual benefit.
- Educated to degree level.
- A relevant professional qualification or a significant level of experience in marketing and communications.
Behaviours
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
- Communicating and Influencing
- Delivering at Pace
- Seeing the Big Picture
- Working Together
Technical skills
We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:
- We will ask candidates selected for interview to prepare a presentation that will test their technical abilities for this role
Benefits
- Learning and development tailored to your role.
- An environment with flexible working options.
- A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity.
- A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%.
Things you need to know
Selection process details
As part of the application process you will be asked to complete a CV and personal statement. Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.
- A CV setting out your career history, with key responsibilities and achievements. Please ensure you have provided any reasons for any gaps within the last two years.
- A personal statement (max 1000 words) explaining how you consider your personal experience is relevant to this role. Please demonstrate how you meet the essential criteria as detailed in the person specification.
Should a large number of applications be received, an initial sift may be conducted using the Personal Statement. Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift, or progressed straight to assessment/interview.
At interview stage you will be assessed according to your experience against the job description and personal specification, your behaviours and your technical skills. To test your technical skills you will be asked to prepare a presentation to bring to interview. In the interview, we will test for these behaviours, outlined in the Civil Service Success Profiles:
- Communicating and Influencing
- Delivering at Pace
- Seeing the Big Picture
- Working Together
Interviews will be conducted in person. You will be notified of the location if you are selected for interview.
Sift and Interview details to be confirmed.
Further Information
A reserve list may be held for a period of 6 months from which further appointments can be made.
Any move to Forestry Commission from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax Free Childcare. Determine your eligibility at https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk
If successful and transferring from another Government Department a criminal record check may be carried out.
In order to process applications without delay, we will be sending a Criminal Record Check to Disclosure and Barring Service on your behalf.
However, we recognise in exceptional circumstances some candidates will want to send their completed forms direct. If you will be doing this, please advise Government Recruitment Service of your intention by emailing Pre-EmploymentChecks.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk stating the job reference number in the subject heading.
New entrants are expected to join on the minimum of the pay band.
The duties of this post require the applicant to have a full current driving licence that enables them to drive in the UK. 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.
Reasonable Adjustment
If a person with disabilities is put at a substantial disadvantage compared to a non-disabled person, we have a duty to make reasonable changes to our processes.
If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should:
Contact Government Recruitment Service via fcerecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.
Complete the ‘Assistance required’ section in the ‘Additional requirements’ page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need further on in the recruitment process. For instance, you may need wheelchair access at interview, or if you’re deaf, a Language Service Professional.
If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the 'Contact point for applicants' section.
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
Security
Nationality requirements
Working for the Civil Service
We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window).
Diversity and Inclusion
Apply and further information
Contact point for applicants
Job contact :
- Name : Nadia Stone
- Email : nadia.stone@forestryengland.uk
Recruitment team
- Email : fcerecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk
Further information
