Location
East England District - flexible base at any Forestry England office within the district, with preference for Santon Downham (Suffolk), Chilterns (Buckinghamshire), or Bedgebury (Kent).

Hours
Full Time - 37 hours per week

Salary
£40,388 - £43,482 per annum

About the Role
As Nature Recovery Manager, you will lead ambitious nature recovery projects across a diverse area of approximately 35,000 hectares spanning Norfolk to the Sussex coast and west to Buckinghamshire. You will oversee the strategic development and delivery of wild area and species recovery projects under the Forest Wilding Programme, including restoring habitats to improve ecological connectivity, managing plantations on ancient woodland sites, and enhancing the condition of key Sites of Special Scientific Interest such as the Brecklands and Sandling Forests. Your role involves building strong relationships with internal and external stakeholders, initiating and managing projects through their lifecycle, reporting progress to project and programme boards, and supervising dedicated project officer staff. This position offers the opportunity to make a significant positive impact on the environment and biodiversity in the region.

Benefits
Forestry England contributes an average of 28.97% towards your pension through the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension Scheme. You will receive 25 days holiday per year, increasing by one day per year of service up to 30 days (pro-rated for part-time employees), plus bank holidays. Additional benefits include access to the STaR employee discount scheme, free parking at Forestry England sites, free entry to National Arboretums at Westonbirt and Bedgebury, and a strong commitment to lifelong learning and career development through professional development support and sponsored membership of professional bodies.

Experience
Proven experience in managing environmental or nature recovery projects, with the ability to lead complex programmes and work collaboratively with diverse stakeholders. Experience in habitat restoration, species recovery, and ecological connectivity is highly desirable.

About you
You are passionate about nature and conservation, with strong leadership and project management skills. You demonstrate excellent communication and interpersonal abilities, enabling you to build effective partnerships internally and externally. You are motivated, organised, and able to deliver results within a dynamic environment. A commitment to Forestry England’s values and the Civil Service behaviours of Seeing The Big Picture, Delivering At Pace, Working Together, and Making Effective Decisions is essential.

Qualifications
Relevant qualifications in ecology, environmental science, forestry, or a related discipline are desirable but not mandatory. A willingness to undergo a criminal record check and government baseline personnel security standard check is required. Fluency in spoken English is essential for this role.