Deer Officer

You will be part of either the SEL or SW Area team and line managed by their Partnerships & Expertise Manager, with the Deer Advisor (part of the national Policy Advice team) as your countersigning officer. As such, your work will be directed and delivered locally but with national oversight and strategic steer.
The Deer Officer plays a critical role as the interface between Forest Services and landowners, land managers and forestry agents in providing advice and facilitation for the management of wild deer to reduce their impacts on woodland condition and establishment.
The Deer Officer role involves engaging with woodland owners, agents and stakeholders to provide guidance and advice on deer impacts on woodlands and how they can be managed, with an aim of encouraging and enabling collaborative, landscape scale deer management activities. The role will also look to share best practice among the deer community to ensure the sustainable management of deer populations in a safe, humane manner.
You will be expected to have strong experience and understanding of the issues regarding deer management, and be able to demonstrate an existing or be able to gain a rapid understanding of how these issues impact on the objectives and activities of the Forestry Commission (both Forest Services and Forestry England – managers of the public forest estate), Natural England, Defra (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs), and wider government. You will be expected to show initiative and to work autonomously, and to establish excellent working relationships with colleagues.
You will work with the Area Team, Policy team colleagues (specifically natural environment specialists), woodland owners and managers, stalkers and deer interest groups, using your knowledge, experience and sound judgement to reduce the long term impact of deer on the condition of woodlands. You will work alongside Woodland Officers and specialist delivery colleagues (such as Woodland Creation Officers) to ensure the delivery of Government forestry policy through the interpretation and effective use of advice, incentives and regulations when advising woodland owners and their agents in reviewing/developing plans to manage deer.
Coordinating your work with other Deer Officers and the Deer Advisor, you will feedback lessons learned to Area and National Teams to help refine and promote best practice.
This role will require some evening and possibly limited weekend work for which time off in lieu may be payable.
If your home lies out of your work area you will be expected to travel to your work area or designated parent office in your own time and cost.