Are you passionate about nature‑based solutions and ready to play a leading role in tackling climate change? Join us at Buckinghamshire Council as we continue to make significant strides towards achieving our target of planting 543,000 trees by 2031. This is an exciting opportunity to contribute towards the development and delivery of the Bucks Tree Mission, a programme that supports climate resilience, and improves natural capital across Buckinghamshire.

You will work effectively with external stakeholders to develop, prioritise and deliver support to facilitate tree planting; manage contractors responsible for woodland design, creation, and maintenance, environmental assessments, and/or Woodland Carbon Code (WCC) validation and verification etc; help secure and manage grant funding; ensure compliance with relevant standards, including the UK Forestry Standard and Woodland Carbon Code; and directly manage tree planting projects.

If you are motivated by making a visible, lasting difference and can bring the skills and experience required for the role to drive this programme forward, we would love to hear from you.

This is a secondment/fixed‑term contract opportunity up to 26^th April 2027 (inclusive).

The Senior Woodland Creation Officer will:

• Help continue the development and delivery of the Bucks Tree Mission, ensuring high‑quality tree planting and woodland creation that aligns with strategic targets.
• Manage projects through lifecycle stages, including commissioning and overseeing contractors for design, planting, and maintenance.
• Ensure compliance with relevant standards such as the UK Forestry Standard and Woodland Carbon Code.
• Secure and manage external grant funding.
• Work effectively with external stakeholders including landowners, community groups, and government bodies.
• Provide specialist professional advice internally and externally, including responding to complex enquiries and producing reports.
• Collect, analyse and present performance data.

About you

You will have:

• Substantial relevant experience of tree planting / woodland creation projects.
• Excellent project management skills and experience, with experience of implementing change.
• Excellent knowledge of the forestry/woodland management sector.
• Expert knowledge of relevant regulations, best practice, policies and procedures, including health and safety.
• Excellent interpersonal, planning and organisational, research and analysis skills.
• Experience of partnership working, Experience of resolving escalated / complex customer queries
• Experience supporting the preparation of tenders / contracts, and managing budgets and contractors.
• Good communication and presentation, literacy, numeracy and report writing, and ICT skills.

For further information on this role please see the attached job summary.

Other information

We typically work two days in the office and the remainder of the week from home.

If you would like to have an informal conversation about the role, please contact: Naomi Proudlove, Principal Woodland Creation Officer, via email: naomi.proudlove@buckinghamshire.gov.uk; or Stephen Passmore, Climate Response Team Leader, via email: Stephen.passmore@buckinghamshire.gov.uk.