Scottish Forestry

Post Title: Head of Tree Health

Recruitment Reference: REQ0006 POSN000430 Starting Salary: £53,543 Salary Range: £53,543-£59,286 Pay Band: Pay Band 2/SC Grade 7 Business Area: Policy & Practice Location: (other locations will be considered, subject to agreed regular presence in Edinburgh) Contract Type: Permanent Line Manager: Head of Policy and Practice

Working Pattern: This is a full-time vacancy, however we are a flexible employer and encourage applicants who wish to work other flexible working patterns to apply, as requests will be considered.

Nationality Requirements: We are currently unable to sponsor individuals to work in the UK, therefore it is essential that you ensure that you have the Right to work in the UK before applying to work with us.

You will also be required to meet the nationality requirements to work for the Civil Service.

Disability Confident Scheme: Applicants claiming a guaranteed interview will be invited for further assessment should they meet the minimum essential criteria listed in this document. Further Information: If you have any queries relating the recruitment process or require any adjustments for the application process, please contact [email protected]

Information about the Business Area: As an agency under the Environment and Forestry (ENFOR) Directorate within (SG), Scottish Forestry (SF) develops and delivers policies to achieve Scottish Government’s outcomes, and directly advises Scottish Ministers on matters relating to forestry.

Safeguarding the health of ’s trees is central to delivering the Scottish Forestry Strategy vision that Scotland’s trees woods and forest provide a more resilient and adaptable resource that supports a strong economy, a thriving environment and healthy and flourishing communities. The Scottish Forestry Strategy identifies climate change as a strategic driver which will impact both positively and negatively on Scotland’s forests and woodlands. It is expected that tree growth will increase due to longer warmer growing seasons, while the ability of Scotland’s forests and woodlands to continue providing a wide range of economic social and environmental benefits in coming years will be threatened by more frequent and extreme weather events (high temperature, drought, flooding and storms) as well as the impacts of pests and pathogens.

Recent years have seen a number of threats to Scotland’s trees and surveillance continues on diseases such as Phytopthora Ramorum, Dendroctonus micans and Ash dieback.

Information about the Role: As the Head of Tree Health, you will secure strong, evidenced-based advice, deliver the annual surveillance programme, and lead the development of tree health policy, and as part of the wider SG Plant Health function, to ensure delivery of tree health, adaption and resilience priorities.

You will lead a ten strong Tree Health Team, which forms part of the Policy and Practice Group within Scottish Forestry. You will have lead responsibility for providing advice and the strategic co- ordination of action to ensure that short and long-term threats to Scotland’s trees are managed and risks effectively mitigated.

The post-holder will report directly to the Head of Policy and Practice.

Main Duties: • Working closely with the SG Chief Plant Health Officer (SGCPHO), lead the development of tree health policy for the SG. Provide advice to Ministers on policy options to improve and maintain the health of Scotland’s woodland resource, incorporating wider SG strategies and emerging policies and ensuring that it drives effective action from public, private and third sector operators. • Lead on tree health horizon scanning and contingency planning for the SG. • Contribute evidence and advice on tree health to wider programmes working to improve the adaption and resilience of Scotland’s trees, woods and forests. • Ensure compliance with and where necessary, effective amendment of relevant national and international plant health legislation. • Ensure the maintenance of a strong evidence-base to underpin government activity, including the commissioning of advice and the co-ordination of appropriate monitoring and surveillance activities. • Work closely with the Head of Delivery within SF to ensure that regulatory and incentive delivery actions are co-ordinated to achieve relevant policy outcomes. • In the case of a national incident as declared by the SGCPHO, act as Incident Manager in agreement with SGCPHO. • Lead the SF Tree Health team, ensuring the delivery of high-quality policy, advice, evidence and guidance and manage the Tree Health budget to ensure effective allocation of resources and control of expenditure. • Develop and maintain strategic partnerships across SG, Forestry Commission, UK Plant Health service, the forestry sector and other associated bodies. • Represent SF on a range of Tree and Plant health governance forums and chair the Scottish Tree Health Advisory Group (STHAG).

Success Profiles: Below are details of the Success Profile that make up this role. You will be expected to provide evidence to show how you meet the criteria at application and/or interview stage.

Behaviours:

• Behaviour 1 and Lead Criteria: Changing and Improving. • Behaviour 2: Leadership. • Behaviour 3: Communicating and Influencing. • Behaviour 4: Delivering at Pace.

Experience

Essential: • Demonstrable leadership qualities with experience of successfully leading teams. • Excellent planning and organisation skills. • Strong, clear and concise verbal communication skills, able to influence and engage at all levels. • Report writing skills. • Good analytical skills. • Problem solving skills. • Budget management experience.

Desirable: Experience of preparing and responding to ministerial correspondence.

Technical

Essential: • Degree in plant sciences or similar relevant degree, or demonstrable experience relevant to the role. • Demonstrable experience of leading and successfully delivering, policy or operational activity. • Sound knowledge of the key tree pests and diseases impacting and the UK, and the relevant management control procedures. • Working knowledge of national and international tree health legislation. • Practical understanding of UK forestry and silvicultural principles. • Membership of the Institute of Chartered Foresters or working towards membership.

Desirable: Working with scientific professionals to commission research and deliver projects successfully.

Strengths: You will not be assessed against this at application stage. However, this will be assessed if you are successful for interview.

What we offer you: If successful, you will be entitled to a wide range of benefits. This includes:

• A generous annual leave allowance of 25 days, rising to 30 days per year after 5 years’ service. In addition, there are currently 11.5 days of public and privilege holidays, dates of which are set annually. • A competitive contributory pension scheme. • Annual pay progression (subject to Scottish Government approval). • Access to an ASVA card, giving you free access to over 480 visitor attractions and sites across Scotland. • Employee discount with Forest Holidays. • Cycle to Work Scheme. • A generous paid maternity and paternity leave. • We recognise the importance of enabling employees to achieve a healthy work-life balance by offering flexi-time arrangements in areas of the business where it is appropriate to do so. • Access to join the Civil Service Sports Council (CSSC), which offers a number of discounts, access to leisure activities, gyms and much more. • Free car parking spaces for staff (dependent on the office location). • Employee development opportunities - Personal and professional development with a range of in-house courses offered by our Learning and Development team. • Fully funded professional accreditation fees required for your role, where applicable. • Access to the Employee Assistance Programme – available all year round (24 hours, 7 days a week). • Trade union membership for those interested in joining one.

Candidates should be Chartered or working towards Chartered status.

Additional Information: Where a vacancy attracts more than ten applications, only certain ‘essential’ criteria, known as ‘lead criteria’, will be assessed at sift stage, providing a lead criteria is specified in the advert. However, it is still important that you complete the entire application form in sufficient detail, as there is no way of knowing that a vacancy will have a high number of applications.

We strongly believe in an inclusive and supportive work culture. We welcome applications from everyone regardless of background. We are currently under-represented by women, therefore, we encourage applications from females.

Concerns about our recruitment: Recruitment at Scottish Forestry is administered by Forestry and Land Scotland. If you believe that the Civil Service Recruitment Principles have been breached, you can submit a complaint to the Head of People and OD of Forestry and Land Scotland.

They will assess compliance with the Recruitment Principles but will not review the decision(s) of the selection board.

If you are not satisfied with the response from the Head of HR, you may submit an appeal to the Civil Service Commission, as set out in the complaint outcome letter from the Head of People and OD.

Closing date: 18 July 2021, 11.55 pm. Proposed Interview date: Tuesday 3 August (MS Teams).

Apply link: https://ce0452li.webitrent.com/ce0452li_webrecruitment/wrd/run/ETREC107GF.open?VACANCY_I D%3d6638232kXG%1BUSESSION=0D9C7132D8BA11EBA00B8EF6108CB4E6&WVID=9738092dCa&LA NG=USA