Location

The role will be based in Northern Research Station, Roslin, Midlothian EH25 9SY with blended working which gives you the option to work some of the week from home, and some of the week from the workplace. Please be aware that this role can only be worked in the UK and not overseas.

Job summary

Want to work at the cutting edge of environmental science?  Passionate about making a difference and playing your part in tackling the climate and nature crisis?  Forest Research is all about giving top quality evidence and advice to policymakers and practitioners to make a positive impact on the ground. Internationally recognised, we need people who have the skills and passion to work on excellent science and provide practical solutions for nature.

We’re small enough that your voice is heard, yet large enough, as part of the Forestry Commission, that we have everything on hand to get the job done, as well as a variety of career pathways.  Our staff are dedicated to their work and sharing it with others to bring positive change for our planet.  And you will find us a flexible and inclusive employer, so you can have a work life balance that is tailor-made to your circumstances. So, whether it’s climate or carbon, pests or pathogens, behaviour or biodiversity that interests you, you can be assured of a warm welcome to the team. To find out more, visit forestresearch.gov.uk.

Timber and wood products sourced from sustainably managed forests have a key role to play in the move to a low carbon economy, providing renewable materials for use in construction, manufacturing and bioenergy. Increasing global demand for wood highlights the importance of making the best use of the UK’s domestic forest resource, based on knowledge and understanding of timber properties and the factors that affect them. The Tree and Wood Properties research programme is focused on improving our understanding of how tree growth, environmental factors and genetics affect wood properties. We aim to provide evidence-based guidance on the characteristics of timber from a range of softwood and hardwood tree species, taking account of projected climate change impacts on growing conditions and wood formation.

Job description

As part of the Silviculture and Wood Properties science group we work in collaboration with wider Forest Research groups, stakeholders from the forest industry, and UK and international research and academic partners. Our core aim is to study, predict and advise how forest management decisions and environmental change impact the quality of the wood that will come from our forests.  Current areas of particular interest are characterising the timber properties of emerging species grown in the UK, development of faster methods to characterise and measure wood properties from trees, model the impact of a changing climate on tree and timber properties, and understand the risk our future climate might pose to our timber resource.

The post will be based on site at Forest Research Northern Research Station with our wood and timber research facilities, and involves a mixture of desk, workshop, and laboratory work, alongside outdoor and occasional field work across the UK.

The purpose of the role is to provide the expertise and operational management and support to ensure high quality data acquisition throughout our experimental wood research work, from testing in forests through to wood processing and timber testing in a lab. Our research extends from acoustic timber measurements and LIDAR scans of forest plots, through to working with harvested timber, and X-ray scans and grading of small wood samples.

The post holder will be responsible for the oversight and active participation in the operation of our wood testing and processing facilities, including the wood research workshop, sawmill and small wood testing lab. This will involve coordinating and managing these research spaces, supervising and line-managing research technicians, and directly contributing to hands-on work as required. The role also includes ensuring the effective day-to-day running of the facilities, upholding safety standards and maintaining quality assurance in both operational and research activities. This role requires the ability to manage multiple projects and responsibilities simultaneously, often with competing deadlines. Strong organisational skills and the capacity to prioritise effectively are essential.

The post holder will also take a leading role directing the application of the teams’ experimental methods and operational activities across the “Tree and Wood Properties research programme”. This includes undertaking established and novel wood properties assessments, through the application of experimental techniques, computer analysis, presentation of data, and reporting.  Their activities will support the active development and quality assurance of our experimental timber research. This position offers opportunities for the post holder to take an active role in developing and testing innovative methods that advance the team’s research and technical capabilities.

Key work areas:

• Supervise and undertake work on tree and wood properties of softwood and hardwood species growing in the UK, liaising with customers and stakeholders as needed, to deliver agreed outputs
• Coordinate and participating in practical experimental and operational activities within the wood research programme
• Responsible for managing, setting up, calibrating, troubleshooting and maintaining wood research facilities and equipment
• Ensure work within the Tree and Wood Properties programme conforms to relevant Health and Safety and Quality Assurance protocols and standards
• Consolidate data sets and conduct data quality checks and process large data sets, assist in summarising results for scientific and non-technical audiences
• Contribute, likely in the form of professional advice, to research outputs and communication of results of research through effective knowledge exchange, (likely to including trade and scientific publications, internal reports and presentations)
• When required work with the colleagues from other science groups
• Develop effective contacts with a wide range of technical services, potential collaborators and stakeholders, including industry, international researchers and relevant university departments.

 

Person specification

Essential criteria:

• Degree or equivalent in forestry, wood science or engineering
• Demonstrable practical skills and experience in forestry, wood processing or engineering
• Experience of managing colleagues to deliver agreed programmes of work, including responsibility for relevant Health & Safety and Quality Assurance requirements
• Experience in the advanced use of Microsoft Excel, R, or comparable data processing software to collate, summarise and analyse information
• Excellent teamwork and communication skills e.g. with colleagues, staff, and collaborators
• A good level of physical fitness to safely undertake physically demanding tasks, including sawmilling, manual handling of heavy materials and outdoor fieldwork in varied terrain and weather conditions.

 

Desirable Criteria:

• Demonstrable interest in and knowledge of the UK’s forestry and wood-using industries
• Experience in the use of timber processing machinery such as sawmills, band saws and planers
• Experience of delivering field or lab-based research projects
• Demonstrable knowledge and understanding of the influence of stand and site factors on wood and timber properties.

 

Behaviours

We’ll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Managing a Quality Service
• Delivering at Pace
• Working Together

 

We only ask for evidence of these behaviours on your application form:

• Managing a Quality Service

 

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £32,089, Forestry Commission – Forest Research contributes £9,296 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

Your career

• Excellent professional development opportunities which are tailored to your role, with paid professional membership subscriptions, mentoring, and Civil Service Learning available to all
• access to world class laboratory facilities, as well as state of the art buildings within forest or science park settings

 

Your work/life balance

• flexible working options such as: up to two days flexi leave per month, blended working, part-time working, paid special leave, career breaks, and unpaid leave. Parents and carers will be supported to enable you to manage work and family responsibilities
• A generous annual leave allowance of 25 days on entry increasing by 1 day each year to a maximum of 30 days (pro-rata for part-timers). Plus 2.5 days of additional leave and 8 days’ paid bank/public holidays

 

Your wellbeing

• A culture which promotes a diverse and inclusive work environment
• A range of wellbeing benefits including Employee Assistance Programme 24/7
• We want you to feel part of something bigger and we encourage a community feel in our workplaces, with everything from cookery competitions to Pilates and fell running, plus topical talks at Wellbeing Wednesdays and Feelgood Fridays
• Paid volunteering leave of 3 days per year so you can give back to your community and charitable causes by sharing your skills and time

 

Your benefits

• a highly competitive Civil Service Pension of 28.97% your salary
• an employee benefits scheme offering discounts on groceries, gym memberships, holidays, days out, online retailers and high street shops
• Cycle to Work scheme and Interest free loans
• Free parking is offered on-site, alongside electric car charging ports

 

With maternity, adoption, and/or shared parental leave there’s the flexibility to have up to 26 weeks full pay, followed by 13 weeks statutory pay and a further 13 weeks unpaid leave. Paternity leave of up to two weeks is available with full pay.