Natural Environment Principal (Plymouth and South Devon Community Forest)
Overview
A dynamic leadership role to manage transformative change for nature and communities across Plymouth City and South Devon. The Principal will shape the future of the Community Forest, manage partnerships, and deliver nature‑based solutions that support equitable access to nature, climate resilience, health and wellbeing.
What You’ll Do
Co‑lead PSDCF’s delivery of Defra’s Tree programme, focusing on nature‑based objectives, tree equity and urban and community planting across Plymouth and South Devon’s towns and villages.
Support the management of an ambitious team, lead work directly with communities, landowners, businesses and individuals to design and deliver tree planting and greenspace enhancements that deliver long‑lasting benefits to their areas.
What You’ll Manage
- A high‑performing group within the Community Forest team delivering the design and implementation of tree planting schemes across Plymouth and South Devon.
- Advancement of scheme delivery year on year within an innovative programme that promotes biodiversity, tackles inequality and supports net zero and climate adaptation ambitions.
- Attainment of local and national targets, ensuring reporting is achieved within required parameters and on time.
- Delivery of budgets and facilitation of grant funds to third parties, enabling fully grant‑funded delivery of tree planting and greenspace enhancements.
- Empowering communities and volunteers to co‑design, deliver and care for Forest planting and long‑term management.
- Maintaining partnerships with national bodies such as the National Trust, Woodland Trust, England’s Community Forests and the Community Forest Trust, as well as local stakeholders across health, education and economy.
- Delivery against strategic plans including the Plan for Nature and People, the PSDCF Plan and inputs to wider city planning processes.
What You’ll Bring
- A degree in a natural environment or related field.
- Experience of managing teams and achieving success against targets.
- Demonstrable forestry and/or arboriculture knowledge, with a passion for trees, woodlands and wider habitat and ecological processes and practices.
- Proven experience managing natural infrastructure projects and applying policy and planning frameworks to projects.
- Experience of working with partners and communities to deliver environmental impacts.
- Track record of managing budgets, grant funding and reporting procedures.
- Strong communication skills working with a variety of audiences, strategic thinking, and political awareness.
- Experience working with communities, volunteers and cross‑sector partners.
Why Plymouth?
The role is based within Plymouth City Council’s new Natural Environment Service, which brings together several groundbreaking programmes and teams across the themes of Communities, Trees, Marine, Nature Recovery and Environmental Operations. The service enhances Plymouth’s leadership as a Nature City, with a record of innovation across Climate, Nature, People and Place programmes.
Funding and Employment
This post is funded until 30 June 2028 through DEFRA’s Trees Fund.
Equal Opportunities
Plymouth City Council is an equal opportunities employer. All applicants will be considered for employment regardless of age, care experience, disability, gender reassignment, marriage/civil partnership, pregnancy/maternity, race, religion/belief, sex or sexual orientation. As part of our commitment to promoting equality, guaranteed interviews are offered to those who meet the essential criteria and who are considered disabled, care experienced or are an Armed Forces Service Leaver within the last two years.
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