Change Manager

Job summary

As part of the Forestry Commission (FC), Forest Services (FS) are the Government's forestry experts. We advise nationally and locally on how to unlock the full potential of woodlands and support the forestry sector to protect, improve and expand England’s valuable woodland assets, ensuring that they continue to provide benefits to people, the environment and the economy.

The Business Transformation team within Forest Services is responsible for driving transformational change and continual business improvement. It includes teams of change and project management professionals alongside development teams (teams of business analysis professionals headed up by development managers).

We are looking for enthusiastic experienced change professionals to help us develop and implement business transformation projects, from developing new systems and processes to improving our ways of working. We encourage applications from those with experience of supporting IT and systems change, as well as broader cultural and transformational change.

Job description

The Change Manager role supports the delivery of business transformation projects across Forest Services, undertaking change management activities which enable staff and stakeholders to embrace new ways of working. The role works closely with colleagues in project management, business analysis, and delivery teams, to deliver high quality projects which help to achieve our organisational vision: more and better protected trees and woodlands that deliver for society, the climate, nature and a greener economy – for today and for future generations.

Your key work areas will consist of:

• Facilitating and delivering change activities at all stages of the project life cycle, from vision, through to readiness, training, benefits realisation and project closure
• Managing a range of change projects, identifying dependencies and ensuring that changes are understood, implemented and embedded as business as usual
• Gathering information about projects being delivered across the organisation, to help us better coordinate, assess, and prioritise organisational change
• Supporting rollout/implementation of Change Management tools and templates, to ensure a consistent approach across the organisation
• Working closely with internal and external stakeholders, building and maintaining good working relationships to help meet forestry objectives
• Helping to promote cross-team working through effective engagement with teams outside of your immediate work area

Person specification

A positive and enthusiastic change professional, you will have:

• Experience of managing and delivering organisational and systems change projects across the project lifecycle
• Evidence of strong communication and interpersonal skills used to implement change successfully
• Experience of developing tailored engagement strategies for working with a variety of internal and external stakeholders
• Ability to manage a busy workload and quickly respond to emerging or changing priorities
• Change management qualification(s), and/or significant equivalent experience
• Project management qualification(s), and/ or significant equivalent experience

Please clearly demonstrate how the above applies to you throughout your application.

Behaviours

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

• Changing and Improving
• Communicating and Influencing
• Seeing the Big Picture
• Delivering at Pace

Technical skills

We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:

• Knowledge and applicable understanding of formal change methodologies and techniques for effective Change Management.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £40,388, Forestry Commission contributes

£11,700 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme.

Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides (opens in a new window).

• Learning and development tailored to your role
• An environment with flexible working options
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
• A Civil Service pension (opens in a new window) with an employer contribution of 28.97%
• A range of wellbeing benefits including discounted Civil Service Healthcare, access to an Employee Assistance Programme 24/7, Bike to Work Scheme, plus many more.
• 25 days annual leave, with 1 additional day for each years’ service up to 5 years (pro rata), plus 10.5 bank holidays/privilege days (pro rata).
• Ability to buy or sell 5 days annual leave.
• 3 days volunteering per year (pro rata).

We aim to provide a great place to work, whichever location you work from. Blended working forms part of our flexible and inclusive approach to future ways of working. It is an informal arrangement which gives you the option to work some of the week from home, and some of the week from our Forestry Commission workplaces, subject to role requirements, business needs, and regular review. Informal blended working arrangements will be available as agreed with the line manager. Further information will be available for candidates invited to interview.

Things you need to know

Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window) , and will assess your Behaviours, Experience and Technical skills.

Fixed Term Appointment until 30th March 2027 with possibility of extension or permanency, but no guarantee.

As part of the application process, you will complete the following:

• A tailored CV setting out your career history, with key responsibilities and achievements. Please ensure you have provided reasons for any gaps within the last two years. The CV will be split into 2 parts and request: Job History, Full Qualification Details.
• A personal statement- in no more than 750 words please provide details of how you meet the criteria of the person specification.
• You will also be asked to provide a 250-word statement relating to the Technical Skills on the application form.

Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.

Should a large number of applications be received, the initial sift may be conducted using the personal statement. C andidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift, or progressed straight to assessment/interview.

At interview, you will be assessed against Behaviours and Experience.

Indicative timeline:

• Shortlisting to take place w/c 21st September 2026
• Interviews to be carried out w/c 5th October 2026

Please be aware dates may be subject to change for both sifting and interviews.

Interviews will be held via Microsoft Teams.

Further Information

A reserve list may be held for a period of 12 months from which further appointments can be made.

Any move to Forestry Commission from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax Free Childcare; for further information visit the Childcare Choices website .

If successful and transferring from another Government Department a criminal record check may be carried out.

In order to process applications without delay, we will be sending a Criminal Record Check to Disclosure and Barring Service on your behalf.

However, we recognise in exceptional circumstances some candidates will want to send their completed forms direct. If you will be doing this, please advise Government Recruitment Service of your intention by emailing Pre-EmploymentChecks.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk stating the job reference number in the subject heading.

New entrants are expected to join on the minimum of the pay band.

Existing Civil Servants (excluding Forestry Commission employees) and applicants from accredited NDPBs are eligible to apply, and will only be considered on a loan basis (Civil Servants) or secondment (accredited NDPBs). Prior agreement to be released on a loan basis must be obtained before commencing the application process. In the case of Civil Servants, the terms of the loan will be agreed between the home and host department and the Civil Servant.

Existing Forestry Commission, Forestry England and Forest Research employees are eligible to apply for this Fixed Term Appointment and will only be considered if there is written confirmation from their line manager and HR that their current role will be temporarily backfilled or held open before commencing the application process.

This role is full time . Applicants who wish to work an alternative pattern are welcome to apply however your preferred working pattern may not be available and you should discuss this with the vacancy holder before applying.

Where a role has been identified as one which falls under the scope of the Public Sector English Language Requirements, within Part 7 of the Immigration Act 2016, it is essential that applicants should have the ability to converse at ease with members of the public and provide advice in accurate spoken English. Applicants will be assessed in the selection process in accordance with the requirements.

Applicants who are successful at interview will be, as part of pre-employment screening, subject to a check on the Internal Fraud Database (IFD). This check will provide information about employees who have been dismissed for fraud or dishonesty offences. This check also applies to employees who resign or otherwise leave before being dismissed for fraud or dishonesty had their employment continued. Any applicant’s details held on the IFD will be refused employment.

A candidate is not eligible to apply for a role within the Civil Service if the application is made within a 5 year period following a dismissal for carrying out internal fraud against government.

If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the 'Contact point for applicants' section.

Reasonable Adjustment

If a person with disabilities is put at a substantial disadvantage compared to a non-disabled person, we have a duty to make reasonable changes to our processes.

If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should:

Contact Government Recruitment Service via FCERecruitment.grs @cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.

Complete the ‘Assistance required’ section in the ‘Additional requirements’ page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need further on in the recruitment process. For instance, you may need wheelchair access at interview, or if you’re deaf, a Language Service Professional.

If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the 'Contact point for applicants' section.

Feedback

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a basic (or equivalent) criminal record check.

People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in