Appointment details

Chair of Forestry Commission

Summary

• Organisation: Forestry Commission
• Sponsor department: Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs
• Location: Various
• Sectors: Environment, Agriculture & Fishing
• Skills: Change Management, Commercial, Communication, Major Projects, Transformation
• Number of vacancies: 1
• Time commitment: 100 day(s) per annum
• Remuneration: £49,000 per annum
• Length of term: Four years - £490 day rate
• Application deadline: Midday on 4 September 2025

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Timeline for this appointment

1. Opening date

   18 July 2025

2. Application deadline

   Midday on 4 September 2025

3. Sifting date

   12 September 2025

4. Interviews expected to end on

   6 October 2025

Timeline dates are only an estimate and can change

About the appointment

Introduction

The Forestry Commission (FC) is the non-ministerial Government department responsible for advising on and implementing forestry policy. The Commission administers grants for expanding and managing forests and regulates tree felling. It also provides advice to Ministers, undertakes and commissions research, sets standards for good forestry practice and protects Britain’s forests from pests and diseases. Through its agency, Forestry England, it manages the nation’s forests which amount to approximately 253,000 ha of which 212,000 hectares is woodland, equivalent to 16% of the country’s woodland cover. 

In order to access all the role and application details, please refer to the Candidate Pack attached below. You will need to scroll to the bottom of this page and download the Candidate Pack. 

Appointment description

As Chair you will provide visible leadership and strategic vision for the Board of Forestry Commissioners in line with its statutory objectives, set the overall strategic and operational direction of the FC with ownership of the FC Strategy, ensure good governance and, together with the Board, hold the executive to account. You will understand and promote the role of the FC in implementing Government policy for English forestry, in both the public and private sectors, and in contributing to a range of other Government policies. You will be able to balance priorities and command confidence and respect at the highest level with Ministers across Government and with partners across the country. 

We are seeking a Chair who can maintain a positive and constructive relationship with the forestry sector and the devolved administrations, shape the delivery arrangements for forestry policy in the future and promote a positive and constructive relationship with everyone that works with the FC including other Defra bodies, other Government Departments, regulators, local government, local communities, business and industry and other interest groups. 

Key Responsibilities and duties: 

1. Responsibility for the leadership of the FC; setting the direction, and driving increased efficiency and effectiveness in line with Government’s strategic priorities; 
2. Implementing Government policy for forestry in England whilst maintaining a positive and constructive relationship with the sector; representing the FC and promoting and maintaining effective customer, stakeholder and partner relationships; 
3. Working collaboratively with other parts of the Defra Group, across government and the devolved administrations; building relationships and helping remove barriers to joint working to make the best use of resources available and maximise outcomes and benefits; 
4. Overseeing the FC in promoting and championing the benefits of forestry including economic growth, green finance, leisure and recreation, health and wellbeing, water quality and flood prevention amongst others; 
5. Chair the Board of Commissioners and maintain oversight of the functions delegated to Forestry England, Forest Services and Forest Research through membership of the sub-boards.  Building and maintaining effective, cohesive and focussed Boards, including annually assessing performance. Providing support and constructively challenging the senior executive team when necessary;
6. Line management responsibility for the Chief Executive; and promoting a culture of equality, diversity and inclusion across FC. 

A campaign to recruit three new Forestry Commissioners to the Board will launch shortly. It is anticipated that the Chair Elect will be involved in aspects of the appointment process. Chair candidates will be kept informed of the Commissioner campaign timeline as it progresses. 

Organisation description

The Forestry Commission (FC) is a non-Ministerial Government Department that has a vital role to play in helping the Government achieve its objectives. It is headed by a Board of Commissioners, comprising a Chair and up to 10 other Forestry Commissioners, made up of non-executive and executive appointments.

The FC was established a century ago as a body serving Great Britain (GB), but the departure of Wales from the Commission in 2013 and Scotland in 2019, means that the FC’s work will be primarily in England.

The FC is supported by two executive agencies: 

Forestry England is England’s largest land manager, caring for the nation’s forests to benefit society. Forestry England are practical multipurpose forestry experts. As well as supplying over one third of the nation’s homegrown timber, Forestry England test ground-breaking approaches to adapt to climate change, address the biodiversity crisis and improve people’s health and wellbeing, on a scale like no other. As a public corporation Forestry England draws on diverse income streams to grown the natural capital of our forests.

Forest Research provide the evidence base for UK forestry policy, practice and innovation. They are internationally renowned for the delivery of applied forest science, by providing research, evidence, data and services in support of sustainable forestry. Forest Research’s work informs the development and delivery of UK Government and devolved administration policies for sustainable management and protection of trees, woods, forests and natural resources sectors.  

Forest Services are part of the FC that provides expertise and support in order to expand, protect, improve and connect England’s woodlands. Forest Services regulate and incentivise landowners to encourage new tree planting and to help keep private forests, trees and woodlands under sustainable management. The plant health team inspects imports and exports on wood, as well as our forests, and manage outbreaks to minimise the impacts of pests and diseases.

Regulation of appointment

This post is regulated by the Commissioner for Public Appointments. For more information, please refer to the Commissioner’s website 

Person specification

Essential criteria

• Leadership: The ability to set strategic vision and drive forward priorities of the organisation. A strong track record in relevant senior leadership roles.  

• An Understanding and Enthusiasm for the Organisation: A clear understanding and enthusiasm of the work, priorities and challenges of the Forestry Commission, its agencies and the context within which it operates.  

• Effective Stakeholder Engagement: Strong communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to build strong stakeholder relationships, including with Ministers, Senior Government officials and external stakeholders. The ability to work closely with the non-executive board and other key stakeholders, providing support, constructive challenge and assurance as appropriate.  

• Judgement: Effective decision-making skills with the ability to critically analyse a wide range of information to make clear and objective evidence-based recommendations to support the delivery of the organisation's objectives.  

Desirable criteria

Experience of Land Management and Forestry: A strong track record of delivery on significant land management issues within the private, public or voluntary sectors. Knowledge of the key drivers, competing priorities and challenges faced by landowners in England, including nature, climate and biosecurity. Knowledge of forestry practices and policies and experience in managing or overseeing forestry-related matters. 

Application and selection process

How to apply

In order to apply you will need to create an account or sign in.

Once you are logged into your account, click on 'apply for this role' and follow the on-screen instructions. To apply, all candidates are required to provide:

• equality information
• information relating to any outside interests or reputational issues
• a Curriculum Vitae (CV)
• a two page supporting statement
• a short professional biography (150 words)

We will ask you to check and confirm your personal details to ensure your application is accurate.

You will also have the opportunity to make a reasonable adjustment request or apply under the disability confident scheme before you submit your application.

Overview of the application process

Public appointments are made on merit following a fair and open competition process which is conducted in accordance with the Governance Code for Public Appointments. We will deal with your application as quickly as possible and will keep you informed at key stages. We aim to conclude the appointment process within three months of the deadline for applications – this is in accordance with the Governance Code.

The assessment process

1. Ministers are responsible and accountable to Parliament for the public appointments made within their department. As a result, they must be consulted at every stage of the appointments process.

2. An Advisory Assessment Panel (“Panel”) is appointed by Ministers to assist them in their decision making. The role of the Panel is to decide, objectively, which candidates meet the eligibility criteria for the role.

3. At the shortlisting meeting the Panel will assess applications against the eligibility criteria and decide which candidates have best met the criteria, who should be recommended for interview. Ministers will then be consulted on the Panel’s recommended shortlist. If you have applied under the Disability Confident Scheme and you meet all the essential criteria, then you will also be invited for an interview.

4. Once the shortlist has been agreed by Ministers, you will be advised (by e-mail) whether you have been shortlisted. Those shortlisted will be invited to an interview.

5. The Panel will meet again to interview candidates and determine who is appointable to the role. The Panel may invite you to make a brief presentation at the start of the interview and will go on to question you about your skills and experience, including asking specific questions to assess whether you meet the criteria set out for the post. The Panel will also explore with you any potential conflicts of interest or any other issues arising from your personal and professional history which may impact on an appointment decision.

6. Details of the panel’s assessment of interviewed candidates are provided to Ministers, including whether they have judged a candidate to be appointable to the role. It is then for Ministers to determine merit and decide who should be appointed. In some circumstances, Ministers may choose not to appoint any candidates and re-run the competition.

7. Ministers may choose to meet with candidates before deciding the outcome. Candidates should therefore be prepared for a short time gap between interview and a final appointment decision being made. Candidates who have been interviewed will be kept informed of progress.

8. Once the decision on the appointment has been made, interviewed candidates will be advised of the outcome of their application, including whom they may approach for feedback. Successful candidates will be issued with their Terms & Conditions and a letter of appointment should they agree to take up the position.

Further information about appointments, including tips on applying, can be found on our guidance pages on gov.uk.

Advisory Assessment Panel (AAP)

Panel Member 1

Sally Randall

Departmental Official

Director General for Strategy and Water

Panel Chair

Panel Member 2

TBC

Panel Member 3

TBC

Independent Panel Member (Senior)

Advisory Assessment Panels (AAP) are chosen by ministers to assist them in their decision-making. These include a departmental official and an independent member. For competitions recruiting non-executive members of a board (apart from the Chair), the panel will usually include a representative from the public body concerned.

AAP’s perform a number of functions, including agreeing an assessment strategy with ministers, undertaking sifting, carrying out interviews in line with the advertised criteria and deciding objectively who meets the published selection criteria for the role before recommending to ministers which candidates they find appointable. It is then for the minister to decide who to appoint to the role.

Eligibility criteria

In general, you should have the right to work in the UK to be eligible to apply for a public appointment.

There are a small number of specialist roles that are not open to non-British citizens. Any nationality requirements will be specified in the vacancy details.

The Government expects all holders of public office to work to the highest personal and professional standards. 

You cannot be considered for a public appointment if:

• you are disqualified from acting as a company director  (under the Company Directors Disqualification Act 1986);

• have an unspent conviction on your criminal record;

• your estate has been sequestrated in Scotland or you enter into a debt arrangement programme under Part 1 of the Debt Arrangement and Attachment (Scotland) Act 2002 (asp 17) as the debtor or have, under Scots law, granted a trust deed for creditors.

When you apply, you should declare if:

• you are, or have been, bankrupt or you have made an arrangement with a creditor at any point, including the dates of this. 

• you are subject to a current police investigation.

You must inform the sponsor department if, during the application process, your circumstances change in respect of any of the above points. 

When you apply you should also declare any relevant interests, highlighting any that you think may call into question your ability to properly discharge the responsibilities of the role you are applying for. You should also declare any other matters which may mean you may not be able to meet the requirements of the Code of Conduct of Board Members (see Outside interests and reputational issues section below)

If you need further advice, please contact  publicappts@defra.gov.uk 

Security clearance

The successful candidate will be required to undertake Baseline Personnel Security Standard checks in line with the Civil Service guidelines. Additional Security Clearance may also be required for certain roles. However, where this applies, candidates will be notified during the appointment process. Further information on National Security Vetting can be found on the Gov.uk website here.

Additional information for candidates

Equality and diversity

We encourage applications from talented individuals from all backgrounds and across the whole of the United Kingdom. Boards of public bodies are most effective when they reflect the diversity of views of the society they serve and this is an important part of the Government’s levelling up agenda.

We collect data about applicants’ characteristics and backgrounds, including information about people’s educational and professional backgrounds, so that we can make sure we are attracting a broad range of people to these roles and that our selection processes are fair for everyone. Without this information, it makes it difficult to see if our outreach is working, if the application process is having an unfair impact on certain groups and whether changes are making a positive difference.

When you submit your application, your responses are collected by the Cabinet Office and the government department(s) managing your application. The data is used to produce management information about the diversity of applicants. You can select “prefer not to say” to any question you do not wish to answer. The information you provide will not be seen by the Advisory Assessment Panel who review applications against the advertised criteria and conduct interviews.

Disability confident

We are a member of the Government’s Disability Confident scheme. We use the Disability Confident scheme symbol, along with other like-minded employers, to show our commitment to good practice in employing people with a disability. The scheme helps recruit and retain disabled people. As part of implementing the scheme, we guarantee an interview for anyone with a disability whose application meets the essential criteria for the role, set out in the advert, and who has asked that their application is considered under the scheme. Indicating that you wish your application to be considered under the scheme will in no way prejudice your application. By ‘essential criteria', we mean that you must provide evidence which demonstrates that you meet the level of competence required under each of the essential criteria, as set out in the job-advert. When you apply you will have the opportunity to select if you would like your application considered under this scheme.

Reasonable adjustments

We are committed to making reasonable adjustments to make sure applicants with disabilities, physical or mental health conditions, or other needs are not substantially disadvantaged when applying for public appointments. This can include changing the recruitment process to enable people who wish to apply to do so.

Some examples of common changes are:

• ensuring that application forms are available in different or accessible formats;
• making adaptations to interview locations;
• allowing candidates to present their skills and experience in a different way;
• giving additional detailed information on the selection / interview process in advance to allow candidates time to prepare themselves;
• allowing support workers, for example sign language interpreters;
• making provision for support animals to attend.

When you apply you will have the opportunity to request reasonable adjustments to the application process.

Principles of public life

The Seven Principles of Public Life (also known as the Nolan Principles) apply to anyone who works as a public office-holder.

1. Selflessness

Holders of public office should act solely in terms of the public interest.

2. Integrity

Holders of public office must avoid placing themselves under any obligation to people or organisations that might try inappropriately to influence them in their work. They should not act or take decisions in order to gain financial or other material benefits for themselves, their family, or their friends. They must declare and resolve any interests and relationships.

3. Objectivity

Holders of public office must act and take decisions impartially, fairly and on merit, using the best evidence and without discrimination or bias.

4. Accountability

Holders of public office are accountable to the public for their decisions and actions and must submit themselves to the scrutiny necessary to ensure this.

5. Openness

Holders of public office should act and take decisions in an open and transparent manner. Information should not be withheld from the public unless there are clear and lawful reasons for so doing.

6. Honesty

Holders of public office should be truthful.

7. Leadership

Holders of public office should exhibit these principles in their own behaviour and treat others with respect. They should actively promote and robustly support the principles and challenge poor behaviour wherever it occurs.

Code of conduct for board members

The Government expects all holders of public office to work to the highest personal and professional standards. In support of this, all non-executive board members of UK public bodies must abide by the principles set out in the Code of Conduct for Board Members of Public Bodies. The Code sets out the standards expected from those who serve on the boards of UK public bodies and will form part of your terms and conditions of appointment.

Management of outside interests and consideration of reputational issues

Holders of public office are expected to adhere and uphold the Seven Principles of Public Life and the Code of Conduct for Board Members of Public Bodies. Before you apply you should consider carefully: 

• any outside interests that you may have, such as shares you may hold in a company providing services to government; 
• any possible reputational issues arising from your past actions or public statements that you have made; 
• and/or - any political roles you hold or political campaigns you have supported; 

which may call into question your ability to do the role you are applying for.

You will need to answer relevant questions in relation to these points when making an application. Many conflicts of interest can be satisfactorily resolved and declaring a potential conflict does not prevent you from being interviewed. If you are shortlisted for an interview, the panel will discuss any potential conflicts with you during that interview, including any proposals you may have to mitigate them and record that in their advice to ministers. Alongside your own declaration, we will conduct appropriate checks, as part of which we will consider anything in the public domain related to your conduct or professional capacity. This may include searches of previous public statements and social media, blogs or any other publicly available information. The successful candidate(s) may be required to give up any conflicting interests and their other business and financial interests may be published in line with organisational policies. 

Details of declared political activity will be published when the appointment is announced, as required by the Governance Code (political activity is not a bar to appointment, but must be declared).

Status of appointment

As this is an office holder appointment, you will not become a member of the Civil Service. You will not be subject to the provisions of employment law.

Appointment and tenure of office

Appointments are for the term set out in this advert, with the possibility of re-appointment for a further term, at the discretion of Ministers.  Any re-appointment is subject to satisfactory annual appraisals of performance during the first term in the post. There is no automatic presumption of reappointment; each case should be considered on its own merits, taking into account a number of factors including, but not restricted to, the diversity of the current board and its balance of skills and experience. In most cases, the total time served in post will not exceed more than two terms or ten years in any one post. 

Remuneration, allowances and abatement

Remuneration for this role is treated as employment income and will be subject to tax and National Insurance contributions, both of which will be deducted at source under PAYE before you are paid.

You can claim reimbursement for reasonable travel and subsistence costs which are properly and necessarily incurred on official business, in line with the travel and subsistence policy and rates for the organisation to which you are applying. However these payments are taxable as earnings and will be subject to tax and national insurance, both of which will be deducted at source under PAYE before you are paid.  

Pension and redundancy

This is an office holder appointment and does not attract any benefits under any Civil Service Pension Scheme. You will not be eligible for redundancy pay as you are not an employee. No other arrangements have been made for compensation upon the end of your term of appointment because an office holder who is appointed for a limited duration would have no expectation of serving beyond that period.

Application feedback

We will notify you of the status of your application. We regret that we are only able to offer detailed feedback to candidates who have been unsuccessful at the interview stage.

How to complain

We aim to process all applications as quickly as possible and to treat all applicants with courtesy.

Please contact the public appointments team in the first instance if you would like to make a complaint regarding your application at publicappts@defra.gov.uk . They will acknowledge your complaint upon receipt and respond within 15 working days.

How to complain to Office of the Commissioner for Public Appointments (OCPA)

If you are not content with the appointing department’s response you may wish to further complain to the Commissioner at publicappointments@csc.gov.uk.Further information on how the Commissioner handles complaints can be found on the Commissioner for Public Appointments’ website https://publicappointmentscommissioner.independent.gov.uk/regulating-appointments/investigating-complaints/

Data protection

The Cabinet Office will use your data in line with our privacy policy.

Contact details

Please contact publicappts@defra.gov.uk if you have any questions on the application process or the role. 

Attachments

• Candidate Pack

• Application Guidance notes

• Privacy Notice