The Board of Forestry Commissioners has established the Expert Committee on Forest Science (ECFS) to provide independent, expert advice and assurance on the quality of science and evidence provided by the Forestry Commission’s (FC) research agency Forest Research (FR) and other providers.

The Chair of the Forestry Commission Expert Committee on Forest Science will have the opportunity to make a significant contribution to the development of forest science in the UK.  This is at a time of unprecedented interest in the benefits which forestry can provide to society, a rapidly evolving delivery landscape across the devolved administrations, and new opportunities in forest science.

The Chair will be an outstanding individual with a background in science in a relevant discipline. They will have strong leadership skills and be able to command the confidence of the Forestry Commission, professionals, and other key stakeholders in forest science. The Chair will have experience of successfully leading a complex or specialist committee, and a commitment to the values of accountability, probity and the government’s best practice principles on transparency, timeliness and exchange of information.

Term and expenses

The Chair will be appointed for a term of 3 years. A maximum of two terms may be served. The Chair will be paid expenses in line with Forestry Commission policy.  Remuneration in the form of an optional per diem payment is available.

Role

The Chair of the Forestry Commission Expert Committee on Forest Science will have responsibility for:

• the operation and output of the committee, within the terms of reference for the ECFS, and including assessing the workload and ensuring that the volume of work does not compromise the rigour of discussion
• ensuring that every member of the committee has the opportunity to be heard and that no view is ignored or overlooked, using, where appropriate, a structured process which ensures that all views are captured and explored
• reporting the committee’s advice to the Forest Research Board (and by exception to the Forestry Commissioners) at least annually, and including alerting them to new evidence likely to have an impact on current policy
• ensuring that the secretariat accurately documents the proceedings of the committee so that there is a clear audit trail showing how the committee reached its decisions
• ensuring that the right balance of skills is represented in the membership

Person Specification

Essential Criteria

The successful applicant must have:

• experience as an effective Chair with an excellent record of service on specialist committees or within public bodies.
• a broad understanding of the impact of new and emerging forestry and environmental science and an ability to keep abreast of scientific, social and ethical developments in the field.
• personal authority, capable of dealing both sensitively and authoritatively with Committee members, Forestry Commissioners and Forest Research Board members, senior Department Officials, and Forest Research scientists.
• ability to encourage debate whilst preventing strong views from skewing the agenda.
• willingness to work hard and uphold the values of the Committee.
• excellent communication skills, and a willingness to challenge the views of others while maintaining commitment to achieving its objectives through teamwork.
• a high level of analytical skills and the ability to apply them in relation to forestry research.
• a commitment to encouraging impactful research and developing a cadre of high-quality scientists within Forest Research.
• knowledge of the forestry sector in the UK, including that of Forest Research (FR), is desirable.

Diversity and equality of opportunity

We value and promote diversity and are committed to equality and opportunity for all and appointments are made on merit.

Time requirements

2 x two-day meetings per year, plus occasional extra involvements (e.g. quarterly brief teleconferences; review and reporting compilation). Meetings are held in person when possible, at either of the main Forest Research sites, and typically focus on review of a particular area of forest science, including where relevant, site visits to experiments or other study sites.

Interview Dates

Interviews will be held remotely by Microsoft Teams call on 25/26^th February.

How to apply

Candidates should submit their CV with education, professional qualifications and employment history and the names and contact details for two referees, together with their statement of suitability.

The statement of suitability should give evidence of the strength and depth of your ability to meet the essential criteria for this role. Please provide specific examples to demonstrate how you meet each of the criteria (max two pages please).

Your CV and statement should be sent by the closing date: 12.00 (midday) on Wednesday 22^nd January by email to chief.scientist.office@forestresearch.gov.uk quoting reference ECFS Chair in the subject line.

Further information

For further information or to arrange informal discussion with an existing committee member please contact Claire Holmes claire.holmes@forestresearch.gov.uk