Ips typographus Project Officer

Job summary

The Plant Health Forestry (PHF) team is a high-performing, geographically distributed team working across Great Britain (GB) to support healthy trees, woods and forests now and for the future. Together we deliver essential work to prevent the entry of harmful tree pests and diseases, enable early detection, minimise their impact, and ensure the traceability of forest reproductive material.

PHF collaborates with a broad network of partners, including other Forestry Commission teams, Forest Research, the Devolved Administrations of Wales and Scotland, government agencies, and sector stakeholders such as trade bodies, importers, processors, forest management companies, and landowners.

By joining PHF, you will become part of a passionate, expert team driving ambitious work to protect and improve GB’s valuable woodland assets.

Location

Any FC office within the Ips typographus Demarcated Area or within a reasonable commuting distance from the Ips typographus Demarcated Area boundary (subject to availability in relation to working pattern/blended working arrangements), with some travel nationwide.

For a map of the Ips typographus Demarcated Area see: 

https://assets.publishing.serv..

Please be aware that this role can only be worked in the UK and not overseas.

Job description

Ips typographus is regulated in the UK as a Quarantine Pest and we are obligated to act against the current findings to support maintaining this status.

The beetle poses no threat to human health but can be a serious and destructive pest of spruce tree species and poses a serious threat to the GB forestry sector. Spruce trees are a major component of our forestry industry, making up around 50% of commercial planting in the UK and supporting thousands of jobs.

The aims of the Ips typographus management programme are:

• Deliver strategic plans: Develop and implement England-wide strategies to prevent, detect, control and ultimately eradicate Ips typographus incursions, interceptions and outbreaks.
• Outbreak response: Rapidly identify and respond to outbreaks of the pest, coordinating multi-agency resources to contain spread, minimise impact and achieve swift eradication.
• Surveillance: Maintain a systematic, risk-based surveillance programme for vulnerable spruce stands. Collaborate with Forest Research on the management of pheromone trapping detection networks. Coordinate and execute targeted ground-inspection responses to various intelligence streams.
• Authorisations: Oversee the timely response to spruce felling, movement and processing inspection requests, ensuring compliance with biosecurity requirements and issuance of authority letters. Maintain detailed records of all authorisations ensuring compliance with auditing requirements.
• Contractor management: Coordinate procurement, assignment and performance monitoring of contractors tasked with surveillance, felling, sanitation and other control measures, ensuring efficient use of resources.
• Support policy objective of reducing host presence in high-risk areas: Align operational activities with policy goals by encouraging proactive removal of spruce material in zones most vulnerable to Ips typographus
• Data collection and reporting: Lead the gathering, validation, and analysis of surveillance, pest distribution, outbreak response status data, producing clear, timely reports to drive informed decision-making and optimise management tactics.
• Training, communications and guidance: Provide best-practice training programmes, clear sector guidance and ongoing stakeholder engagement, ensuring that forestry workers, landowners, partner agencies and the wider forestry sector are fully equipped to implement and support Ips typographus control measures.
• Project work: Collaborate with Forest Research and government partners to deliver R&D initiatives on Ips typographus control, spanning remote sensing applications, debarking-equipment efficacy trials, and canine detection methodologies.

Key Work Areas

Responsibilities

The purpose of the Ips typographus Officer is to:

• Support the Ips typographus Programme Manager and line manage Ips typographus Support Officer/s to implement England-wide strategies to prevent, detect, control and eradicate Ips typographus incursions and outbreaks.
• Serve as the primary point of contact for rapid responses to statutory actions at confirmed outbreak sites, ensuring landowners, agents, and contractors are fully briefed on legal obligations and response protocols. Lead the mobilisation of multi-agency teams, prioritise affected sites, and coordinate resource allocation to facilitate timely and effective outbreak eradication.
• Maintain a systematic, risk-based surveillance programme for vulnerable spruce stands, with intensified field-work activities during spring and summer seasons.
• Collaborate with Forest Research on the management of pheromone trapping detection networks and rapidly respond to trap catches with targeted ground-inspection.
• Oversee inspection requests for spruce felling, movement and processing authorisations, issuing authority letters and maintaining audit-ready records. Ensure every authorisation conforms to regulatory requirements.
• Procure, brief and manage contractors delivering surveillance, sanitation and control measures. Monitor performance against objectives, support budget monitoring and ensure efficient use of resources in the field.
• Drive proactive spruce removal policy objective in high-risk areas, engaging local landowners and the wider forestry sector. Promote best practice approaches at stakeholder workshops and site visits.
• Lead the gathering, validation and analysis of field data on surveillance, pest distributions, outbreak status and eradication outcomes. Produce clear, timely reports to the Ips typographus Programme Manager that inform tactical decisions and programme review.
• Design and deliver best-practice training sessions for forestry workers, contractors and partner agencies. Assist with the preparation of guidance materials to keep local landowners, the forestry sector and government bodies informed and engaged.
• Support FC and government partnerships on R&D initiatives including remote sensing, debarking-equipment trials and canine detection studies.