Director of Land Use Policy and Planning
Heart of England Forest
Location: Head Office, Dorsington near Stratford upon Avon. Hybrid working with 2-3 days in the office per week.
Reporting to: Chief Executive
The Heart of England Forest is an exciting and ambitious charity. We are helping to reverse centuries of woodland decline by creating and conserving a huge broadleaf forest for the benefit of the environment, wildlife and people. A place of enduring natural beauty, protected and secured for generations to come.
We are entering an exciting new chapter, with ambitious plans for growth and impact. As part of this evolution, we are appointing a new leadership role: Director of Land Use Policy and Planning. This is a unique opportunity to shape the future of a charity with a bold vision and a deep commitment to nature, people and place.
Reporting directly to the Chief Executive Officer, you will lead the development of the land use elements of our new strategy, identifying opportunities within our existing landholdings and assessing the potential of new acquisitions. You will embrace a commercial blended finance approach to ensure the long-term sustainability of the Forest, balancing environmental stewardship with innovative funding models.
You will be a key member of the Board’s Land Committee, contributing to decisions on land acquisition, property disposal and strategic land use change. Your work will be informed by robust data and evaluation frameworks, and you will oversee the development of a single reference point for our landholdings and land use.
You will value the importance of working in partnership with like-minded organisations to create a bigger, better and more joined-up future landscape. Your ability to engage and influence a wide range of stakeholders, including statutory agencies, NGOs and Board Trustees, will also be key to success.
This is a rare opportunity to lead a transformative programme of work in one of the UK’s most ambitious environmental charities. If you are ready to bring creativity, rigour and vision to a role that will shape the landscape for generations, we would love to hear from you. For more information, please click on Apply.
Closing date: 12 September 2025
About The Heart of England Forest
The Heart of England Forest is an exciting and ambitious charity. We want to help reverse centuries of woodland decline and create and conserve a magnificent 30,000 acre broadleaf forest for the benefit of the environment, wildlife and people. A place of enduring natural beauty, protected and secured for generations to come.
We establish and grow the Forest on land that we have purchased to ensure it is safe and protected for hundreds of years to come.
The Heart of England Forest is an exciting and ambitious charity. We want to help reverse centuries of woodland decline and create and conserve a magnificent 30,000 acre broadleaf forest for the benefit of the environment, wildlife and people. A place of enduring natural beauty, protected and secured for generations to come. We establish and grow the Forest on land that we have purchased to ensure it is safe and protected for hundreds of years to come.
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