Head of Estates and Programmes - Scotland

The Woodland Trust is looking for a Head of Estate and Programmes - Scotland. They will lead the Trust’s estate and programmes team in Scotland, ensuring that the estate and associated programmes are managed to the highest professional standards and in accordance with the Woodland Trust’s management approach, policies and standards. They will lead the development of the Treescape programme and other priority programmes as required and develop and manage strategic partnerships in support of the Trust’s work in Scotland.

The Role:

• Lead and oversee the Woodland Trust’s Scottish estate, ensuring woodlands are managed to the highest professional, environmental and compliance standards, including UKWAS accreditation.
• Drive delivery of the Trust’s Treescape Programme in Scotland, building effective partnerships and ensuring strategic objectives are achieved.
• Manage and inspire a high-performing team of site managers, project leads and programme staff, fostering a culture of accountability, development and collaboration.
• Oversee multi-disciplinary projects and a budget of approximately £5m, ensuring resources are managed effectively and deliver maximum value and impact.
• Provide strategic leadership on estate acquisitions, disposals and land management, supporting the growth and long-term sustainability of the Trust’s woodland portfolio.
• Champion health and safety and operational excellence across all estate activities in Scotland, ensuring compliance and best practice at all times.
• Build and maintain influential relationships with partners, funders, stakeholders, government bodies and the wider land-use sector to advance the Trust’s vision and objectives.
• Contribute to senior leadership and organisational strategy, representing Scotland within the Woodland Trust and supporting UK-wide initiatives, policy development and knowledge sharing.
• This is a homebased role, requiring regular travel to locations within wider Scotland, sometimes to remote locations. You would be expected to live within reasonable travelling distance of your area of responsibility. Occasional travel to regional offices and overnight stays will be required.
• A company vehicle will be provided for this role. Please note that out Company Vehicle Policy is also under review as part of our Job Families and Contract Review project, so the eligibility criteria therein are subject to change in due course.

The Candidate:

• Extensive experience in forestry, woodland and land management, with a strong understanding of native woodland management, Scotland’s land-use landscape and rainforest ecosystems.
• Proven leadership experience, with the ability to lead, motivate, develop and inspire multidisciplinary teams to deliver high performance.
• Strong project, programme and budget management expertise, including oversight of complex initiatives, resource allocation, monitoring and reporting.
• Commercial and operational management experience, including procurement, contract management and delivering value for money while achieving organisational objectives.
• Exceptional partnership and stakeholder engagement skills, with experience building strategic relationships across government, funding bodies, landowners, conservation organisations and other key interest groups.
• Excellent communication and influencing abilities, with confidence engaging senior stakeholders, preparing written reports, presenting ideas and supporting successful funding applications.
• Knowledge of legal, policy, and governance frameworks, including experience developing and managing legal agreements and understanding Scotland’s conservation, forestry and land-use policy environment.
• Relevant professional qualifications and practical capability, including a forestry-related qualification, membership (or working towards membership) of the Institute of Chartered Foresters, strong IT skills (including MS Office and GIS) and the ability to travel extensively.

Benefits and Wellbeing:

Joining our team means you’ll be a big part of tackling environmental and climate issues. We take good care of our staff, offering support and training opportunities. We also offer:

• Enhanced Employer Pension
• Life Assurance
• Flexible & Hybrid Working Options
• Generous Annual Leave - 25 Days Plus Bank Holidays (pro rata’d for part-time)
• Buy and Sell Holiday Scheme
• Enhanced Parental Pay
• Employee Assistance Programme

About Us:

The Woodland Trust is the UK’s largest woodland conservation charity. We want to see a world where trees and woods thrive for people and nature. The Trust engages and inspires people to make their difference tackling the nature and climate crisis helping protect, restore and create our vital woods and trees.

Our Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion:

To achieve our vision of a world where woods and trees thrive for people and nature, we need to better reflect society and the communities we work in. All people, no matter their background, identity, ability, or circumstance, should benefit from trees.

People of colour and disabled people are currently under-represented across the environment and conservation sector. If you identify as a person of colour and/or disabled, we particularly encourage you to apply.

Please contact us to discuss any additional support or adjustments you may need to complete your application.

Application Advice:

For fairness we keep our candidates’ personal details hidden from the hiring managers, and we do not ask for your CV at application.

Make sure that your Personal Statement clearly shows how your skills and knowledge link to the specifications in the job description and you share with us your passion for the role.

Acceptable Use - Artificial Intelligence (AI):

We understand that candidates may choose to use AI tools to support their job applications-for example, to help structure or edit written responses. We welcome the use of AI in this way, particularly where it helps improve accessibility, such as for neurodivergent applicants. However, we ask that any information submitted reflects your own experience, skills and understanding. During interviews, candidates are expected to respond independently without the use of AI tools. If you require any adjustments or support during the recruitment process, please contact [email protected]

Apply Now:

If you're ready to make a difference and grow with us, send in your application today. We might close the job opening early if we get a lot of applications, so it's a good idea to apply soon. If we do close the advert early, and you have an application in process, we will email you prior to closing to give you time to complete. For queries relating to this new opportunity please email [email protected]

First round interviews will take place via Microsoft Teams on 18th, 19th and 20th August 2026.