Job type

Forest officer

£19k - £35k

Typical salary

37 – 43

Hours per week

Forest officers manage forestry workers, plan harvesting activities and monitor planted areas.

More info

Manage woodlands and forests, planning tree-felling, planting and general maintenance
You'll need strong leadership and planning skills, as well as specialist knowledge
Combine work outdoors with some time in the office

As a forest officer, you'll be responsible for individual woodlands.

DAY-TO-DAY DUTIES

Manage a budget
Carry out a business plan
Report to the head forester
Plan work to be carried out by staff and contractors
Manage maintenance of machinery and equipment
Keep accurate work records
Make sure health and safety policies are followed
Survey and inspect trees and sites
Select and mark up timber to be harvested
Plan, monitor and evaluate habitat management work

DAY-TO-DAY ENVIRONMENT

You'll spend some time in an office but you'll mainly be working outdoors in all weathers. The work can be physically demanding and you'll need to be able to cope with working at height.

You'll need

To be a forest officer, you'll need initiative, thoroughness and attention to detail, excellent verbal communication skills, patience and the ability to remain calm in stressful situations, leadership skills, knowledge of maths and geography, and basic computer skills.

If you work in private woodland or for the Forestry Commission, you'll need land management skills.

You'll usually need a foundation degree, higher national diploma or degree in a relevant subject, such as arboriculture, countryside management, forest management, forestry, or woodland ecology and conservation.

Most employers will expect you to have 2 to 3 years' woodland experience to become a forestry officer.

You can get this job through an arborist or forest operative intermediate apprenticeship.

You could also do a college course, such as a course in Forestry and Arboriculture.

You may need a driving license and access to a vehicle to read forest and woodland areas.

You may also need the certificates of competence for your work like chainsaw use, chipper use, or operation of specialist equipment like a tree harvester.