Landscape Architect

Reference number: 181147

Salary: £36,398 - £39,222

Grade: Higher Executive Officer Pay Band 4

Contract type: Permanent

Working pattern: Flexible working, Full-time

Summary

Forestry and Land Scotland (FLS) is looking for an enthusiastic, practical, creative landscape architect to help shape the future of Scotland’s forests and land. We’re responsible for managing 9% of Scotland – and it’s not just forests, it’s coasts, mountains, farmland, peatlands, varied habitats and both nationally iconic and locally important recreation sites.

The landscape team work closely with other teams, usually Planning Foresters and the Visitor Services Teams based in the Regions to design the forests of the future, facilitating large scale spatial planning to meet a wide range of objectives and responding to climate change and biodiversity crises, while also aiming to enhance our landscapes and improve our visitor facilities.

This is a national post, one of a team of six but you will have key responsibilities for helping teams in the stunning coasts, mountains and islands of our West Region, based at offices in Oban, Lochgilphead and Fort William. Ideally, you should be based in the Region but there is the option to travel and stay over in the Region on a regular basis from elsewhere in Scotland.

Job description

This is a role that uses creative, problem solving and design skills at a huge variety of scales from helping plan the spatial sequence of land management over thousands of hectares, to preparing details for extensions to car parks in woodlands around our towns.

In this role you will help others plan the future management of the land to meet multiple objectives but will take the lead design role in preparing masterplans, feasibility studies and designs for visitor facilities.

You will be keen to get out on site and gain first-hand knowledge of sites; comfortable with working collaboratively with many other disciplines; willing to explore options for large scale land management planning; able to challenge constructively to make sure we are doing what is best for the land and confident with preparing and presenting design solutions for visitor infrastructure in rural areas.

Responsibilities

• Contribute to the preparation of our 10-year Land Management Plans, helping forest planners explore options, think laterally and develop efficient approaches to land management that meets our objectives.
• Ensure that our plans meet the UK Forestry Standard in relation to landscape design and meet regulatory requirements, including assisting in preparing relevant material for EIA determinations as required by Regional teams.
• Act as Designer or Principal Designer in preparing masterplans and proposals for visitor infrastructure by designing attractive sites appropriate for a rural setting, including new car parks and extensions, improving circulation, and responding to increased visitor pressure.
• Undertake feasibility studies, preparing briefs and helping to commission consultants to undertake major design work at large scale visitor centres and nationally significant visitor sites, often in collaboration with other bodies.
• When necessary, take on the role of Landscape Clerk of Works to help Engineering or Visitor Services colleagues ensure that construction work is implemented to an appropriate standard.
• As a member of the national Planning and Environment team, keep up to date on current best practice relative to land management planning and designing for visitors in rural areas, including taking a lead on key topics that will influence how we plan and design. This may include delivering workshops to communicate skills and knowledge more widely.

Benefits

• Learning and development tailored to your role.
• An environment with flexible working options.
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity.
• A Civil Service pension.

Things you need to know

Security

You must pass a disclosure and barring security check.

People working with government assets must complete basic personnel security standard checks.

Selection process details

The sift and interview dates are still to be confirmed. Please note that the interviews will take place on Microsoft Teams.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Nationality requirements

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals.
• Nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK.
• Nationals of the Republic of Ireland.
• Nationals from the EU, EEA or Switzerland with settled or pre-settled status or who apply for either status by the deadline of the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS).
• Relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals working in the Civil Service.
• Relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals who have built up the right to work in the Civil Service.
• Certain family members of the relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals.

The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.

Apply and further information

Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Contact point for applicants

Job contact: Melanie Mathiasen

Email: melanie.mathiasen@forestryandland.gov.scot

Recruitment team: hr@forestryandland.gov.scot

Apply before 11:55 pm on Sunday 27 February 2022.

Apply HERE.