Job reference: REQ0712

Location: Flexible (see JD)

Salary: £48,522 – £52,827 + 27% Employer Pension Contributions

Contractual hours: 37

Basis: Full time

Would you like to lead a team managing the integration of renewables projects within our forests?

This is a new post, providing leadership to support negotiations to secure sensitive siting and management of infrastructure projects. You will be interested in the success of the renewables industry, but also keen to support sustainable forestry and wider land management for biodiversity and social benefits.

In Forestry and Land Scotland’s South Region we have over 30 largescale renewables and numerous utilities projects to accommodate. If you enjoy the challenge of working in a fast-moving environment, care about adaptation to climate change and effective management of land for multiple benefits, then this could be the job for you.

Please see the Job Description & Success Profile for more information.

What you will do

You and your team will work to ensure that renewables and infrastructure projects are delivered sensitively, by careful integration with wider FLS and Scottish Government objectives, minimising forest management and environmental impact, achieving biodiversity net gain, and enhancing visitor experience.

Renewable energy sites on FLS-managed land are owned and operated by external developers.

The renewables and infrastructure team works closely with foresters and environment advisers, engineers and landscape architects, to understand the intersection between different forest activities and the implications of proposed infrastructure. We help make decisions that are right for the land we manage. We play a central role in communicating planned changes and sharing information.

As a Renewables Project Manager, you have the following key areas of responsibility.

You will:

• Provide supportive leadership to motivate and empower the team responsible for engaging and negotiating with developers on renewables and utilities projects across the estate
• Take the lead on significant negotiations, supporting the team and prioritising actions and standing ground where necessary, liaising with colleagues to ensure that key decisions take into account the wider impacts on managing FLS land, including financial implications
• Work with others to ensure that we effectively integrate renewables and utilities projects with other land uses during the planning, development and delivery of all renewables and infrastructure projects
• Strategically plan, negotiate and oversee the pace and delivery of renewables and infrastructure projects, making sure resources are focussed and priorities understood, to help ensure the Region are fully sighted on the consequences of developments.

You will directly line manage one member of staff, and have responsibility for up to 6 Forest Liaison Officers across the renewables team. You will also work closely with our national renewables team, infrastructure advisors, our land agents and our planning and operational managers.

You’ll need to oversee multiple projects simultaneously; negotiate with developers, sometimes under pressure; ensure that forestry and other land management objectives can be achieved alongside renewables projects; maintain momentum, look ahead and prioritise to make sure we are focused on the most important issues at any one time.

You will also have a say in the future direction of the Region, as a member of the Region’s Leadership Team, and use project management skills to develop, adapt and innovate approaches to efficiently deliver FLS and Scottish Government objectives.