Advertised from 17 September 2026

Role

This is an opportunity for an experienced professional forester or similar, with knowledge and passion for landscape restoration. 

As the Native Woodland Lead you will work with landowners in the Scottish Borders to inspire and support them to create new native woodland planting schemes and identify suitable ancient woodlands to be brought into conservation management. 

The role also coordinates site management on BFT’s Borders sites, including site planning, contractor management and liaising with BFT teams, e.g. those who lead our Borders volunteers, to undertake environmentally sensitive land management.

The role balances working on your own initiative, leading our work with landowners, and working in and with support from a small and friendly team. Your week will be a mix of outdoor work, working in our small and friendly office, as well as having support to work from home should you wish.

If you have experience of forestry, knowledge and passion for landscape restoration, excellent team-working and communication with members of the public and an aptitude for ‘hands on’ outdoor conservation we’d love to hear from you.

The Native Woodland Lead post is funded in collaboration with Woodland Trust Scotland.

Application notes

Download the candidate pack (including the job description and person specification) below. 

Your letter of application should cover all the points in the person specification. Please confirm in your letter whether you are available for the interview date below.

Send a letter of application of no more than 3 sides with a CV (maximum 2 pages) by midnight, 4th October 2026 to recruitment@bordersforesttrust.org

To find out more about the role before the closing date, or have a conversation about the role, please contact us recruitment@bordersforesttrust.org 

Interviews will be on 20 October 2026 in the Scottish Borders, near Melrose. 

Borders Forest Trust is committed to promoting equality, diversity and inclusion, and we recognise that the land management and conservation sector remains one of the least diverse in the UK. We welcome applications from all sections of the community, regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, or sexual orientation, and we particularly encourage applications from groups currently under-represented in outdoor and conservation roles. 

If there are any reasonable adjustments we can make to our recruitment process, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Downloads