Lead Government Affairs Officer

About Us: The Woodland Trust is the UK's leading woodland conservation charity and is dedicated to creating a world where trees and woods thrive for both people and nature. Our mission involves engaging and inspiring individuals to contribute toward tackling the nature and climate crisis through the protection, restoration, and creation of essential woodland habitats.

The Role: 

• We're looking for a Lead Government Affairs Officer to help maximise the Trust’s influence at a UK Government level particularly in Westminster- ensuring that political decision makers and opinion formers act upon the enormous potential of woods and trees to deliver meaningful outcomes for nature and people.
• Your role is to influence government policy and legislation to reflect the Trust's priorities and objectives.
• This role sits within the External Affairs team working closely with colleagues across the three countries to generate plans and priorities.
• You will be responsible for developing strong working relationships both internally and externally.
• Working in collaboration with other organisations and internal stakeholders across the Trust, such as Regional Directors, is a key part of the role in maximising advocacy agenda and effectiveness.
• This role requires regular travel to meetings and events in London, with occasional travel to our head office in Grantham, site visits and events UK wide.

The Candidate: 

• Experience in government/ external affairs roles ideally within the environment/rural affairs/charity sector or similar relevant sector.
• Strong leadership skills with the ability to identify influencing opportunities by mobilising and working effectively in partnership with other organisations.
• Skilled in developing political strategies and influencing tactics as a part of broader advocacy and influencing plan whilst able to take on board expert advice from ecologists and policy leads.
• Require a strong understanding of political processes especially in regard to Westminster and Whitehall.
• Experience in producing high quality and timely briefings at pace for both senior staff and external audiences.
• Ability to perform to a high standard and deal with a constantly changing external environment, managing risks.
• Competent in identifying and capitalising on opportunities in line with the Trust’s cause.
• A creative thinker with experience in using digital communication channels to work at a pace to find innovative and effective ways to secure influence.
• Experience in line management, able to effectively manage direct reports whilst outlining key priorities and performance management.
• Educated to a degree level or above in a relevant subject or poses substantial experience in lieu of a degree.
• Ability to undertake travel across a wide area, sometimes to remote locations with overnight stays and frequent travel to London.

Benefits & 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
• Enhanced Parental Pay
• Employee Assistance Programme

Commitment to Diversity & Inclusion: The Woodland Trust embraces diversity and inclusion. We want our team to reflect the UK's diverse community. We support people from all backgrounds to apply, especially those who are under-represented.

Application Advice: Even if you don't meet every requirement of the role, we would encourage you to apply. Your enthusiasm for the environment and our core values—Grow Together, Explore, Focus and Make it Count—are what matter most. We also keep our candidates’ personal details hidden from the hiring managers, so they do not see your CV until shortlisting is completed. Make sure that you answer the application questions to show your experience and passion for the role.

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. We look forward to hearing from you and working together to make a positive impact on our planet.