Grants Officer – Rural Payments

The Woodland Trust is looking for a Grants Officer – Rural Payments. This role will work collaboratively as a member of the Land & Property team and members of connected teams in Nature Recovery to help deliver on our plans to reduce adverse herbivore impacts and improve Woodland Ecological Condition, contributing to our work to protect woodland biodiversity and nature recovery. The Role: Identify, secure and maximise income from government and non-government funding streams to support woodland creation, conservation and priority species work.

Build and maintain strong relationships with key external stakeholders including DEFRA, the Rural Payments Agency (RPA), Forestry Commission, Forest Research and other sector partners. Provide expert advice and year-round support to Estate Managers, Site Managers and regional teams on grant opportunities, applications, scheme delivery and compliance. Lead the administration of environmental funding schemes, including annual claims, record management, remittance reconciliation and oversight of historic agreements.

Maintain accurate land and scheme records through the Rural Payments online portal, ensuring compliance with eligibility requirements and timely updates to land ownership, parcel and land cover information Keep abreast of evolving rural funding programmes, including SFI, CSMT and CSHT, providing guidance on opportunities and implications for the organisation. Use GIS and LandApp to design, validate and map funding schemes, supporting high-quality submissions and successful outcomes.

Apply strong analytical, IT and problem-solving skills to resolve funding, land management and scheme administration issues, while working closely with operational and nature recovery teams to achieve strategic objectives. This is a hybrid position with a mix of home working and from our head office in Grantham, Lincolnshire. Head office attendance would be required once a month on average. Occasional travel to other offices and remote locations may also be required.

The Candidate: Good understanding of and ideally experience working with, environmental and land-based grant schemes that support nature recovery, conservation and woodland management objectives. Experience developing, coordinating and delivering grant-funded projects or schemes, working collaboratively with a range of stakeholders to achieve successful outcomes. Ability to establish and maintain effective monitoring, evaluation and reporting processes to demonstrate delivery, compliance and impact.

Experience producing high-quality grant applications and supporting documentation, with the ability to coordinate contributions and deliver to deadlines. Knowledge of, or experience within, the conservation, environmental, forestry or charitable sectors. Strong team-working skills, with the ability to build effective relationships and work collaboratively across an organisation while also managing your own workload independently.

Confident using a range of IT systems and software, with excellent attention to detail and the ability to manage information accurately. Excellent written, verbal and interpersonal communication skills, alongside an understanding of project management, budgets and resource planning. Degree-level qualification or equivalent practical experience in a conservation, fundraising or related environment.

Benefits and Wellbeing: Joining our team means you’ll be part of our fight for a greener, healthier planet for people and wildlife. We take good care of our staff, offering support and training opportunities. We also offer: Enhanced Employer Pension Life Assurance Flexible and hybrid working options (7am – 7pm) Generous annual leave – 25 Days plus Bank Holidays (pro rata for part-time) Buy and sell holiday scheme Enhanced parental pay Employee assistance programme To support inclusivity and remove barriers for candidates, we publish all salaries upfront and proudly follow the  We Show the Salary  pled