Forest Operations Officer, Natural Resources WALES

Overview

This is an exciting opportunity to play a key role in the delivery of Forest Operations across South West Wales. You will take delegated responsibility for planning, managing and delivering operational work, making sound technical decisions within one or more specialist disciplines, depending on the scale and location of programmes.

You will be actively involved in harvesting and establishment disciplines, and lead the implementation and day‑to‑day management of work programmes. This includes contract management and site monitoring to ensure standards are met and programmes delivered.

You will also contribute to forest planning, undertaking operational planning to ensure the successful delivery of tactical work programmes. This will involve constraint management, inventory work, database management, GIS mapping and site evaluation, ensuring that plans are evidence‑based, compliant and sustainable.

Driving is essential to this role as the position is partly site‑based and requires regular travel across South West Wales. A full and current UK driving licence is required.

As an organisation we support flexible working. You will be contracted to the above location and a suitable hybrid working pattern will be agreed on appointment. Any regular face‑to‑face meetings or training will be planned in advance.

• Support technical advice for specific sector or technical issues.
• Implement team work plans, and deliver agreed actions to contribute to business planning.
• Participate in NRW technical or represent NRW on external forums as a technical representative.
• Interact with peers in NRW to promote consistent industry and specialist subject practices.
• Have responsibility for direct delivery of delegated programmes and agreed delegated budgetary control, including all relevant compliance and adherence to procurement process.
• Undertake health and safety duties and responsibilities appropriate to the post.
• Be committed to Natural Resources Wales Equal Opportunities and Diversity Policy, together with an understanding of how it operates within the responsibilities of the post.
• Be committed to your own development through the effective use of your personal development plan (known as Sgwrs).
• Take part in incident response activities.
• Any other reasonable duties requested commensurate with the grade of this role.

• Experience of working across a wide range of disciplines within the Forest environment.
• Knowledge of sustainable forest management, UKWAS and forest certification schemes.
• Experience of dealing with the public and stakeholders such as land owners, contractors etc.
• Knowledge and experience of designated sites, and all aspects of forest practice, including land liabilities, forest planning and forest operations.

Essential:
Level A1 - Entry level

• Civil Service Pension Scheme offering employer contributions of 28.97% (successful internal staff will remain in their current pension scheme)
• 28 days annual leave, rising to 33 days
• Generous leave entitlements for all your life needs
• Commitment to professional development
• Health and wellbeing benefits and support
• Weekly wellbeing hour to use as you choose

We’re passionate about creating a diverse workforce and positively encourage applications from under‑represented communities. We embrace equality of opportunity irrespective of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation.

We are committed to equal opportunities, and we guarantee interviews for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.

We want to attract and retain talented and highly skilled staff, so we make sure that our pay scales remain competitive. We advertise the full pay scale on our job descriptions. Appointed candidates start at the first point of the pay scale and annual increments are paid each year.

We want our staff to grow professionally and personally. From leadership development to access to further and higher education courses, our staff have opportunities to expand their knowledge on variety of topics, stay current in their field and continue to learn as their career progresses.

We are a bilingual organisation which complies with the Welsh Language Standards. Welsh language skills are considered an asset to NRW, and we encourage and support staff to learn, develop and use their Welsh language skills.

Successful applicants will be subject to a satisfactory Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check. Appointments are normally made within 4 to 8 weeks of the closing date.