Forest Operations Officer

Team / Directorate: Land Management and Forest Operations / Operations 

Starting salary:  £36,246 rising to £39,942 per annum through annual increments being paid each year (pro rata for part time applicants)

Contract type: Land Management and Forest Operations / Operations 

Work pattern: Full time, 37 hours per week (Part time, annualised hours, compressed hours or term time working considered - discussions at interview stage welcome)

Interview date: 30/04/2025 

Post number: 200338 

The role

This is an exciting opportunity to join the only combined Land Management and Forest Operations team in NRW. The team is responsible for delivering a wide range of SMNR benefits across 12,000ha of Forests and National Nature Reserves in North East Wales, 
As a member of a busy and dynamic team, you will undertake delegated responsibility for the delivery of programmes, making technical decisions on Forest Planning and Contract Management.
Forest Planning - delivering technical operational planning to ensure implementation of tactical work programmes and objectives. To include implementing work specifications across a wide subject range, forest inventory and database management, GIS mapping, site evaluation.

You will act as the contract manager for numerous forestry operations. Being responsible for undertaking all necessary paperwork and management for the sale, procurement and delivery of these contracts, including liaison with the customer/contractor. Examples of these operations are harvesting, ground preparation, planting and related forest establishment contracts

The role requires excellent interpersonal and communication skills, the ability to work closely with your team members, our customers, partners and stakeholders and a requirement for lone working in remote environments. 
As an organisation we support flexible working. You will be contracted to the NRW office at 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. 

To make an informal enquiry about this role, please contact Paula Harley at Paula.Harley@cyfoethnaturiolcymru.gov.uk

Interviews will be conducted via Microsoft Teams.

Successful external applicants will be subject to a satisfactory Disclosure and Barring Service Check (DBS) check. We aim to make offers of appointment within 4 to 8 weeks of the closing date.

 

What you will do

• Support technical advice for specific sector or technical issues.
• Implementation of team work plans, and delivery of 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 adhering 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 *and that of your staff through the effective use of your personal development plan (known as Sgwrs).
• Any other reasonable duties requested commensurate with the grade of this role.

Your qualifications, experience, knowledge and skills

In your application and interview you will be asked to demonstrate the following skills and experience using the STAR method.

1. Experience of working across a wide range of land management disciplines.
2. Knowledge of sustainable forest management, UKWAS (UK Woodland Assurance Standard ) and forest certification schemes.
3. Experience of community liaison and public engagement activities.
4. Knowledge and experience of designated sites, and all aspects of forest practise, including land liabilities, forest planning and forest operations

 

Welsh language level requirements

• Essential: Level A1 – Entry level (able to use and understand simple, basic phrases and greetings, no conversational Welsh)
• Desirable: Level A1 – Entry level (able to use and understand simple, basic phrases and greetings, no conversational Welsh)

Please note if you do not meet the A1 requirement i.e., ability to understand basic phrases and ability to pronounce Welsh names correctly, then NRW offers a variety of learning options and staff support to help you meet these minimal requirements during the course of your employment with us.

Benefits 

This role will offer a range of benefits, including:

• Civil Service Pension Scheme offering employer contributions of 28.97%
• 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

See full details for all the employee benefits you will receive.

Please keep reading

If you think you have what it takes to do this role, but don’t necessarily meet every single point on the job description, please still get in touch and we will be happy to discuss the role with you in more detail.

We’re passionate about creating a diverse workforce and positively encourage applications from under-represented communities. We embrace equality of opportunity irrespective of disability, neurodivergence, ethnic origin, colour, nationality, gender expression and gender identity, marital status, sexual orientation, culture, or religion.   We put the principles of human rights, equality, fairness, dignity and respect at the heart of our values.

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. 

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