Lead Operations Engineer (Flood Risk)

Team / Directorate: Integrated Engineering, Mid Wales / Operations

Starting salary:  £41,132 rising to £44,988 per annum through annual increments being paid each year (pro rata for part time applicants)

Contract type: Permanent 

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: Week commencing 18/08/2025

Post number: 202687

The role

Are you an experienced civil engineer ready to make a real difference for communities at risk of flooding? Join us as a Lead Operations Engineer and play a pivotal role in delivering vital flood risk management and environmental resilience work across Mid Wales.

This is a highly impactful position where you’ll lead the planning and delivery of a broad range of projects — from flood asset maintenance and capital improvement schemes to Natural Flood Management and coastal defence projects. You’ll act as a key decision-maker and technical expert, managing contractors, designing solutions, and ensuring projects are delivered safely, efficiently, and to a high standard.
You’ll also take charge of NRW’s emergency flood response planning, developing and testing our incident contingency plans and leading training exercises — making sure we’re ready to respond when communities need us most.

This role is perfect for someone with a solid background in civil engineering and a passion for sustainable, nature-based solutions. You’ll use your expertise to:
•    Lead on the design and management of small to medium-scale civil engineering projects;
•    Oversee asset inspection and maintenance planning to ensure long-term infrastructure resilience;
•    Act as Client, Designer or Principal Designer under CDM 2015;
•    Support and advise on reservoir safety, land drainage and flood risk schemes;
•    Help shape the use of new asset management systems and improve digital efficiency;
•    Contribute to cross-functional projects and collaborate with stakeholders across NRW and beyond.
With flexible hybrid working, a supportive team environment, and the opportunity to manage meaningful projects from concept to delivery, this is a career-defining opportunity for a motivated engineer ready to lead.
If you thrive in a role that combines technical challenge, strategic oversight, and direct community benefit — we want to hear from you.

As an organisation we support flexible working. You will be contracted to the nearest NRW office to your home 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 Nicholas Thompson at Nicholas.thompson@cyfoethnaturiolcymru.gov.uk

Interviews will take place in person.   

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

About us

Integrated Engineering is an amalgamation of Flood Risk, Forestry, Reservoirs and Land Drainage Engineers. This role is specifically funded to lead on Flood Risk and support others in Reservoirs and Land Drainage construction and asset management in Mid Wales.   The predominant focus of this role is delivering construction and maintenance on schemes that support local communities at risk of flood risk.

What you will do

• Lead on the production of the annual flood risk asset maintenance programme. 
• React to failing assets, plan the work into the annual programme or plan for repairs. 
• Lead on the production and on-going review of flood incident response.
• Contingency and operating plans, ensuring regular incident response exercises are undertaken. 
• Sponsor and/or undertake the role of Project Manager for small to medium scale civil engineering projects identified by Operations and ASM Providing expert opinion and advice on engineering and technical issues.
• Deliver projects for other internal departments such as H&T and FRB to generate re-charge to fund the revenue maintenance program. 
• Undertake financial reporting, to enable accurate estimating of programmed cost targets and budgets.  
• Work with procurement to establish Contractor Frameworks. 
• Carry out tenders and evaluations. 
• Provide advice and assist with the integration of Reservoir Safety maintenance, Internal Drainage District (IDD) activities and asset maintenance programmes. 
• Undertake the formal roles of Client and, or Designer/Principal Designer to comply with the Construction Design & Management (CDM) Regulations. 
• Lead on the development and input into new IT systems such as AMX to improve efficiency of NRW. Act as a point of contact and super user for these systems.
• 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).
• 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. Qualifications; Degree in Civil Engineering or equivalent is desirable together with a NEBOSH construction certificate. An HND/HNC in civils or equivalent is the minimum requirement, together with significant related experience. The candidate should also be working towards Chartered Engineer status or other appropriate professional designation.
2. A broad knowledge of civil engineering design and construction practices together with a fundamental knowledge of channel hydraulics.
3. An ability to develop and apply innovative solutions to problems. 
   In this role you will be expected to support H&S best practice by actively promoting awareness and ensuring the provision of safe working practices to comply with NRW policy and standards.
4. Project Management; Prince2 practitioner qualification would be desirable.
5. Competent surveying skills. AutoCAD skills. Participation in cross-team working and stakeholder engagement to establish partnerships in the delivery of NRW flood risk objectives is an essential component of the role.
6. Participation in the NRW’s incident response duty roster.
7. The ability to undertake the ‘Client and Designer Role ‘ to comply with CDM 2015. 
8. Good ICT/GIS and organisation skills.

Welsh language level requirements

• Essential: Level C1 - Proficiency level (fluent Welsh speaker)

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% (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

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

Please keep reading

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. 

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