Operations Manager

As an Operations Manager at Natural Resources Wales (NRW), you will play a pivotal leadership role, overseeing diverse teams and functions responsible for delivering regulatory, evidence, and advisory services within a specific geographical area. Your work will directly support the sustainable management of Wales’ natural resources making a tangible difference to people, nature, and climate.

In this senior leadership role, you will champion NRW’s mission and values by providing effective, inclusive leadership that motivates and inspires your teams; be accountable for the successful implementation of place-based regulatory, advisory, and evidence functions in your area (excluding Flood Risk Management) and oversee incident response capabilities across your departments, ensuring robust readiness and coordination.

You will also manage key local, and national, stakeholder partnerships, including working with Public Service Boards, to shape and deliver integrated environmental outcomes; work closely with colleagues across NRW and external partners to support joined-up delivery that aligns with the Sustainable Management of Natural Resources; lead the development of ways of working and performance reporting that support continuous improvement and long-term impact; Contribute to NRW’s strategies and priorities that deliver wellbeing goals for current and future generations; and take ownership of one or more functional areas across Wales, translating strategy into actionable delivery plans and coordinating their implementation across the Directorate.

This is a unique opportunity to influence and deliver integrated, place-based environmental outcomes, helping to build a more resilient and sustainable Wales.

As an organisation we support flexible working. You will be contracted to an NRW office within the place base / location above 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 Dav Letellier [email protected]

Interviews will take place via Microsoft Teams on 08/10/2025.

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

Natural Resources Wales (NRW) is the largest Welsh Government Sponsored Body, established in 2013 to bring together the work of the former Countryside Council for Wales, Forestry Commission Wales, Environment Agency Wales, and certain functions of the Welsh Government. Our vision is for nature and people to thrive together. We focus our energy and expertise on restoring nature, building resilience to climate change, and reducing pollution, ensuring that Wales’ natural resources are managed sustainably for future generations. We are proud to serve the people and communities of Wales by being connected to the land, bold in our actions, caring in our approach, and resourceful in how we work. At NRW, you’ll join a passionate team committed to making a real, lasting difference for Wales and its environment.

What you will do

• As part of the Operations Management provide effective leadership in support of NRW’s mission and values and embed integrated place-based delivery.
• Lead and be accountable for the delivery of NRWs place based evidence, advisory and regulatory functions for a geographic area (excluding Flood Risk Management functions). This will include sample collection, environmental assessment, waste and industry regulation, conservation management, pollution control and incident response matters.
• Be accountable for delivery of incident response capacity and preparedness across all your departments in your geographic area.
• Ensure the effective management of appropriate local and Wales-wide stakeholder relationships.
• Ensure collaboration with internal colleagues and external stakeholders, including Public Service Boards to deliver joined up outcomes which support the Sustainable Management of Natural Resources.
• Proactively develop ways of working and performance reporting to achieve these integrated outcomes.
• Contribute to the development of strategies and priorities for achieving NRW’s relevant wellbeing outcomes.
• Provide leadership across the Directorate for one or more areas of your portfolio. You will be accountable for turning strategies and policies into short, medium and long-term Wales-wide integrated functional delivery plans. You will lead the co-ordination across the Directorate for this service area to deliver plans, to include developing ways of working and performance reporting.
• 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 staffthrough the effective use of your personal development plan (known as Sgwrs).
• Any other reasonable duties requested commensurate with the grade of this role.
• Required to take part in incident response activities

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. Proven experience of leading, managing and developing staff.
2. Substantial experience and knowledge relevant to the role.
3. Financial and project/programme management skills and experience enabling you to manage capital and revenue projects and programmes.
4. Experience of developing and delivering plans for the implementation of strategies relevant to the role.
5. IT literate with the ability to use GIS, databases, spreadsheets and word processing packages.
6. Proven track record of collaboration, partnership development and effective stakeholder management

Welsh Language Level requirements:

• Essential: A1 – Entry level
• Desirable: C1 – Proficiency level

Welsh language levels

Please note if you do not meet the level 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.

You are welcome to apply for any vacancy in Welsh or English and any application submitted will be treated equally. Applications are welcome from individuals who work part time, as part of a job share or who work full time.