Senior Forestry Programme Engineer

Natural Resources Wales; Mountain Ash; Hybrid; GBP 60,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Natural Resources Wales is seeking a Senior Forestry Programme Engineer to lead a rolling five-year civil engineering programme for the Welsh Government Woodland Estate. You’ll shape the delivery of forest roads, bridges, tracks and related infrastructure with the Integrated Engineering Team, guiding projects from concept to tender-ready packages.

You’ll mentor staff, champion safe‑by‑design principles and collaborate with Local Planning Authorities to ensure safe, sustainable, and compliant

Qualifications

• Full UK driving licence essential.
• Willingness to travel across the South Central area, including remote forestry sites and infrastructure projects in the Welsh Government Woodland Estate.
• Hybrid working pattern with office base to be agreed on appointment.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate with multi-disciplinary teams to identify required consents and guide colleagues to obtain them.
• Provide mentoring and staff development support, champion health, safety, wellbeing and environmental objectives (CDM2015, UKWAS, ISO14001).
• Demonstrate project management across financial, programme, scope, risk and contract aspects for infrastructure and roads projects.
• Maintain project documentation and organise programme meetings.
• Prepare, track and manage project programmes and forecast milestones; manage delivery risks.
• Write and maintain project registers and manage financial, legal, operational and reputational risks.
• Incorporate specialist knowledge into pre-construction information for design and construction.
• Engage Local Planning Authorities and SuDS Bodies to facilitate delivery to quality, time and budget.
• Build relationships to achieve delivery solutions and share lessons learned.
• Undertake health and safety duties and align with NRW Equal Opportunities policy.

Job description

As a Senior Forestry Programme Engineer, you'll play a leading role in shaping and delivering the future infrastructure of the Welsh Government Woodland Estate. Working within NRW's Integrated Engineering Team, you'll be responsible for developing and managing a rolling five-year programme of civil engineering projects that are vital to sustainable forest management and timber production. This includes the planning and delivery of new forest roads, bridges, junctions, major forest tracks and associated infrastructure across some of Wales' most unique and challenging environments. This is a varied and influential role where you'll combine strategic programme management with technical engineering expertise. From surveying sites and developing engineering solutions, to securing permissions and consents, preparing feasibility studies and producing tender‑ready project packages, you'll take projects from concept through to delivery. You'll work closely with colleagues across Forest Operations and Land Management, as well as external stakeholders including Local Planning Authorities and SuDS Approval Bodies, to ensure projects are delivered safely, sustainably and to the highest standards. Beyond project delivery, you'll help drive engineering excellence across the team by providing technical guidance, mentoring colleagues and championing safe‑by‑design principles. Your work will have a direct impact on maintaining access to our forests, supporting national timber production targets, protecting environmental standards and helping NRW deliver its commitment to the Sustainable Management of Natural Resources.,

• Collaborate with specialist senior officers and leads across multi-disciplinary teams in NRW. Identify all consents and permissions required and apply for/instruct colleagues to obtain these in a timely manner.
• Provide mentoring and staff development support to team members and champion health, safety, wellbeing and environmental objectives, Including CDM2015, UKWAS and ISO14001.
• Demonstrate exemplar project management principles, including financial, programme, scope, risk and contract management for infrastructure and new roads projects.
• Maintain project documentation and organise programme meetings.
• Undertake your duties in line with delegated authority and NRW policies and procedures.
• Prepare, track and manage project programmes, provide accurate forecasting of project milestones. Understand and manage programme delivery risks.
• Write and maintain register for projects and act to manage financial, commercial, legal, operational and reputational risks. Inform senior staff in good time to help resolve matters.
• Is able to include specialist knowledge and advice (either via themselves or competent contractors) into the pre‑construction information so that any engineering works can incorporate these details into the design and construction.
• Manage project communications to effectively engage and influence Local Planning Authorities, SuDs Advisory Boards and other external stakeholders to facilitate project delivery to quality, time and budget.
• Build strong relationships with colleagues to achieve solutions that deliver projects.
• Identify and share lessons learned and best practice.
• 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.
• If you're an experienced civil engineer looking for an opportunity to lead complex infrastructure programmes, influence strategic decision-making and make a lasting impact on Wales' natural environment, we'd love to hear from you.

A full, valid UK driving licence is essential for this role. Regular travel is required across the South Central area, including frequent visits to remote forestry sites and infrastructure projects located within the Welsh Government Woodland Estate. As many of these locations are inaccessible by public transport, the ability to travel independently is a key requirement of the post. 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.

Natural Resources Wales (NRW) plays a vital role in protecting the environment, supporting communities and businesses, and managing the natural resources that underpin Wales' economy, culture and quality of life. As part of NRW, you'll join the Integrated Engineering Team, a specialist group responsible for designing and delivering the roads, bridges and infrastructure that support sustainable forestry across the Welsh Government Woodland Estate. Working in some of Wales' most stunning landscapes, you'll help deliver projects that keep our forests accessible, productive and resilient for future generations. This is a unique opportunity to apply your engineering expertise to projects of real environmental and national importance, while benefiting from the flexibility, development opportunities and sense of purpose that come with working for NRW.