SENIOR OFFICER - FOREST OPERATIONS x 2

Location: Aberystwyth

Grade & Salary: G6, £35,994 rising to £39,369 over three years

Post number: 200469 & 203112

Type of contract: Permanent

Work pattern: Full time

Closing date: 3rd April 2022

Benefits: Civil Service pension, 28 days annual leave, rising to 33 days over 5 years, flexible working options, occupational health including counselling and advisory services and eye care, childcare vouchers and salary sacrifice schemes.

Role Purpose

4 Rivers for LIFE is a ambitious £9m project funded by the EU LIFE programme, Welsh Government and a number of partners to transform Southern Wales’ 4 River Special Area of Conservation (Usk, Tywi, Teifi & Cleddau) and their catchments in order to restore populations of declining habitats and species notably salmon, shad, lamprey and freshwater pearl mussels

This post will be based in the Mid North West operations area mainly covering Aberystwyth, Artist valley and South Dyfi area with some flexibility in geographical area. These cover a wide range of forest types, PAWS, ASNW and commercial Conifer, there are numerous sites of conservation designation including, SAC, SSSI and AONB.

As Senior Officer you will be expected to lead on business plans, support team members and to balance the objectives of the Land Service Plan including, PAWS restoration, Larch clear fell, LISS and Thinning’s.

You will be taking the technical lead to ensure the team delivers the annual production of circa 75,000mׇׇ3 to the market through thinning and clear-fell as well as the associated establishment of circa 150ha per year. This work must be delivered in line with NRW’s, Sustainable Management of the Natural Resource (SMNR) principles, UKFS and must maintain compliance with UKWAS.

You will be accountable for:
• Act as the NRW technical lead for specific sectors or technical issues.
• Participate in the development of team work plans and deliver any agreed actions to contribute to business planning. Where appropriate act as NRW lead for specific technical sectors.
• Will be required to participate in NRW technical/strategic groups or represent NRW on external forums.
• Interact with other specialists in NRW to promote consistent industry and specialist subject practices.
• Responsibility for direct delivery of programmes and agreed budgetary control, including all relevant compliance and adhering to procurement process.

Qualifications and Skills

1. Professional membership, or at least working towards such accreditation of their related subject, within an agreed timescale.
2. Experience of working across a wide range of land management disciplines.
3. Knowledge of sustainable forest management, UKWAS and forest certification schemes.
4. Coaching and mentoring skills.
5. Good understanding of commercial business processes and pressures.
6. Ability to communicate effectively with regulated business and the public, explaining complex issues and gaining support by influencing.
7. Extensive knowledge and experience of all aspects of forest practise,
including, forest planning, forest operations.

Please visit our website to apply: https://naturalresources.wales/.