The role
We are seeking a motivated individual to support the Grade 5 Engineer in all engineering aspects of forest management across the Welsh Government woodland estate. This role is critical in ensuring the safe and effective delivery of infrastructure projects that enable sustainable forest operations.
The successful candidate will assist with the planning, design, and delivery of engineering projects, and supervise the majority of construction and maintenance works to ensure they are completed safely, to specification, and in line with relevant regulations. They will also support the management of infrastructure assets, including roads, drainage systems, and bridges, while contributing to project documentation and reporting. Close collaboration with contractors and internal teams will be essential to ensure smooth project execution.
To be effective in this role, candidates should have experience in supervising construction or infrastructure projects, along with a working knowledge of CDM Regulations (Construction Design and Management). Familiarity with CAD software, such as AutoCAD, for design and planning purposes is important, as is a strong understanding of health and safety in construction environments. Excellent communication and organisational skills are also essential.
As an organisation we support flexible working. You will be contracted to the NRW office in Monmouth 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 Jim Hepburn at james.hepburn@cyfoethnaturiolcymru.gov.uk
Interviews will take place through Microsoft Teams
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
The South East Wales Forest Operations team manages approximately 9,000 hectares of Welsh Government woodland, including its associated infrastructure such as forest roads, culverts, bridges, SuDS systems, and other groundworks essential for forestry operations.
What you will do
- Be familiar with the requirements of managing health and safety on construction sites.
- Visit harvesting coupes and provide advice and support regarding facilities required during the coupe planning exercise.
- Aid the Engineering team with quarry, bridge and culvert inspections when required, and other site surveys as necessary.
- Collect, measure and record all the relevant information about a prospective site and its environs, with a view to providing information required under the Forest Engineering Design & Delivery Plan.
- Produce simple graphical plans and sketches to communicate features and proposals, backed up by GPS location recording.
- Monitor construction of all civil engineering projects, ensuring compliance with contract procedure, specification and all relevant health and safety, and environmental legislation.
- Produce a valid and comprehensive site diary, to act as contemporary record of progress and events.
- Monitor infrastructure conditions in order to sustain safe, clean and commercially advantageous forest operations.
- 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.
- Relevant experience in site-based Civil Engineering and ground works operations.
- Knowledge and understanding of CDM2015.
- Knowledge of NEC ECSC form of contract.
- Experience in using GIS based computer packages.
- Experience in MS Office suite of applications. E.g. Word, Excel, Outlook.
- Knowledge of mobile GPS, to be used in planning works, providing principal setting-out points and general surveying.
- Must have a full UK Driving Licence.
Welsh Language level requirements
- Essential: 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% (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.
