The role
Natural Resources Wales is seeking a Lead Operations Engineer to join our Mid Wales Integrated Engineering team.
As Lead Operations Engineer, you’ll take charge of technical planning and health & safety for the maintenance of flood risk management assets, ensuring communities remain safe and resilient against flooding. From embankments and reservoirs to drainage systems, your work will directly protect vital infrastructure and support wider environmental wellbeing.
In this role, you will provide subject matter expertise in flood risk management, reservoir safety, and drainage asset maintenance; lead on technical planning and health & safety, embedding best practice across all projects. You will also deliver and oversee projects that protect critical assets, ensuring compliance with NRW systems and procedures; and work closely with the team leader and colleagues, offering guidance and support to drive effective delivery
We’re a large, collaborative team with a broad remit, working together to deliver exceptional asset management and engineering excellence. Here, you’ll have the opportunity to share knowledge, support colleagues, and develop your own expertise, all while contributing to projects that make a real difference.
Join us and be part of a forward-thinking team that values collaboration, professional growth, and impact.
To make an informal enquiry about this role, please contact Nick Thompson at nicholas.thompson@cyfoethnaturiolcymru.gov.uk
Interviews will be face to face (details of location will be shared in advance)
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
Mid Wales Integrated Engineering is a dynamic team of specialists delivering innovative civil engineering solutions across Flood Risk Management, Reservoirs, Land Drainage, and Forestry. Our mission is to protect communities and enhance resilience through sustainable infrastructure.
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 Asset Performance providing expert opinion and advice on engineering and technical issues.
- 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 IT systems such as AMX to improve efficiency of NRW. Act as a point of contact and super user for these systems.
- Support H&S best practice by actively promoting awareness and ensuring the provision of safe working practices to comply with NRW policy and standards.
- Participate in cross-team working and stakeholder engagement to establish partnerships in the delivery of NRW flood risk objectives.
- Participate in the NRW’s incident response duty roster.
- 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.
- Degree or HND/HNC in Civil Engineering or equivalent and/or significant related experience.
- Member of a professional engineering institution, actively working towards Chartered or Incorporated status.
- A broad knowledge of civil engineering design and construction practices together with a fundamental knowledge of channel hydraulics. An ability to develop and apply innovative solutions to problems.
- NEBOSH construction certificate, minimum requirement with significant experience in IOSH Managing Safely. Including experience in undertaking the ‘Client’ and ‘Designer’ duties to comply with CDM 2015.
- Project Management; Prince2 practitioner qualification.
- Excellent ICT and surveying skills, CAD, GIS and asset management software. Competent using a variety of surveying tools.
- A Full UK driving licence is essential.
Welsh Language level requirements
- Essential: Level A1 - Entry level
Welsh language levels
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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