Forest Operations Team Leader
| Posting date: | 25 July 2025 |
|---|---|
| Salary: | £45,367 to £50,877 per year |
| Hours: | Full time |
| Closing date: | 06 August 2025 |
| Location: | Bangor |
| Company: | Cyfoeth Naturiol Cymru |
| Job type: | Permanent |
| Job reference: | 200155 |
Summary
Team / Directorate: Forest operations- Gwynedd South / Operations
Starting salary: £45,367 rising to £50,877 per annum through annual increments being paid each year (pro rata for part time applicants)
Contract type: Permanent
Work pattern: Full time, 37 hours per week (Part time, annualised hours, compressed hours or term time working considered - discussions at interview stage welcome)
Interview Date: 15/08/2025
Post number: 200155
The role
Are you passionate about forestry, leadership, and making a real difference in the Welsh landscape? This is your opportunity to lead vital operations in some of the most beautiful and ecologically significant woodlands in Wales.
As Forest Operations Team Leader, you'll take charge of harvesting, ground preparation and replanting programmes across Coed y Brenin, Ffestiniog, and Bala - key forestry sites within Gwynedd and the breathtaking Parc Eryri (Snowdonia). This isn't just a job behind a desk - it's a hands-on, high-impact leadership role with real responsibility for the future health and sustainability of our national forest estate.
You'll lead a skilled and dedicated team of nine, working together to deliver safe, efficient and environmentally responsible forest operations. From ensuring best practice in site planning and health & safety, to balancing commercial pressures with ecological priorities, you'll play a pivotal role in shaping how NRW manages and protects the land.
This is a chance to put your technical knowledge, operational expertise, and leadership ability to work in a role that blends practical fieldwork with strategic oversight. You'll also work closely with colleagues across North West Wales, helping drive our wider land management goals forward.
Whether you're already working in a similar role or looking to take the next step in your forestry career, this post offers the opportunity to:
• Lead and inspire a team delivering real outcomes on the ground
• Contribute directly to Wales's natural heritage and climate resilience
• Manage key sites that are both commercially productive and ecologically rich
• Enjoy a hybrid working model with flexibility and support for your development
Join us and be part of a passionate, experienced team working to ensure Wales's forests thrive for future generations.
To make an informal enquiry about this role, please contact
dylan.williams@cyfoethnaturiolcymru.gov.uk
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
Sits within North West Place, Land and Assets as part of a department of 6 Teams. The Area is within Parc Eryri.
What you will do
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. Professional membership (required, or to be attained within an agreed and reasonable timescale). Typically, MICEEM, MICFor, or MRICS.
2. Experience of a relevant scientific or technical subject to at least one of the programmes and staff group managed.
3. Coaching and mentoring skills.
4. Good understanding of commercial business processes and pressures.
5. Extensive knowledge and experience of at least one of the following; conservation scientific subjects, land management, forest practise and forest operations.
Welsh language level requirements
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:
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.
Starting salary: £45,367 rising to £50,877 per annum through annual increments being paid each year (pro rata for part time applicants)
Contract type: Permanent
Work pattern: Full time, 37 hours per week (Part time, annualised hours, compressed hours or term time working considered - discussions at interview stage welcome)
Interview Date: 15/08/2025
Post number: 200155
The role
Are you passionate about forestry, leadership, and making a real difference in the Welsh landscape? This is your opportunity to lead vital operations in some of the most beautiful and ecologically significant woodlands in Wales.
As Forest Operations Team Leader, you'll take charge of harvesting, ground preparation and replanting programmes across Coed y Brenin, Ffestiniog, and Bala - key forestry sites within Gwynedd and the breathtaking Parc Eryri (Snowdonia). This isn't just a job behind a desk - it's a hands-on, high-impact leadership role with real responsibility for the future health and sustainability of our national forest estate.
You'll lead a skilled and dedicated team of nine, working together to deliver safe, efficient and environmentally responsible forest operations. From ensuring best practice in site planning and health & safety, to balancing commercial pressures with ecological priorities, you'll play a pivotal role in shaping how NRW manages and protects the land.
This is a chance to put your technical knowledge, operational expertise, and leadership ability to work in a role that blends practical fieldwork with strategic oversight. You'll also work closely with colleagues across North West Wales, helping drive our wider land management goals forward.
Whether you're already working in a similar role or looking to take the next step in your forestry career, this post offers the opportunity to:
• Lead and inspire a team delivering real outcomes on the ground
• Contribute directly to Wales's natural heritage and climate resilience
• Manage key sites that are both commercially productive and ecologically rich
• Enjoy a hybrid working model with flexibility and support for your development
Join us and be part of a passionate, experienced team working to ensure Wales's forests thrive for future generations.
To make an informal enquiry about this role, please contact
dylan.williams@cyfoethnaturiolcymru.gov.uk
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
Sits within North West Place, Land and Assets as part of a department of 6 Teams. The Area is within Parc Eryri.
What you will do
- Lead and develop staff and plan, monitor and manage resources to deliver workplan to budget and timescale.
- Ensure the health, safety and wellbeing of team members by implementing and monitoring safe working practices and risk assessments.
- Be responsible for land management decisions and operational delivery' at place level, ensuring adherence to the industry standards to adhere to all relevant legislation and certification schemes.
- Provide technical advice and guidance to enhance risk-based decision making.
- Have budgetary control of team spending.
- 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 .
1. Professional membership (required, or to be attained within an agreed and reasonable timescale). Typically, MICEEM, MICFor, or MRICS.
2. Experience of a relevant scientific or technical subject to at least one of the programmes and staff group managed.
3. Coaching and mentoring skills.
4. Good understanding of commercial business processes and pressures.
5. Extensive knowledge and experience of at least one of the following; conservation scientific subjects, land management, forest practise and forest operations.
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.