Chief Executive and Accounting Officer

The Chief Executive and Accounting Officer is responsible, along with the Board and Chair, for the strategic direction, leadership and operational delivery of NRW’s Corporate Plan. As the organisation's Accounting Officer, the Chief Executive is accountable for the stewardship of resources, organisational performance, and the setting and implementation of NRW’s strategic and business plans.

This is a significant leadership role with a strong focus on delivery, transformation and long-term impact. The postholder will be expected to inspire confidence, drive innovation, and lead a complex organisation through change in collaboration with the Board, the Chair and Executive Team, ensuring that NRW delivers effectively for the people, environment and economy of Wales. They will also lead the organisation to be truly inclusive in relation to equality and diversity.

As an organisation we support flexible working. You will be contracted to the nearest NRW office to your home and a suitable hybrid working pattern will be agreed on appointment.

What you will do

Learning and organisational performance

• Provide overall leadership of Natural Resources Wales, ensuring delivery of its statutory purpose, strategic objectives and long term sustainability.
• Lead NRW as a single integrated organisation, creating clarity of direction, alignment of priorities and collective accountability for organisational performance.
• Lead and develop a high performing Executive Team, fostering a culture of trust, challenge, collaboration, inclusion and continuous improvement.
• Demonstrate visible corporate leadership and personal accountability for the organisation's performance, culture, reputation and governance and stewardship of public resources.
• Model NRW values and the Nolan Principles of Public Life, setting expectations for leadership, behaviour, integrity and accountability across the organisation.
• Promote organisational wellbeing, inclusion, engagement and capability, ensuring NRW remains a resilient and sustainable organisation able to meet future challenges.
• Build leadership capability, succession planning and organisational resilience to support long term performance and continuity.

Strategy, Governance & Assurance

• Set and sustain the strategic direction of NRW, ensuring organisational priorities, resources and capability are aligned to deliver environmental, societal and organisational outcomes.
• Lead development and delivery of NRW's Corporate Plan and strategic priorities, balancing short term performance requirements with long term sustainability.
• Serve as principal advisor to the Board and Chair, providing professional advice, evidence, assurance and strategic insight to support effective governance and decision making.
• Ensure robust governance, performance, risk management, assurance and internal control arrangements are established and operating effectively across NRW.
• Provide assurance to the Board regarding organisational performance, statutory delivery, financial stewardship, risk management and organisational resilience.
• Respond constructively to Board scrutiny, audit, inspection and assurance activity, ensuring learning is embedded and organisational performance continuously improves.

Drive and resilience

• Provide visible, decisive leadership in complex, uncertain and high‑profile environments, maintaining organisational focus and momentum.
• Exercise sound executive and Accounting Officer judgement on complex, contested and high‑risk issues, balancing public interest, statutory duties and long‑term outcomes.
• Lead NRW through significant change and transformation, sustaining resilience, confidence and performance under pressure.
• Demonstrate courageous leadership, making difficult decisions when required and taking personal accountability for organisational outcomes while maintaining trust and confidence across stakeholders.
• Act as the final executive decision maker during organisational crises, major incidents, significant service failures and issues of national significance.

Focusing on citizens and quality

• Ensure NRW delivers high‑quality, proportionate and customer‑focused services that create public value for the people, communities and environment of Wales.
• Champion a people centred culture that balances the needs of customers, communities and employees, recognising that organisational performance is dependent upon engaged, capable and supported people.
• Promote a culture of quality, consistency, professionalism, safety and continuous improvement across all services and functions.
• Ensure organisational priorities and resources are aligned to achieving tangible outcomes for citizens and future generations.
• Champion wellbeing, health and safety of employees, partners and service users across all aspects of NRW’s work.
• Ensure NRW maintains public trust and confidence through high standards of service delivery, regulatory practice and organisational conduct.

Championing innovation and change

• Sponsor innovation, modernisation and new ways of working to improve organisational effectiveness, service delivery and environmental outcomes.
• Create clarity, engagement and shared ownership of organisational change, enabling colleagues and stakeholders to contribute positively to NRW's future direction.
• Ensure organisational capability, technology, operating models and ways of working evolve to meet future needs and expectations.

Building collaboration and partnership

• Build and sustain strong, trusted relationships with Welsh Government, Ministers, public bodies, communities, regulators, the private and third sectors and trade unions.
• Lead NRW as a collaborative system partner, working across boundaries to deliver shared outcomes for Wales.
• Foster a culture of collaboration internally, ensuring the Executive Team and organisation operate as a cohesive whole.

Political awareness and skill

• Operate with confidence and judgement within the Welsh public sector and devolved political context.
• Provide clear, balanced and evidence‑based advice to Ministers, Welsh Government, the Board and senior stakeholders.
• Lead NRW's strategic relationship with Welsh Government, ensuring constructive engagement regarding organisational performance, policy, regulatory responsibilities, financial stewardship and strategic direction.
• Navigate political sensitivity and public scrutiny effectively, safeguarding NRW’s independence, reputation and statutory role.
• Fulfil Accounting Officer responsibilities, including accountability to Welsh Government and the Senedd, and appearance before relevant committees as required.

Sharing leadership

• Hold Executive Directors collectively and individually accountable for performance, financial stewardship, statutory compliance, risk management, workforce wellbeing and delivery of agreed outcomes.

Strategic orientation

• Ensure NRW’s strategy and performance align with national priorities, statutory duties and the Wellbeing of Future Generations framework.
• Ensure organisational resources, capability and investment are deployed effectively, demonstrating strong commercial acumen, value for money and long term financial sustainability.
• Shape NRW's future direction through evidence based decision making, strategic foresight and effective management of opportunities and risks.

Culture and Organisational Performance

• Create and sustain a high performing, inclusive and values led organisational culture aligned with NRW's purpose and strategic objectives.

Board and Corporate Governance

• Ensure the Board receives high quality information on organisational performance, strategy, finance, risk, governance and delivery.
• Support effective governance arrangements and constructive relationships between the Board, Executive Team and Welsh Government.
• Accounting Officer responsibilities
• Act as Accounting Officer for NRW, providing assurance to Welsh Government regarding the stewardship of public funds and assets.
• Exercise personal responsibility for the regularity, propriety, value for money and feasibility of organisational expenditure and investment decisions.
• Ensure robust governance, risk management, financial control, assurance and internal control frameworks are established, maintained and operating effectively across NRW.
• Ensure public funds, assets, information and resources are safeguarded and used lawfully, efficiently and effectively.
• Ensure significant governance, financial or operational concerns are identified, escalated and addressed appropriately.
• Exercise personal accountability for the lawful and effective discharge of NRW's statutory responsibilities and delegated functions.

Other responsibilities

• 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

Person Specification

• An inclusive leader with a track record of strategic leadership and management at Chief Executive or senior executive level in a complex, large scale, multi stakeholder organisation.
• Significant experience of leading a complex organisation comprising diverse professional, technical and operational specialisms, creating a clear and shared organisational direction while enabling specialist expertise to thrive and contribute effectively to strategic outcomes.
• Proven track record of providing visible and effective corporate leadership across a whole organisation, demonstrating accountability for organisational performance, culture, reputation and long term sustainability rather than individual business areas alone
• Demonstrable success in developing and leading high performing executive and leadership teams, fostering collaboration, collective accountability, challenge, inclusion and delivery of organisational priorities.
• Proven ability to create and sustain high performing organisational cultures that enable people to perform at their best, promote wellbeing, build capability and support engagement through periods of change and uncertainty.
• Strong commercial acumen, with experience of leading organisations with significant budgets and resources, balancing service delivery, financial sustainability, value for money, efficiency and investment decisions while maintaining public trust and accountability.
• Extensive experience of operating successfully within complex political, regulatory and stakeholder environments, including engagement with Ministers, government officials, Boards, regulators, delivery partners and representative bodies.
• Exceptional communication, engagement and influencing skills, with the ability to communicate with authority, credibility and authenticity, inspire confidence, build trust and represent the organisation effectively with internal and external audiences.
• Demonstrable experience of leading major organisational transformation and improvement programmes, delivering measurable outcomes while bringing people with them through change and maintaining organisational performance.
• Proven ability to make difficult, high profile and high impact decisions, exercising sound judgement and balancing evidence, risk, public value, financial stewardship, environmental outcomes and organisational priorities while taking personal accountability for outcomes.
• Demonstrable commitment to ethical leadership, public service values and the Nolan Principles of Public Life, with experience of fostering cultures characterised by integrity, transparency, accountability, inclusion and respect.
• Evidence of being able to fulfil the responsibilities of the Accounting Officer role, including stewardship of public funds, governance, accountability, regularity, propriety and value for money, and the ability to sustain confidence with Welsh Government, the Board and the Senedd.
• A strong alignment with NRW's purpose, values and commitment to the sustainable management of natural resources, together with a genuine commitment to serving the people and communities of Wales.
• Experience of operating with authority and credibility in complex, technically demanding and politically sensitive environments, demonstrating sound judgement, resilience and the ability to lead through ambiguity and challenge.
• A passion for the environment and for supporting communities across Wales.
• Knowledge and understanding of the issues relating to the sustainable management of Wales’ natural resources.

Headquarters Address: Cathays Park, King Edward VII Avenue, Cardiff, CF10 3NQ

Natural Resources Wales (NRW) is the largest Welsh Government-sponsored body, tasked with pursuing the sustainable management of Wales’ land, water, and natural resources. Formed in 2013, the organization works to tackle the nature, climate, and pollution emergencies so that nature and people can thrive together.

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