Woodland Programme Support

The role Natural Resources Wales is seeking a dedicated professional to provide specialist support for the Welsh Government's Woodland Programme. This role offers the chance to play a central part in shaping the future of Wales' woodlands by helping to deliver the building blocks for policy, strategy, and plans that will guide woodland management and expansion across the country. As a member of the Woodland Programme team, you will contribute to the development of strategies and frameworks that ensure sustainable woodland growth, while also supporting the team in fulfilling its roles and responsibilities.

Collaboration will be at the heart of your work, as you engage with colleagues across directorates and a wide range of external stakeholders to align efforts and deliver meaningful outcomes. We are looking for someone with strong analytical skills, excellent communication abilities, and a proactive mindset. A background in environmental policy, forestry, or natural resource management will be valuable, but above all we want someone who is passionate about sustainability and committed to making a difference for Wales' woodlands.

Joining us means becoming part of a nationally significant programme that is shaping the future of our environment. You will gain experience in policy and strategy development at the heart of government priorities, while contributing to sustainable woodland management that benefits communities, biodiversity, and climate resilience. 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. Any regular face to face meetings or training will be planned in advance.

To make an informal enquiry about this role, please contact Carol Owen at Carol.Owen@cyfoethnaturiolcymru.gov.uk. Interviews will take place week commencing 9 February 2026 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.

What you will do:

• Support and work collaboratively to develop efficient and consistent technical assessments, drawing on a range of information and data sources.
• Support the preparation of material to inform NRW Policy and Guidance documents, and statutory advice to WG and other bodies in Wales.
• Support the provision of regular accurate information to managers on progress, to adapt and ensure delivery of work to time and cost.
• Process queries relating to Welsh Government's Woodland Programme from internal teams, Welsh Government (WG) and customers, and take advice from operational and regulatory staff to ensure resolution.
• Support colleagues in the engagement with partner organisations WG, Confor and other Environment bodies in Wales and the UK and be a point of contact for customer queries.
• Provide secretariat support to relevant governance groups or meetings with Welsh Government and sectors.
• Contribute to task and finish groups, commissioned through the Business Boards, to prepare defined products as required.
• 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:

• Knowledge of Welsh, UK and EU legislation related to forestry land management and agriculture; Welsh, UK Government policy drivers in land management including forestry and agriculture as set out in the WG Woodland Programme; and the issues and opportunities in Wales.
• Experience of technical analysis and interpretation of a range of environmental information and data; including analysing large data sets.
• Working with/in WG, across the forestry sector and other land management organisations.
• Working in a programme and project management environment with Project Management experience and/or qualifications.
• You will be a member of a relevant professional institution and/or working towards membership.
• Share your knowledge and expertise to help solve problems.

Welsh Language level requirements:

Essential: Level A1 - Entry level
Desirable: Level C1 - Proficiency 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.

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.

Unless otherwise stated in the 'Role' section of this advert, Natural Resources Wales is unable to offer visa sponsorship for this position. Although we hold a Skilled Worker visa sponsorship licence, it applies only to specific roles that meet both the eligibility criteria and salary requirements set out by the UK Government under the Skilled Worker visa route.

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 a 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.