Head of Strategic Projects

This is a high-impact leadership role at the heart of Natural Resources Wales’ most ambitious and high-profile programmes. As Head of Strategic Projects, you will lead the design and delivery of flagship initiatives including LIFE Projects, the Peatland Programme, Nature Networks, Natur am Byth and Metal Mines programmes that are central to Wales’ environmental recovery and long-term sustainability.

You will oversee a portfolio of strategic projects with a capital spend exceeding £150 million, managing a team of around 200 staff and working across the organisation to ensure delivery is cohesive, well-governed and aligned with NRW’s corporate priorities. You will be responsible for setting the strategic direction, building project delivery capability, and ensuring that our programmes deliver meaningful outcomes for communities, nature and climate.

As Senior Responsible Officer for several major programmes, you will provide assurance to the Executive Team and Board that our planning, governance and investment decisions are robust, transparent and future-focused. You will work closely with the Project Management Office and other corporate leads to embed best practice, drive performance and ensure compliance with legal and contractual frameworks.

This role requires a confident and collaborative leader who can navigate complexity, manage risk and influence at the highest levels. If you are passionate about delivering environmental excellence through strategic programme leadership, and ready to help shape the future of Wales’ natural resources, we would be delighted to hear from you.

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.

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

For a confidential conversation regarding this opportunity, please contact Odgers’ Wales Practice on 02920 783 050 or email us at [email protected]

Candidate pack

What you will do

As Head of Strategic Projects, you will:

• Provide leadership, management, and good governance principles to ensure projects meet specified requirements.
• Lead Leadership Team Group (LTG) business for significant high risk, high reputation projects.
• Attend Executive Team and NRW Board meetings as LTG representative, providing a bridge between the executive and leadership teams supporting NRWs project delivery.
• Develop a strategic roadmap around projects which both the Board and Executive Team can assess and monitor progress and review project milestones.
• Work with Directors and Leadership Team members to ensure NRWs planning, governance, technology and delivery mechanisms support the sustainable management of natural resources in Wales.
• Oversee any internal or external audit activities (e.g. LIFE) and gain assurance from Audit and Risk Assurance Committee on governance arrangements, and the effectiveness of financial, risk management and other internal control frameworks that relate to the programmes and projects within the post holder’s portfolio.
• Develop strategic knowledge of project and programme “lessons learned” and “best practice techniques”. Lead their application to maximise effectiveness of the organisations project delivery. Develop a pipeline of (Conservation) projects in partnership with NRM service.
• Working with internal and external stakeholders identify and actively manage stakeholder involvement consistent with the overall strategy of the business and delivery of component programmes and projects.
• Ensure delivery of projects and programmes within NRW’s procurement and contractual frameworks, operating within processes to ensure legal and contractual compliance in conjunction with the responsible Operations Leadership Team lead.
• Act as a deputy to the Executive Director when required, providing leadership continuity and representing the directorate at senior-level meetings and engagements.
• Provide project performance data (i.e. performance reporting, critical path analysis, milestones) to identify key existing and emerging themes and trends to the Executive Director, Executive Team and NRW Board on a routine basis.
• Work within established financial systems to independently produce plans and schedules and track and manage budgets, highlighting variances in order to manage and control project delivery targets.
• Present any project risks or issues to NRW’s senior team to ensure the project is not adversely impacted and ensure the delivery of projects to compliant standards.
• 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 and that of your staff through the effective use of your personal development plan (known as Sgwrs).
• Any other reasonable duties requested commensurate with the grade of this role.
• Required to take part in incident response activities.

Your qualifications, experience, knowledge and skills

1. Business based degree level qualification (or equivalent experience).
2. Significant experience of delivering major multi-disciplinary, collaborative environmental projects from concept to completion is sought.
3. A recognised PPM (programme and project management) professional qualification e.g. PMQ Project Management Qualification etc. (essential).
4. Membership and/or working towards Chartership of the Association for Project Management (APM) or other similar professionally recognised status.
5. Safety Leadership qualification, e.g. IOSH or equivalent (essential).
6. Substantial experience of working in a senior change management, transformation, or portfolio/programme management role.
7. Excellent stakeholder management skills and experience of working as part of a senior management team, with senior stakeholders (both internal and external).

Welsh Language Level requirements:

• Essential: ​Level A1 – Entry level (able to use and understand simple, basic phrases and greetings, no conversational Welsh)​
• Desirable: ​Level C2 – Higher proficiency level (fluent in both spoken and written Welsh)​

Welsh language levels

Please note if you do not meet the level 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.

You are welcome to apply for any vacancy in Welsh or English and any application submitted will be treated equally. Applications are welcome from individuals who work part time, as part of a job share or who work full time.