Executive Director, Place Operations

The role
Join Natural Resources Wales as our Executive Director, Place Operations, and play a leading role in shaping the future of Wales' largest Welsh Government-sponsored body.
Natural Resources Wales (NRW) plays a vital role in the sustainable management of Wales' natural resources, helping to ensure that people and nature can thrive now and for future generations.
We are strengthening our focus on place-based delivery and transforming how our strategies and policies are translated into meaningful action on the ground.
This is an opportunity to join a refreshed Executive Team and help shape the next chapter of NRW, ensuring we are equipped to meet the environmental, social and economic challenges of the future.
As Executive Director, Place Operations, you will lead NRW's operational and regulatory services across Wales, turning strategic ambition into tangible outcomes for communities, businesses and the natural environment. Your leadership will directly influence how we protect and enhance Wales' natural resources, respond to major environmental challenges, and deliver lasting public value across the country.
You will lead a significant and diverse portfolio, ensuring services are delivered safely, consistently and effectively while balancing environmental outcomes, public value, customer needs and organisational priorities. Working across a complex and constantly evolving landscape, you will navigate competing demands, build organisational resilience and drive continuous improvement in the way NRW delivers for the people of Wales.
As a member of the Executive Team, you will contribute to the overall leadership of NRW, helping to shape organisational strategy, influence national priorities and support collective decision making. You will take responsibility not only for your own portfolio but also for the success and long-term sustainability of NRW as a whole.
We're looking for a leader who can build trust and confidence with a wide range of stakeholders. You will work closely with Welsh Government, regulators, partners, communities and businesses, developing strong relationships that enable collaboration, influence and shared outcomes. You will represent NRW at the most senior levels and act as a visible ambassador for the organisation.
A key aspect of the role is creating the conditions for others to succeed. You will develop leaders, champion wellbeing and inclusion, and foster a culture where people feel valued, supported and empowered to perform at their best. Through courageous, authentic and compassionate leadership, you will bring people together around a shared purpose and help lead NRW through future challenges and opportunities.
This is an opportunity to shape the future of Natural Resources Wales and make a lasting contribution to the people, places and natural environment of Wales.
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 discuss this opportunity
For an informal and confidential discussion regarding this opportunity and to receive the Candidate Pack, please contact the team at Goodson Thomas on or .
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.
What you will do
Leadership and organisational contribution

• Contribute to collective Executive Team leadership and organisational performance.
• Demonstrate corporate leadership and accountability for the success of NRW as a whole, beyond the boundaries of the directorate.
• Provide executive leadership to approximately 1,253 staff through seven Heads of Place, setting clear expectations for performance, accountability, inclusion, wellbeing, leadership capability and delivery across Wales.
• Lead through multiple layers of senior management, ensuring that leadership expectations, organisational priorities, performance standards and cultural expectations are understood and delivered consistently across Wales.
• Model NRW values and inclusive leadership, setting clear expectations, accountability and high standards of behaviour.
• Demonstrate courageous and ethical leadership, making evidence-based decisions and taking responsibility for organisational outcomes and challenges.
• Act as a visible and credible organisational leader, communicating with clarity, authenticity and influence across a diverse range of audiences.
• Champion NRW's wellbeing objective, promoting a culture that supports employee wellbeing, inclusion, engagement and sustainable organisational performance.
• Hold senior leaders to account for operational delivery, regulatory compliance, staff wellbeing, capability development, financial stewardship and performance outcomes.
• Build leadership capability and lead on workforce development, succession planning and organisational resilience.

Place based delivery and operations

• Hold executive accountability for safe, lawful and effective place-based delivery across Wales.
• Provide executive leadership, coordination and oversight across seven Heads of Place, ensuring integrated, resilient and legally compliant delivery.
• Ensure place based services are delivered in a way that reflects local needs while maintaining national consistency, quality and accountability.
• Ensure that place based delivery drives NRW's statutory purpose, public service responsibilities and contribution to Wales's natural resources and communities.
• Ensure operational and regulatory services are integrated, consistent and aligned to strategy.
• Maintain resilient delivery arrangements, including incident and emergency response.
• Balance risk, public safety and environmental outcomes in operational decisions.

Service quality and outcomes

• Ensure delivery improves outcomes for communities and Wales's natural resources.
• Promote accessible, proportionate and customer focused services.
• Drive continuous improvement through learning, insight, performance information and feedback.
• Ensure people, community and wellbeing considerations are embedded in decision making and service delivery.
• Promote a culture that values customers, colleagues, partners and service excellence.
• Use evidence, performance data, stakeholder intelligence and operational insight to improve service quality and organisational outcomes.

Strategy, governance and assurance

• Shape strategic direction using evidence, operational intelligence and professional judgement.
• Ensure strong governance, risk management and performance frameworks.
• Provide formal assurance and advice to the Board and Chief Executive on operational performance, financial performance, statutory compliance, strategic risk, governance effectiveness and organisational resilience.
• Oversee effective use of resources aligned to organisational priorities.
• Promote integrity, transparency and accountability consistent with the Nolan Principles of Public Life.
• Take ultimate executive responsibility within the directorate for operational delivery, regulatory performance, risk escalation, incident readiness, service resilience and the delivery of agreed outcomes through the Heads of Place.
• Provide executive assurance on the performance and governance of Place Operations, including accountability for income of approximately £6.6 million and expenditure of approximately £89 million.
• Ensure financial plans are robust, budgets are actively managed, risks and opportunities are addressed, and resources are deployed effectively to steer operational delivery, regulatory activity, public safety, environmental outcomes and strategic priorities.
• Provide advice and recommendations that carry significant weight with the Chief Executive, Executive Team and Board in relation to place based delivery, statutory compliance, operational risk, public confidence, financial stewardship and organisational resilience.

Partnerships and influence

• Build trusted relationships with partners, regulators, communities and stakeholders.
• Represent NRW at senior and multi agency forums.
• Enable collaboration across place, national and corporate functions.
• Influence and build confidence through effective communication, credibility and professional leadership.
• Represent NRW in complex discussions relating to operational delivery, regulatory activity, strategic risk, public value, environmental outcomes and organisational resilience.
• Influence outcomes across local, national and strategic forums, including situations involving competing priorities, public scrutiny, operational sensitivity and different stakeholder perspectives.
• Exercise senior level influence and negotiation with Welsh Government, regulators, local authorities, communities, partners and stakeholders where there are competing priorities, public scrutiny, environmental sensitivities, regulatory requirements and differing stakeholder expectations.

Transformation and improvement

• Lead innovation and continuous improvement in delivery models and services.
• Sponsor major programmes and ensure delivery of benefits and outcomes.
• Foster a culture of learning, adaptability and organisational improvement.
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