Software Development Team Leader

The role

Lead and shape NRW's software engineering and digital delivery capability, overseeing high-performing agile teams responsible for developing, supporting and continuously improving business-critical digital products and services.

As Team Leader for Software Development, you'll provide strategic and technical leadership, creating an inclusive, innovative and delivery-focused culture where people can thrive and perform at their best. You'll drive engineering excellence, modern ways of working and continuous improvement, ensuring digital solutions deliver real value across the organisation.

Working closely with internal stakeholders and external partners, you'll oversee the successful delivery of complex digital services, balancing quality, performance, risk and value for money. This is an exciting opportunity to influence technical direction, champion innovation and play a key role in delivering NRW's digital ambitions.

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 Simon Mepham at simon.mepham@cyfoethnaturiolcymru.gov.uk.

Interviews will take place on 26/08/2026 through Microsoft Teams.

About us

There's never been a more exciting time to join Natural Resources Wales (NRW). We're using digital technology to help protect Wales' natural environment, improve services and deliver better outcomes for citizens, businesses and communities. Our Digital, Data and Technology teams play a vital role in that mission, operating a modern cloud-first technology estate that supports critical services across Wales, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

From real-time environmental monitoring and public alerting systems to over 100 applications, APIs and data-driven services, our teams work on technology that has a genuine impact on the people and places of Wales. We combine the expertise of our in-house specialists with leading delivery partners to create collaborative, high-performing teams, offering the opportunity to work with modern technologies, develop your skills and contribute to meaningful, nationally important work.

What you will do

• Lead NRW's software engineering and digital delivery capability, ensuring the effective development, support and continuous improvement of business-critical products and services.
• Shape technical direction, drive engineering excellence and innovation, and ensure digital delivery effectively supports organisational priorities through the effective leadership of internal teams and external partners.
• Provide leadership, management and professional development for software engineering and agile delivery resources, fostering a high-performing, inclusive and delivery-focused culture.
• Define and implement software engineering strategies, standards, frameworks and practices that support secure, resilient and efficient digital service delivery.
• Plan and manage software engineering capacity and capability, ensuring resources are aligned to organisational priorities and future delivery demands.
• Oversee the delivery and engineering assurance of digital products and services, ensuring quality, compliance and alignment with NRW and Welsh Government objectives.
• Act as the organisational authority for software engineering, influencing technical direction, governance, policy and decision-making across NRW.
• Ensure engineering activities deliver value for money while managing operational, financial, security and compliance risks.
• Build and maintain effective relationships with third-party suppliers and partners, ensuring successful delivery and performance.
• Drive continuous improvement and innovation by promoting modern engineering practices, emerging technologies and agile ways of working.
• Support NRW's data and digital ambitions by ensuring systems are designed to improve data quality, re-use and accessibility across the organisation and its partners.
• 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.

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.

• Degree-level qualification in a Digital, Data and Technology (DDaT) discipline, or equivalent professional qualification and experience.
• Strong knowledge of software engineering, digital delivery and modern development practices, including Agile, DevSecOps, CI/CD and cloud-based architectures.
• Ability to translate business needs into effective technical solutions and provide informed challenge on technical approaches, estimates and delivery decisions.
• Understanding of technology risk management, including security, resilience, scalability, compliance and technical debt.
• Strong communication and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to influence and engage technical and non-technical audiences.
• Experience of delivering digital services in complex organisational environments with multiple teams, suppliers and stakeholders.
• Knowledge of digital service standards, accessibility requirements and information governance principles, including GDPR and WCAG.

Welsh Language level requirements

• Essential: Level A1 - Entry 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.

Additional Information

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.

This role meets the criteria for sponsorship under the Skilled Worker visa route. Natural Resources Wales welcomes applications from non-UK citizens who are eligible to apply under this route, subject to confirmation by the Home Office.

Please note that while we may be able to support the Certificate of Sponsorship required for a visa application, the organisation does not cover the cost of the visa itself, including any associated fees for dependants.

The applicant must still meet the UK Skilled Worker Visa Eligibility and Requirement. For further information, please visit: https://www.gov.uk/skilled-worker-visa

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.