The role
We're excited to offer two distinct opportunities to join our team as Environment Officers - one with a focus on Biodiversity, and the other on Water Quality.
As a Biodiversity Environment Officer, you will play a vital role in protecting and enhancing the natural environment by leading targeted actions to improve biodiversity across NRW's South Central Operational Area. Your work will support the recovery of habitats and species, helping to create a more resilient and nature-rich landscape.
As a Water Quality Environment Officer, your efforts will focus on improving the health of our rivers and catchments. You'll take strategic, evidence-based action to tackle water quality issues and support sustainable water resource management across the region.
Both roles offer a unique opportunity to drive meaningful, on-the-ground environmental improvements and contribute directly to NRW's wider goals for nature and climate.
Are you passionate about making a real difference to the health of our rivers and water ecosystems? As an Environment Officer, you'll be at the heart of efforts to improve water quality and resource management across some of Wales' most important catchments. This is your chance to drive meaningful environmental change in our South Central Operational Area-working hands-on where it matters most.
You'll collaborate with a wide range of people-landowners, communities, permit holders, and public bodies-helping them contribute to the sustainable management of natural resources. Whether it's tackling pollution, managing compliance, or enabling partnership-led restoration projects, your work will directly improve the places where people live, work, and play.
This is more than a desk job. It's boots-on-the-ground action, strategic thinking, and collaborative problem-solving-all rolled into one. You'll join a supportive and forward-thinking team within Natural Resources Wales, where flexibility, hybrid working, and career development are part of the package.
If you're driven by impact, ready to roll up your sleeves, and want to help shape a healthier, more resilient environment-this role is for you.
As an organisation we support flexible working. You will be contracted to the NRW office at the above location 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 Richard Jones ( Richard.Jones@cyfoethnaturiolcymru.gov.uk ) or Scott Hand ( Scott.Hand@cyfoethnaturiolcymru.gov.uk )
Interviews will take place 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
- Work with a wide range of internal and external customers including permit holders, landowners, businesses, public bodies, recreation groups, volunteers and third sector organisations to enable others to achieve SMNR.
- Establish, maintain and advise partners to support the development of partnership projects and plans through from concepts to implementation. These projects will deliver outcomes aligned with place priorities.
- Assess compliance with relevant legislation, permit or consent conditions. Where non-compliance is identified, determine and implement the most appropriate intervention option to ensure a return to compliance as quickly as possible. Take appropriate actions to collect evidence for enforcement purposes, in accordance with defined procedures.
- Draft valid consents and assents for operations affecting protected sites. For all work areas produce required advice, investigations, documentation and reports to agreed quality standards to support operational and management decisions, protected site notification, public enquiries, court cases etc so that information, evidence and NRW interests are accurately and effectively presented.
- Within your area of expertise, provide professional local advice and responses to consultations from planning and permitting teams. Maintain working relationships with these teams through regular liaison.
- Monitor progress of work, which may include interpretation of data, contractor management, project delivery or compliance with management agreements or statutory legal notices. Identify and support any remedial actions to ensure outcome delivery.
- Play a role in a resilient NRW Incident Management Service that follows NRW process to ensure effective, timely and safe response to incidents.
- 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.
- Required to take part in incident response activities.
Your Qualifications, Experience, Knowledge And Skills
Applications to this role will be assessed based on the following criteria both at shortlisting and interview. In your job application please demonstrate, using the STAR method, how you meet the requirements outlined below.
- A good working knowledge of environment management, agriculture, fisheries, conservation or biodiversity, with focused experience in one of these distinct areas of the team remit.
- An understanding of how these multi-functional teams can contribute to the sustainable management of natural resources.
- Ensure continuing professional and personal development, expertise and competence through formal and informal learning and certification.
- Strong and effective self-management and organisational skills.
- The ability to influence, negotiate and gain cooperation of others. Experience of dealing successfully with difficult people / situations is important.
- The ability to use specialised IT systems, such as GIS or NRW customised applications.
- Able to work well as part of a team.
- Hold a current full UK valid licence to drive NRW fleet vehicles. (cars and vans)
Welsh Language Level Requirements
- Essential: Level A1 - Entry level (able to use and understand simple, basic phrases and greetings, no conversational Welsh)
- Desirable: Level B2 - Upper intermediate level (able to discuss work matters)
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.
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.
