Senior Environment Officer

Team / Directorate: South Powys Environment Team / Operations

Starting salary:  £41,132 rising to £44,988 per annum through annual increments being paid each year (pro rata for part time applicants)

Contract type: Permanent

Work pattern: Full time, 37 hours per week (Part time, annualised hours, compressed hours or term time working considered - discussions at interview stage welcome)

Interview date: Week commencing 30/06/2025

Post number: 200590

The role

As a Senior Environment Officer, you’ll play a vital role in the South Powys Environment Team – covering iconic locations such as the Bannau Brycheiniog (Brecon Beacons) National Park and the protected Rivers Wye and Usk. This is a hands-on, senior-level post that combines specialist technical work with strategic thinking and leadership.

You’ll focus on some of the most complex and high-profile environmental challenges in the region, particularly around water quality, water resources, and agricultural impacts. Your work will include investigating and resolving environmental incidents, ensuring regulatory compliance, and taking enforcement action where needed.

Beyond casework, you'll act as a technical mentor to the team, helping to build capability and confidence in others. You’ll work closely with the Team Leader to shape and deliver local compliance programmes, contribute to partnership working, and represent NRW in discussions with external stakeholders.

This is a role for someone who thrives on variety, is confident making decisions backed by evidence, and is passionate about delivering real-world environmental improvements. If you’re looking to step up and make a difference where it truly counts – this is your opportunity.

To make an informal enquiry about this role, please contact Jenny Phillips at Jenny.phillips@cyfoethnaturiolcymru.gov.uk.

Interviews will be conducted via Microsoft Teams. The interviews will take place on week commencing 30/06/2025.  

Successful external applicants will be subject to a satisfactory Disclosure and Barring Service Check (DBS) check. We aim to make offers of appointment within 4 to 8 weeks of the closing date.

 

What you will do

• Represent NRW in discussions with partner organisations.
• Act as technical mentor and advisor to team members.
• Closely assist Team Leader in the planning and delivery of compliance programme and enforcement.
• Take appropriate actions to collect evidence for enforcement purposes, in accordance with defined procedures.
• Where non-compliance is identified, determine and implement the most appropriate intervention option.  
• Co-ordinate the technical development of team members.
• Play a senior role in supporting a resilient and competent NRW Incident Management Service that follows NRW process.
• 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

In your application and interview you will be asked to demonstrate the following skills and experience using the STAR method.

1. Experience of project development and management (desirable).
2. Overall understanding of the sustainable management of natural resources, with focused expertise in a distinct area of the Environment Team remit.
3. Ability to communicate effectively with stakeholders and the public, explaining issues and gaining support by influencing.
4. Good knowledge and experience of regulatory and enforcement processes.
5. Hold a current full valid licence to drive NRW fleet vehicles (cars and vans). 

Welsh language level requirements

• Essential: Level A1 – able to pronounce Welsh and use basic phrases

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.

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 disability, neurodivergence, ethnic origin, colour, nationality, gender expression and gender identity, marital status, sexual orientation, culture, or religion.   We put the principles of human rights, equality, fairness, dignity and respect at the heart of our values.

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. 

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