Conservation Officer

Team / Directorate: North Powys Environment Team & South Powys Environment Team / Operations

Starting salary:  £36,246 rising to £39,942 per annum through annual increments being paid each year (pro rata for part time applicants)

Contract type: 3x Permanent (200580, 200591, 200593), 1x Fixed Term for 6 months (200581)

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 01/09/2025

Post number: 200580, 200581 (Fixed Term) 200591, 200593

The role

At Natural Resources Wales, we put the Sustainable Management of Natural Resources (SMNR) at the heart of everything we do. Our goal? To strengthen ecosystem resilience and support the wellbeing of future generations. And we need passionate, skilled people like you to help make it happen.

In this role, you’ll bring your expertise to a dynamic, multi-functional team delivering real-world impact at a local level. 

You'll play a key part in:

• Managing Protected Sites – leading on consents & assents, permissions and proactive engagement to ensure these vital areas are protected
• Delivering for Biodiversity – supporting the implementation of NRW’s biodiversity priorities through internal advice, hands-on project work and collaborative mitigation schemes.
• Regulation & Compliance – regulatory and compliance work focussing on protected sites and contributing to water resources, water quality and land management.

This is your chance to take your skills into the field and onto the map — delivering outcomes that protect and restore the environment, support communities, and shape a more sustainable future for Wales.

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 the roles in North Powys, please contact Liz Park Liz.Park@cyfoethnaturiolcymru.gov.uk.

To make an informal enquiry about the roles in South Powys, please contact Jenny Phillips at Jenny.phillips@cyfoethnaturiolcymru.gov.uk.

Interviews will take place on 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.

About us

The roles are in the Operations Directorate in the Mid Wales area which consists of the counties of Powys and Ceredigion

There are three Environment Team in Mid Wales, two in Powys and one in Ceredigion.

The North Powys Environment Team is based in the Welshpool Workshop and covers from the north of Welshpool which includes part of the Berwyn mountains, across to Machynlleth and down to the A44 and includes the Elan Valley. The area includes the source of the River Severn and River Wye on Plynlimon above Hafren Forest. A beautiful area to work in.

The South Powys Environment Team is based in Llandrindod Wells at Powys County Council County Hall Building and covers South of Rhayader, down to Ystradgynlais above the Swansea Valleys, this includes Bannau Brycheiniog, Brecon Beacons National Park, Black Mountains, The River Wye SSSI and River Usk SSSI along with many valuable designated sites in a truly breathtaking area.

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.

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. 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  
2. Strong and effective self-management and organisational skills.    
3. The ability to influence, negotiate and gain cooperation of others. Experience of dealing successfully with difficult people/situations is important. 
4. The ability to use specialised IT systems, such as GIS or NRW customised applications. 
5. Able to work well as part of a team. 
6. 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 C1 - Proficiency level (fluent Welsh speaker)

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 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. 

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