| Job Summary | |
| Job Title | Geomorphology Advisor |
| Post Number | 202862 |
| Grade | 5, £30,873 rising to £34,218 over four years |
| Location | North Wales |
| Directorate | Operations |
| Team | Hydrology & Water Resource Management |
| Reports to | Team Leader Hydrology & Water Resource Management |
| Direct Reports | None |
| Welsh Language requirements | Essential Level 1 – able to pronounce Welsh and use basic phrasesPlease note if you do not meet the Welsh language requirements specified 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. |
| Contract type | Permanent |
| Work pattern | 37 hrs per week. Monday to Friday. |
| Application information | |
| Application closing date | 31 October 2021 |
| Interview to take place on and where | W/C 8th November 2021 via Microsoft Teams |
| To apply send your completed application form to | [email protected] |
| If you have any queries, contact | [email protected]07468 742442 |
Job Context
The post holder will join a team providing a hydrology, water resource assessment, flood risk assessment and geomorphology service across North West and North East Wales including the Upper Severn Area.
The post holder will provide a comprehensive technical fluvial geomorphology support service, to internal customers and partners, with a particular focus on water resource, and flood and coastal risk management teams.
The post-holder will use their technical knowledge and experience to ensure geomorphological advice provided to both internal and external customers, achieves NRW’s desired environmental outcomes.
Applying for this post
The following competencies will be used to assess the quality of applications both at sift and interview. Please read the whole of the Role Description to ascertain at what level this information needs to be presented.
- Essential Knowledge and Skills
- Evaluation of Information
- Decision Making Autonomy
- Impact
- Communications and Relationships with Others
| Competencies | |
| Essential Knowledge and Skills | Expertise gained in a defined area or function, enabling the post holder to provide advice and guidance to others.Demonstrates a sound understanding and appreciation of the work of the wider function.Has good literacy, numeracy and communication skills including well developed customer facing skills.Experience of supervising others is desirable. |
| Evaluation of Information | Demonstrates the ability to understand information, procedure manuals, statutory codes and legislation and interpret and apply the requirements to undertake their role.Able to analyse and process non-routine technical information, containing a degree of complexity. |
| Decision Making and Autonomy Requirements | Ability to decide how best to achieve results, requiring some degree of judgment and creativity and the need to alter priorities where there are conflicting demands.Able to solve problems and make decisions of a technical nature; primarily around their own area of work but will also cross over with the work of others.Problems and decisions may contain a degree of complexity and require the need to apply different techniques or methods.Ability to undertake research to determine how best to resolve issues. Able to provide guidance to less experienced members, to resolve problems. |
| Impact | The work undertaken is generally within a discrete area, so will primarily affect the direct environment, but may also extend across other subject and work areas.Aspects of the work may also have the potential, if carried out incorrectly, to impact on third parties and a wider area. |
| Communication and Relationships with Others | Demonstrates the ability to interact and communicate with people around their area of expertise, across a range of functions within NRW and external parties, adapting their approach and style appropriately.Well established inter-personal and communication skills with the ability to develop and sustain good working relationships, which may involve a degree of influencing. |
| #TeamNRW Values |
| We are passionate about the natural environment of Wales |
| We care for each other and the people we work with |
| We act with integrity |
| We make a difference now and for the future |
| We are proud to serve the people of Wales |
| Role Description | |
| Job Purpose: | The post holder will provide a comprehensive technical fluvial geomorphology support service, to internal customers and partners, with a particular focus on water resource, and flood and coastal risk management teams. The post-holder will use their technical knowledge and experience to ensure geomorphological advice provided to both internal and external customers, achieves NRW’s desired environmental outcomes. Consider the principles of SMNR and Well-being of Future Generations Act are considered in all decision making. |
| Key Job Accountabilities: | Analyse, interpret and prepare reports on technical scientific data, providing good quality information to the relevant teams, to support their decisions and to help them to protect the environment. Investigate and comment on referred permit applications, providing a technical response to NRW permitting centre, authorities, developers, NRM teams in line with current NRW policy, to influence and promote sustainable permitting and development. Advise on compliance with the Water Framework Directive (WFD), and other relevant legislation.Act as a technical advisor on river restoration, bioengineering and natural flood management (NFM) measuresProvide technical input into guidance for Flood Risk Management, Permitting, Enforcement, Restoring Sustainable Abstraction, and other appropriate projects.Provide technical input to the development of future geomorphological practices, particularly focussing on its role in the Sustainable Management of Natural Resources.Provide technical support to NRW colleagues on complex geomorphological issues.Contribute to the successful development and implementation of emergency plans including drought and flood incident management. Support health & safety best practice by actively promoting awareness and ensuring the provision of safe working practices to comply with Environment Agency policies and standards. |
| Key Job Qualifications or Knowledge: | Degree in relevant scientific subject (e.g. physical geography, environment science or civil engineering). Graduate member of appropriate professional body (e.g. CIWEM or ICE) working towards becoming chartered. Able to demonstrate competency in geomorphological science and have the ability to apply practically and innovatively at an operational level. Experience will have been gained over and number of years using geomorphological methods, techniques and calculations, with some experience of working on site on rivers.Good understanding of hydromorphological elements of the Water Framework Directive, as well as the ability to write technical reports on such aspects.Ability to convey technical information to non-specialists.Ability to undertake fieldwork in sometimes physically demanding environments.Full UK driving licence. |
What you will do
You will provide expertise to a defined area or function undertaking a range of work that supports regulation and environmental responsibilities of NRW.
You may be involved in work relating to incident response.
You will refer to procedure manuals, relevant statutory codes and legislation in undertaking the work, undertaking analysis and interpreting requirements as necessary.
You will process and analyse non-routine information that has an element of complexity and will be of a technical nature.
You will undertake work within a discrete area although the work has the potential, if carried out incorrectly, to impact across other subject areas and third parties.
You will provide guidance to less experienced colleagues in the resolution of problems.
You will have oversight of contractors and the associated costs.
You will determine how best to achieve results by applying technical judgment and creativity, altering priorities if there are conflicting demands.
You will be responsible for the safe use and keeping of tools and equipment required to undertake your role.
Who you will be working with
You will supervise others in specific activities or pieces of work.
You will work with a range of people across NRW functions, together with external parties.
Where you will be working
Your role will be primarily office based but may entail travel between different NRW locations, as well as working at partner organisations and other premises.
You will also work outdoors at different sites and may be exposed to unpleasant conditions from time to time.
What knowledge and skills you need
You will have a degree level qualification in a relevant subject area or the equivalent level of knowledge.
You will have subject matter expertise within a defined area that enables you to provide guidance to others.
You may not be a subject matter expert in all areas but will have a sound understanding and appreciation of the work of the wider function.
You will have good literacy, numeracy and communication skills including well developed customer facing skills.
You will have analytical skills that enables you to process and analyse technical information.
You will have good inter-personal and influencing skills and able develop and sustain good working relationships.
You will, ideally, have previous supervisory experience.
What other information is relevant to your job
You will realise your contribution by applying the principles of SMNR to your work; in how you think, plan and deliver activities.
You will be expected to work with teams and individuals from across NRW, sharing your expertise and insight to solve complex problems. You will support collaborative working with partners and sector organisations, focussing on shared priorities.
You are responsible for complying with the policies, procedures and processes that relate to your role.
You are responsible for ensuring that all financial transactions undertaken by yourself represent value for money and meet the requirements of the organisation.
NRW is a Category 1 responder under the Civil Contingencies Act (2004), and this means we have a duty to work with partners to prepare for and respond to emergencies and incidents covered by the Act. All staff may be required to undertake activities, at a level commensurate with the skills and experience required by their role, to assist in ensuring this duty is undertaken.
This role description sets out a broad indication of the role, where it sits within the overall NRW structure and indicative expectations of the post holder. It is not intended to provide a detailed description of all tasks and activities. This document should be read in conjunction with the job specific Personal Development Plan which sets out the specific activities and projects to be delivered during the year.
Before applying for this role please read the candidate guidance
Natural Resources Wales embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunity. We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition. We welcome and encourage applications from groups currently underrepresented including women, black and ethnic minority groups and people with a disability and we have a guaranteed interview scheme for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.
We are an employer of choice because we put the principles of human rights, equality, fairness, dignity and respect at the heart of our values.
