Local recruitment: Environment Officer (Water Regulation)

• Vacancy: Environment Officer (Water Regulation)
• Role ID: 200411
• Directorate: Operations
• Team: Denbighshire Environment Team
• Location: Buckley
• Grade/Salary range: 5: £36,246 – £39,942
• Working pattern: Full time
• Contract type: Permanent
• Closing date: 19/10/2025

The role

We’re looking for someone who thrives on working with people, solving real-world environmental challenges, and getting hands-on in the field, someone who loves the outdoors, protecting nature and making a difference. Based in stunning North East Wales, this role focuses on protecting our valuable Environment.

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. You’ll be at the heart of efforts to improve water quality and resource management across some of Wales’ most important catchments.

You’ll also play an active role in tackling pollution and delivering high-impact environmental campaigns that protect our coastal waters and rivers and play a crucial role under the Environmental Permitting Regulations undertaking compliance and regulatory work linked to water quality, land or water resources.

You’ll also respond swiftly and effectively to environmental incidents as part of NRW’s duty as a Category 1 responder under the Civil Contingencies Act. Covering a large geographical area you will need to hold a valid full UK licence to drive NRW fleet vehicles (cars and vans).

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..

 As an Environment Officer 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.

This is your chance to drive meaningful environmental change in our North East  Operational Area—working hands-on where it matters most .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.  You will be expected to attend face to face meetings, training or to participate in operational matters as and when required.

If you would like to make an informal enquiry about the role please contact Rhys Ellis rhys.ellis@cyfoethnaturiolcymru.gov.uk 

Interviews will be held in person week commencing 03/11/2025, at the Natural Resources Wales Offices in Buckley.  

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

We value working as a team to protect and enhance our Environment. You will be joining a fast-paced team who turn their hands to many different tasks. As an operational team we cover a range of remits, alongside the regulation of permits, we manage protected sites, bathing waters and respond to environmental incidents and provide local advice and guidance to others

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. An understanding of how these multi-functional teams can contribute to the sustainable management of natural resources.
3. Ensure continuing professional and personal development, expertise and competence through formal and informal learning and certification.
4. Strong and effective self-management and organisational skills.
5. The ability to influence, negotiate and gain cooperation of others. Experience of dealing successfully with difficult people / situations is important.
6. The ability to use specialised IT systems, such as GIS or NRW customised applications.
7. Able to work well as part of a team.
8. Hold a current full UK valid licence to drive NRW fleet vehicles (cars and vans).

Welsh Language level requirements 

• Essential: Level A1

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.