Local recruitment: Water Quality PhD Research Placement

• Vacancy: Water Quality PhD Research Placement
• Role ID: 654321
• Directorate: Evidence, Policy and Permitting
• Team: Integrated Water Planning
• Location: Flexible
• Grade/Salary range: Other
• Grade/Salary range: UKRI Stipend Rate £20,780 pro rata
• Working pattern: Full time
• Contract type: Internship/Graduate
• Closing date: 31/10/2025

The role

This is a 3 month opportunity for a registered PhD student to help us prevent deterioration in the water environment.

Natural Resources Wales (NRW) must prevent deterioration of water bodies under the Water Environment (Water Framework Directive) (England and Wales) Regulations 2017. Identifying where a deterioration has occurred or where there is a risk of deterioration in a water body will help NRW identify appropriate measures, aligning with the outcomes of the Upper Costa Beck legal case in England. We need to understand our data better and its implications, including: where deterioration has already occurred, ensuring we are aiming for the most relevant objective; recalculating historic classifications using new building blocks; identifying where there is a risk of deterioration and considering relevant measures at a water body level; make recommendations for future legislation.

The placement provides an opportunity to gain insight into the functioning of Natural Resources Wales and evidenced based decision making within the Welsh environment context. The researcher will work in an interesting and diverse team, and their contributions to tackling the nature and climate emergencies will be highly valued. 

The researcher will be expected to work independently within parameters and guidelines provided by Natural Resources Wales. Working closely with a wide range of colleagues the successful candidate will build valuable working relationships, broaden their knowledge of this sector, and enhance their existing transferable skills.

You will join a team managing a diverse range of programmes and providing technical and advisory support across our Operational and Evidence, Policy, and Permitting directorates.

This is a fantastic opportunity to understand how research and evidence is used to inform decisions. With support from their NRW supervisor, the researcher will be expected to take responsibility for managing and delivery of work commitments during the placement period.

As an organisation we support flexible working. You will be contracted to the nearest NRW office to your home 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 Eleanor Howlett at eleanor.howlett@cyfoethnaturiolcymru.gov.uk 

Interviews will take place through Microsoft Teams (details of time and location will be shared in advance).

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

You will

• Use WFDR classification data and other information to help us assess deterioration in the water environment and identify relevant measures.
• Work across various NRW teams and with stakeholders. NRW will facilitate work with other organisations such as Welsh Government if required. 
• 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.

Depending on your ability with PowerBI, you may work to analyse data further and create data visualisations.

Your qualifications, experience, knowledge and skills

Natural Resources Wales (NRW) can only accept applications to the PhD student placement programme from registered students who are within their funded period. Before applying, all applicants must:

• seek approval from their academic supervisor;
• confirm the method of payment with their finance department;
• confirm they can take a study break for the duration of the placement.

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

1. Ability to understand catchment to coast investigations,
2. Ability to communicate across teams, to deliver project goals.

Welsh Language Level requirements:

• Essential: A1 – Entry level

Welsh language levels

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.

Funding

The placement will be funded by NRW and will match the current UKRI PhD stipend rate.  The payment process aims to compliment PhD student university stipend payment structures, i.e. NRW pay the university via a Purchase Order on completion of the placement and the funds are passed-on to the student’s account from the university.  To avoid delays to students receiving payments, it is preferable that the student’s PhD stipend is not paused during the placement and that, instead, it continues and that NRW reimburse the university for the time the student is not undertaking research.  Please note:  we do not pay students directly. Students with Welsh European Funding Office (WEFO) funding must confirm this method of payment is accepted before applying.

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. 

You are welcome to apply for any vacancy in Welsh or English and any application submitted will be treated equally. Applications are welcome from individuals who work part time, as part of a job share or who work full time.