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River Restoration Officer, 4 Rivers for LIFE x 2

Closing date: 3 July 2022 | Salary: £31,490 - £34,902 | Location: Abergavenny, Llandovery, Cross Hands, Haverfordwest, Lampeter with some home working

Contract type: Fixed Term Appointment until 31 December 2026

Work pattern: Full time, 37 hours

Post number: 203207 & 203208

As an organisation we support flexible working. This role allows hybrid working (a mix of home and office working) and a working pattern suitable for you can be discussed on appointment if you are successful.

You will be contracted to a NRW office within the place base, of which you will be required to attend for regular meetings, training and for one-to-one meetings with your manager. These will be planned in advance.

Job Description

4 Rivers for LIFE is an ambitious £9m river restoration programme funded by the EU LIFE programme, Welsh Government and a number of partners to transform Southern Wales’ 4 rivers Usk, Tywi, Teifi & Cleddau Special Areas of Conservation and their catchments in order to restore populations of declining habitats and species notably salmon, shad, lamprey and freshwater pearl mussels.

You will work with the Project team, NRW staff, partners and external organisations to deliver a range of habitat improvements across the 4 river catchments to improve habitat type and availability for the target species. You will assist the Senior Officer, River Restoration to deliver the range of activities within the project plan such as weir removals, fish-pass construction, reinstating natural processes, woody debris addition and control of invasive species amongst others. You will also be required to assist the Senior Officer, Monitoring, to ensure the monitoring objectives of the project are realised, for example carrying out in-river surveys.

It is expected that you will have experience managing contractors on small scale projects, with a knowledge of river restoration techniques, freshwater ecosystems and fisheries management. Experience in in-river surveys would also be an advantage.

You will give presentations to interested groups, such as Angling Clubs, farming and recreational groups, to raise awareness of the river and it’s wildlife’s importance, and to raise the profile of the LIFE project.

You will help to establish and support local community action groups to deliver ongoing invasive species management.

You will support the Senior River Restoration Officer and Senior Monitoring Officer in their work as required.

You will apply for permits for the project activities, such as Planning Permission and Flood Risk Activity Permits. You will also engage with landowners to secure permission for activities on third party land.

You will ensure good governance of the project, including strict adherence to NRW’s procurement and wellbeing, health and safety practices.

The job will require occasional evening and weekend working. The location will be a mix of home, office and on-site across the four river catchments.

Responsibilities

Your responsibilities will include:

Plan and develop the programme of river catchment restoration works across the 4 river catchments for the project period (2022 – 2026) working with the other project team members, external stakeholders and other NRW staff.
Deliver all practical on-site management, restoration and monitoring works to exemplary standards through a combination of first-hand on-site work and close supervision of specialist contractors.
Develop and manage multiple and overlapping contracts covering all aspects of the project.
Liaise with project partners and stakeholders such as NRW local teams River Trusts, Wildlife Trusts, angling clubs, local authorities, community groups and others to ensure that activities are well coordinated and integrated.
Maintain detailed records of progress with project implementation to support reporting at key milestones. Collate and analyse project monitoring data to quantify the effectiveness of project actions. Present and share results and learning via written reports and other methods.
Attend and actively contribute to regular meetings of the LIFE project team, and supporting the Team Leader at Project Board and Steering Group meetings.
Attend events and give talks to a wide range of interest groups.
Manage the budget allocated to project elements you are responsible for and maintain relationships with third party suppliers to meet value for money and spend profile requirements.
Work with a wide range of stakeholders using a variety of engagement methods to increase understanding and appreciation of the requirements for and societal benefits resulting from river restoration, LIFE and the Natura 2000 site series.

Qualifications, experience and knowledge

Knowledge and experience of the following are required:

Detailed knowledge of river restoration techniques, for example barrier removal, formal fish pass design and construction, in-channel habitat improvements, control of invasive species and other nature-based solutions.
Experience managing contractors and projects.
Excellent team working and communication skills and the ability to represent the LIFE project to a variety of audiences including external land managers, anglers and farmers.
The ability to undertake physically demanding field work in a variety of weather conditions and terrains. Where necessary/appropriate this includes lone working.
The ability to currently and legally drive a car in the UK.

Welsh language requirements: Essential Level 1 – Able to pronounce Welsh and use basic phrases

Please note if you do not meet the level 1 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.

Competencies

Applications to this role will be assessed based on the following competencies, both at shortlisting and interview. Please give examples of how you demonstrate these competencies when completing your application form.

Essential Knowledge and Skills	Demonstrable relevant experience gained in a number of environments or range of roles, with a good grasp and understanding of organisational policy and procedures. Has previous project management/contract management experience in a technical field and able to undertake the full range of tasks associated with managing projects. Able to evidence a good level of literacy, numeracy and communication skills. Post holders will typically have experience of supervising others/contractors. Able to demonstrate a high level of knowledge and experience of health, safety and wellbeing as well as public safety and public liability.
Evaluation of Information	Ability to understand and interpret technical procedure manuals and statutory codes used whilst undertaking the role. Able to produce business cases, reports, briefing notes and contracts, which will be signed off by others as part of agreed internal processes.
Decision Making and Autonomy Requirements	Ability to decide how best to achieve results, requiring objective judgment. Able to alter priorities where there are conflicting demands or work activities. The post holder will be required to make decisions of a technical nature based on the scope of work, with guidance from others if necessary. Objectives and targets will be delivered in accordance with a governance procedure and will be reviewed on a regular basis. The post holder will be accountable to a Project Executive. Able to apply prior knowledge to resolve problems based on known outcomes, with guidance from the Project Executive if required. Has an understanding that the impact of their decisions will be wider than the immediate function or department and impact the environment and landscape over a long-term.
Impact	Demonstrates an understanding that their decisions and actions will influence others and that projects undertaken, may affect NRW’s reputation externally and impact members of the public. Has an appreciation that decisions taken will have a lasting influence on the landscape with a short to medium term impact. Able to take responsibility for the overall delivery and output of the range of projects, managed within a governance structure. Health and safety considerations will be a feature of all projects and the impact of any risks will need to be identified and managed by the post holder.
Communication and Relationships with Others	Ability to interact and link with other roles across the business, fostering and maintaining good working relationships and networks to engage the organisation in delivering polices and work plans in the most efficient way. Effective communication and persuasive skills, which may include facilitating and presenting at internal or external meetings; giving advice and input as required. Able to manage relationships with a wide range of stakeholders and third parties involved in project delivery, which may involve a degree of influencing. Ability to produce technical documents, reports, accounts, contracts etc., containing advice, guidance or opinion; which could have detrimental consequences and financial implications if incorrect or poorly drafted. Able to source information and data from multiple locations, requiring external research and professional judgment to determine how the information should be interpreted. Confidence to interact with people externally at all levels. Whilst this is an external facing role; the work undertaken will impact externally and internally at a range of levels, depending on the nature of the project.
Responsibility for Resources	Responsible for the safe and legal use and keeping of specialised equipment used out in the field. The post holder will have delegated budgetary responsibility which is likely to be part of a much larger budget and will have responsibility in relation to supply chain/procurement activity linked to contracts in line with procedures.

Benefits of working for us

This role will offer a range of benefits, including:

agile and flexible working (role dependent)
Civil Service Pension Scheme offering employer contributions of 26.6% to 30.3%
28 days annual leave, rising to 33 days
generous leave entitlements for all your life needs
health and wellbeing benefits and support
weekly well-being hour to use at your choice

See full details for all the employee benefits you will receive.

How to apply

Send a completed application form to applications@cyfoethnaturiolcymru.gov.uk

Guidance on completing a job application form

Application closing date: 3 July 2022

Interviews will take place via Microsoft Teams, date to be confirmed

If you have any queries about the role, please contact Susie Kinghan at Susannah.m.Kinghan@cyfoethnaturiolcymru.gov.uk

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. We have a guaranteed interview scheme for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.

We put the principles of human rights, equality, fairness, dignity and respect at the heart of our values.

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