Open Data Lead

Team / Directorate: Data Services Team / Finance and Corporate Services

Starting salary:  £41,132  rising to £44,988  per annum through annual increments being paid each year (pro rata for part time applicants)

Contract type: Permanent

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: 11/09/2025

Post number: 201249 GRJ

The role

We are seeking a knowledgeable and proactive Open Data Lead to manage NRW’s Open Data programme and play a key leadership role within our Data Services Team. This is a vital post for delivering on our ambition to make environmental and monitoring data openly available, supporting transparency, innovation, and better decision-making across Wales.

In this role, you will lead the identification, assessment, approval, and publication of NRW’s data products, ensuring they are accessible, high-quality, and legally compliant. You'll guide and mentor team members, coordinate workflows, and act as a key contact for external partners such as the Welsh Government (DataMapWales) and the National Biodiversity Network (NBN Atlas).

You’ll work across the business to align open data efforts with corporate governance and technology frameworks, collaborating with colleagues in Data Strategy, Master Data Management, and Information Governance. Your work will help ensure that our data follows the FAIR principles—Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable—supporting our commitment to share information openly and transparently.

Using your expertise in environmental data, you’ll assess and transform datasets, apply data standards, and use tools such as FME, Power BI, to maintain data registers, track progress, and deliver insights. An understanding of markup languages e.g. XML would be beneficial.Your knowledge of data legislation and policy will ensure all outputs meet legal and ethical standards.

This role also offers the opportunity to enhance our internal data practices. You’ll provide advice across the full data lifecycle—from acquisition and storage to dissemination and disposal—and support staff at all levels in improving data management skills.

If you're passionate about open data, have strong technical and communication skills, and want to make a difference in the way environmental data is shared and used, we’d love to hear from you.

As an organisation we support flexible working. You will be contracted to an NRW office within the place base / location above and a suitable hybrid working pattern will be agreed on appointment. Any regular face to face meetings or training will be planned in advance.

For informal enquiries, please contact Monica Jones at monica.jones@cyfoethnaturiolcymru.gov.uk

Interviews will be held 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

We’re looking for a motivated person to join our Data Services Team, part of the Finance and Corporate Services Directorate. As one of four teams within our wider Data Function you will work alongside our Digital and Technology Groups—you’ll play a crucial role in safeguarding our data whilst helping others understand and utilise our data effectively to make better decisions.

This is an exciting opportunity for someone with the right skills to join a small friendly team and would suit someone with strong attention to detail and a natural ability to communicate and inspire our data custodians by promoting best practice.

What you will do

• Be the lead specialist, responsible for defining and owning NRW's open data publishing programme and co-ordinating data exchange between NRW and third parties.  This encompasses a broad and complex range of data themes and formats that are created or acquired for use across all NRW's functions. 
• Define and continually review NRW's approach and policy to open data publishing, including regular evaluation of implementation processes and the exploration of technology to drive increased efficiencies.  Provide advice to relevant staff on; data exchange formats, transformation, quality, standards and suitability for publishing; advising IAOs (Leadership) on their open data publishing obligations.
• Interpret a wide range of information legislation and policies to define exemptions with third parties and identify which datasets that NRW derives from third party data can be published openly; negotiating open data rights with third party suppliers.
• Provide technical leadership and oversight for negotiation of new data exchange agreements and complex data acquisition contracts.
• Oversee content and design of our data and information catalogues, providing expert advise on extracting, reporting and the development of Key Performance indicators (KPIs).
• Approve whether datasets are suitable for inclusion in external browsers and advise technical experts in geospatial team on which datasets are appropriate for publication on e.g. NRW external web map services.
• Technical lead for NRW's data publishing technology.  Working with ICT or co-delivery partners (e.g. Welsh Government) to help define new technical solutions for data publishing, data downloads and data exchange and investigate technology for other publishing mechanisms (API, non-spatial etc).
• Provide technical advice to experts on the tools and services used for data publishing.
• 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. An in-depth knowledge and experience of data management with an emphasis on environmental data.
2. Experience of managing data or data governance projects; ensuring compliance with relevant legislation.
3. A good understanding of the legislation and standards that govern the way that we publish and share our data and practical experience in implementing compliance.
4. Experience of technologies used for generating data insights, as well as those involved in the Extraction, Transformation, and Loading (ETL) of data, in preparation for  publishing .  Familiarity with applications like PowerBI or FME and XML format is advantageous.Educated to degree level in a data management or environmental discipline, or able to prove relevant experience.  A professional qualification or working towards a professional qualification would be an advantage.
5. You will have good inter-personal skills and be confident a communicator with the ability to communicate technical subjects effectively

Welsh language level requirements

• Essential:   Level A1 - Entry level (able to use and understand simple, basic phrases and greetings, no conversational Welsh)

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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