Peatland Specialist

Team / Directorate: Evidence, Policy & Permitting / Terrestrial Ecosystems and Species

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)

Post number: 203687

The role

This is an exciting opportunity to join Natural Resources Wales’ (NRW) Welsh Government-funded National Peatland Action Programme (NPAP) team. Operating across NRW’s Evidence, Policy, and Permitting (EPP) and Strategic Projects functions, this team plays a pivotal role in tackling the nature and climate emergencies. Your work will help shape NRWs response to development planning applications with the potential to adversely affect peat soils and peatland ecosystems.  Crucially, your contribution will safeguard the positive outcomes of peatland restoration efforts from being undermined by external pressures. . 

In this role, you will lead on providing specialist technical advice regarding the impact of development planning applications on peat habitats and peat soils. Grounded in Planning Policy Wales (Edition 12, February 2024) and supporting NRW advice, you will critically assess the adequacy of environmental impact assessments, evaluate the significance of potential impacts, and ensure proposed mitigation and compensatory measures are both appropriate and effective. Your expertise will inform NRW’s formal advice to planning authorities, developers and NRW staff, as well as government decisions, programmes, plans, guidance, and strategies.

The role is part of the Terrestrial Ecosystems Team, and is one of two new peatland case-work specialist posts. You will collaborate closely with colleagues across NRW, officials from Welsh Government, and sector representatives. Internally, you will work alongside specialist EPP peatland staff covering policy, reporting and evidence, the Team Leader, the Senior Specialist Advisor for Peatlands, members of the Development Planning and Advisory Service (DPAS), Environment Teams, National Planning Team, and the wider National Peatland Action Programme.

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 James Latham at james.latham@cyfoethnaturiolcymru.gov.uk

Interviews will be conducted via Microsoft Teams.

Successful external applicants will be subject to a satisfactory Disclosure and Barring Service Check (DBS) check. We aim to make offers of appointment within 4 to 8 weeks of the closing date.

 

What you will do

• Prepare technical assessments of a wide range of impact assessment material, drawing on a range of complex information and data in relation to peat and peatland habitats.
• Provide specialist technical advice internally to directly inform NRW’s external casework responses, and also internal casework determination where NRW is the regulator. Internal advice will also directly inform NRW’s terrestrial management functions.
• Provide specialist technical advice externally to (a) developers and regulators at a local, regional and national level, (b) regional and national stakeholder fora and (c) expert witness role at inquiries as appropriate.
• Lead development of relevant casework guidance and provide training to Environment and DPAS teams.
• Develop procedures, tools and guidance and lead the delivery of new ways of working. Inform the development of NRW, Welsh Government and other Partners policy, statutory advice and guidance documents.  
• Liaise with external stakeholders such as sector representatives, Welsh Government, partners, SNCBs and other environment bodies in the UK to ensure the timely and effective delivery of project, policy or strategy obligations.
• Advise on evidence gaps and project manage agreed evidence projects, in line with the agreed evidence programme.
• Contribute to task and finish groups, commissioned through the Business Boards, to prepare defined products as 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
• Be committed to your own development *and that of your staff 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. Knowledge of: Welsh, UK and EU legislation related to terrestrial ecosystems and assigned sector(s); Welsh, UK Government policy drivers in terrestrial ecosystems and assigned sector(s) and the issues and opportunities in Wales.

2. Substantial experience in provision of specialist technical advice, at a regional or all-Wales level, in assessing impacts relevant to peatland ecosystems.

3. Experience of  technical analysis and interpreting a range of environmental information and data; analysing large data sets.  

4. Specialist technical knowledge related to peatlands.

5. Working with/in Welsh Government, statutory nature conservation bodies, eNGOs, public bodies and terrestrial environment sector representative bodies.

6. Good project management, work planning and prioritisation skills.

 

Welsh language level requirements

• Essential: 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%
• 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

If you think you have what it takes to do this role, but don’t necessarily meet every single point on the job description, please still get in touch and we will be happy to discuss the role with you in more detail.

We’re passionate about creating a diverse workforce and positively encourage applications from under-represented communities. We embrace equality of opportunity irrespective of disability, neurodivergence, ethnic origin, colour, nationality, gender expression and gender identity, marital status, sexual orientation, culture, or religion.   We put the principles of human rights, equality, fairness, dignity and respect at the heart of our values.

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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