Senior Correspondence Officer

Team / Directorate: Communications, Customer and Commercial 

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: To be confirmed

Post number: 203844

The role

This role sits within NRW’s Customer & Engagement team, delivering high-quality and timely responses to correspondence, campaigns, and customer interactions. It involves working flexibly across directorates, place-based teams, and Heads of Business, adapting to priorities throughout the year.

Key responsibilities include managing projects that support the Customer & Engagement strategy, such as developing policies, guidance, technical solutions, templates, and a knowledge base for the Central Correspondence Team. The role also focuses on building strong relationships with internal and external stakeholders, including Welsh Government, Westminster departments, public sector organisations, MSs, MPs, and other key partners. Insight and evaluation are essential to inform planning and drive continuous improvement.

Providing specialist advice on Correspondence and Customer Management, the role plays a key part in handling complex and high-profile issues that could impact NRW’s reputation. Collaboration with Complaints and FOI Advisors ensures a joined-up approach to managing customer requests. While there are no direct line management responsibilities, the role includes mentoring team members and driving improvements in ways of working. It reports to Miriam Jones and contributes to the successful delivery of NRW’s Customer & Engagement strategy.

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 Miriam Jones at miriam.jones@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

•      Produce high quality, engaging and effective responses to correspondence,  campaigns and activity to achieve strategic outcomes in support of our Customer and Engagement strategy.  Ensuring NRW meets its legal requirements under various legislation and adheres to NRW's Complaints policy and Customer Service Standards.
• Deliver consistent, timely correspondence across a  range of channels with an audience/customer focus, either as a business partner working with Directorates, Place Based Teams or working with Heads of Business. These roles will be fluid and could change depending on priorities throughout the year.
• Manage projects in support of delivering the Customer & Engagement strategy, including the development of policy, guidance, technical solutions, templates and a knowledge base for the Central Correspondence Team
• Build relationships internally and externally in support of delivering our Customer & Engagement strategy, along with the strategic aims of the organisation. 
• Through effective engagement and communication, develop and maintain good working relationships with external stakeholders including Welsh Government, Westminster departments, other public-sector organisations, MSs, MPs, and other key stakeholders.
• Use insight and evaluation to inform Customer planning and adopt a continuous improvement culture.
• Deliver specialist Correspondence and Customer Management advice to the business in order to promote and protect our reputation, using sound judgement and your professional skills, in particular on the most contentious issues.
• Work closely with the Complaints and FOI Advisors to ensure a consistent and joined up approach to managing correspondence and other types of customer requests.
• Mentor team members and proactively seek ways to improve ways of working in the team.
• 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.      Excellent customer service and communication skills, (primarily written) with the ability to understand and interpret complex information, and to communicate this accurately and effectively to a range of audiences.
2. In-depth knowledge of the organisation and the ability to influence and inform at all levels of the organisation.
3. A strong interest in current affairs, and an excellent understanding of the political environment in both Wales and England, and the context of devolution.
4. Strong organisational skills, with the ability to manage your own workload and monitor the workload of others, work to strict timelines and adapt to changing priorities when necessary.
5. Experience of developing strong working relationships with internal colleagues, communicating ideas clearly and persuasively, and the ability to present compelling arguments to influence and negotiate satisfactory outcomes.
6. High level of creativity and innovation with an ability to proactively work with business area leads to improve the information available to the public.
7. Detailed understanding and knowledge of NRW’s remit, roles, policies and priorities in order to be able to drive effective customer engagement.
8. Ability to make sound judgement calls, in particular regarding protecting and enhancing our reputation.
9. Visible commitment to your own Continual Professional Development.

Welsh language level requirements

• Essential:  C2 - Higher proficiency level (fluent in both spoken and written Welsh) previous Level 5 

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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