Conservation Officer, Environment Team in Monmouth

The role

Do you enjoy working outdoors and engaging with people to protect and enhance the natural environment? Are you passionate about biodiversity, conservation and making a real difference for nature in Wales? This is an exciting opportunity to deliver conservation, biodiversity and sustainable natural resource management across Monmouthshire and Torfaen through a mix of planned and reactive work.

As an Officer within the Monmouthshire and Torfaen Environment Team, you will help deliver Natural Resources Wales's (NRW) conservation and biodiversity objectives through protected site and environmental management activities. You will support the management and restoration of designated sites, undertake site monitoring and assessment work, provide advice and guidance to landowners and partners, and process Wildlife and Countryside Act Section 28 assents and consents.

Working with colleagues across NRW, local authorities, landowners, environmental organisations and local communities, you will help secure positive environmental outcomes through partnership working, practical conservation action and evidence-based decision making. You will also contribute to projects that support the Sustainable Management of Natural Resources (SMNR) and NRW's corporate priorities.

The role combines field and office-based work and requires a good understanding of habitats and strong species identification skills. You will collect and interpret environmental evidence, prepare reports and assessments, and contribute to informed environmental management decisions. Strong communication, organisational and relationship-building skills are essential, as you will work with a wide range of internal and external stakeholders.

You will also participate in NRW's Incident Management Service duty rota, helping to ensure an effective response to environmental incidents when required. This is a rewarding opportunity to help protect and enhance important habitats, species and landscapes across Monmouthshire and Torfaen. Driving is essential, and you must hold a full and current UK driving licence. As an organisation we support flexible working.

You will be contracted to the NRW office at the above location 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 Kirsty Lewis at Interviews will take place through Microsoft Teams About us At Natural Resources Wales (NRW), we are working towards a future where people and nature thrive together. A healthy environment supports resilient communities, a strong economy and a high quality of life across Wales.

Monmouthshire and Torfaen is a diverse area containing nationally and internationally important landscapes and conservation sites, including the Rivers Usk and Wye, the Black Mountains, Wye Valley Woodlands and the eastern Gwent Levels. The Monmouthshire and Torfaen Environment Team manages around 70 Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs) and nine Special Areas of Conservation (SACs), while also leading work to identify and protect new sites where appropriate.

We work to restore and enhance these important habitats and species for the benefit of nature and people. You will join a supportive and experienced team working across designated site management, environmental regulation, fisheries and project delivery.

Together, we help deliver NRW's priorities and secure positive outcomes for nature, communities and the wider environment. This is a rewarding opportunity to play a direct role in protecting some of Wales's most important environmental assets while developing your conservation, partnership working and environmental management skills.

What you will do

Work with a wide range of internal and external customers including permit holders, landowners, businesses, public bodies, recreation groups, volunteers and third sector organisations to enable others to achieve SMNR. Establish, maintain and advise partners to support the development of partnership projects and plans through from concepts to implementation. These projects will deliver outcomes aligned with place priorities. Draft valid consents and assents for operations affecting protected sites.

For all work areas produce required advice, investigations, documentation and reports to agreed quality standards to support operational and management decisions, protected site notification, public enquiries, court cases etc so that information, evidence and NRW interests are accurately and effectively presented. Within your area of expertise, provide professional local advice and responses to consultations from planning and permitting teams. Maintain working relationships with these teams through regular liaison.

Monitor progress of work, which may include interpretation of data, contractor management, project delivery or compliance with management agreements or statutory legal notices. Identify and support any remedial actions to ensure outcome delivery. Assess compliance with relevant legislation, permit or consent conditions. Where non-compliance is identified, determine and implement the most appropriate intervention option to ensure a return to compliance as quickly as possible.

Take appropriate actions to collect evidence for enforcement purposes, in accordance with defined procedures. Play a role in a resilient NRW Incident Management Service that follows NRW process to ensure effective, timely and safe response to incidents. 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). Required to take part in incident response activities. 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. A good working knowledge of environment management, agriculture or fisheries, with focused experience in conservation or biodiversity. . An understanding of how multi-functional teams can contribute to the sustainable management of natural resources Ensure continuing professional and personal development, expertise and competence through formal and informal learning and certification.

Strong and effective self-management and organisational skills. The ability to influence, negotiate and gain cooperation of others. Experience of dealing successfully with difficult people/situations is important. The ability to use specialised IT systems, such as GIS or NRW customised applications. Able to work well as part of a team.

Hold a current full UK valid licence to drive NRW fleet vehicles. (cars and vans) Welsh Language level requirements Essential: Level A1 - Entry level Welsh language levels 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.

Additional Information

Due to the nature of the work the successful candidate must be eligible for Security Check (SC) clearance. This generally requires five years' continuous residency in the UK. Further details on eligibility can be found on National security vetting: clearance levels - GOV.UK . Offers will also be subject to a satisfactory Disclosure and Barring Service Check (DBS) check. Natural Resources Wales is unable to offer visa sponsorship for this position. Although we hold a Skilled Worker visa sponsorship licence, it applies only to specific roles that meet both the eligibility criteria and salary requirements set out by the UK Government under the Skilled Worker visa route.

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.