Technical Support, Historical Data Capture

The role involves supporting Natural Resources Wales' Data Services team in delivering data audits and small-scale data mobilisation projects across the organisation. The position aims to improve the visibility, accessibility, and quality of NRW's data assets, including historical and archived paper and electronic records, thereby supporting evidence-based decision-making.

Working with colleagues across NRW and alongside a Specialist Advisor, you will assist in identifying, assessing, and preparing data for use, including legacy collections. You will have a hands-on role entering, quality assuring, and mobilising data (e.g. to the NBN Atlas and DataMapWales), including writing discovery metadata (to Gemini and MEDIN standards) to enhance how data is organised, managed, and made available to customers.

This is an excellent opportunity to develop practical skills in data mobilisation while contributing to NRW's work in environmental data management and sharing, supporting effective data mobilisation and good data handling practices across the organisation. It will suit someone who takes pride in producing accurate, high-quality work and is motivated to develop their expertise.

This role will be offered as a fixed-term appointment until 31 March 2028. NRW supports flexible working. You will be based at the NRW office in Bangor with a hybrid working pattern agreed upon appointment. Due to the hands-on nature of the role, regular office attendance will be required, along with travel to NRW locations, including archives and storage facilities. Some work takes place at Clawdd Newydd, which is not easily accessible by public transport; therefore, a driving licence is desirable. Opportunities to share travel with colleagues may be available.

To make an informal enquiry about this role, please contact Monica Jones. Interviews will be face to face (details of location will be shared in advance).

About us: We are a small friendly team who work in Knowledge Information Management within the Digital, Data and Technology department. We are passionate about data management and its lifecycle and put customer service at the heart of our service.

What you will do:

• Import, transform, validate, and quality check NRW data following NRW standards, and upload data to corporate stores across various data formats, including paper and electronic, and from a number of IT applications.
• Assist the team in the day-to-day delivery of data management and data mobilisation activities, including metadata cataloguing, external-facing online data services, and archiving and deposit of NRW data.
• Support the mobilisation of legacy and backlog data collections, working with data specialists to assess suitability for digitisation, undertake scanning or direct data entry, and apply validation and quality assurance processes in line with agreed standards.
• Provide ITIL resolver support, training, and 'how-to' documentation to help users across NRW to audit, mobilise, and archive NRW's data.
• Help the team to work with ICT to resolve technical issues affecting data audits, data cataloguing, or publishing and mobilisation improvement projects and solutions.
• Help the team to maintain corporate catalogues of NRW data and information assets, and to deliver data capture and data mobilisation projects as part of a wider data mobilisation framework.
• Assist the team with auditing compliance with NRW's corporate data governance and data publishing or mobilisation standards, and contribute to discussions in relevant task and finish groups 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 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:

• Skills and experience in preparing environmental or biological data for use, including collating, entering, quality-checking, transforming, and archiving, working with both electronic and paper-based sources.
• An understanding of the data lifecycle, including data sensitivities and experience of managing sensitive and confidential information.
• Strong attention to detail, with the ability to accurately review, document, and check data and information to ensure accuracy against agreed standards.
• Effective communication and organisational skills, with the ability to work with colleagues from different teams.
• Ability to organise and manage own workload, working to agreed priorities and timescales, and contributing to defined pieces of work.
• IT literacy, practical experience using data tools, such as Windows and Microsoft Office applications, databases, and GIS software (for example, ArcGIS) to confidently review, prepare, enter, and manage datasets.

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:

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. 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.

We are 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 a 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.