The role
We are looking for an enthusiastic individual to join our team as an Environmental Data Collection Officer in Northwest Wales. In this role you will work as part of the Environmental Assessment and Advice Team. We monitor and assess the environment across Northwest Wales whilst also providing excellent technical monitoring advice.
As this is a largely field-based role you will be confident working outdoors, including working in water, all weather conditions and sometimes in remote locations either alone or as part of a team. You will be comfortable driving a variety of vehicles on different terrains: off road, toon single track lanes and on major roads.
The types of activities you will undertake include collection of routine water quality samples in rivers, lakes and bathing waters; collection of freshwater ecological samples including of macro-invertebrates and algae. You’ll also assist with terrestrial monitoring surveys; using technical field equipment, such as handheld meters to monitor the environment and information management systems to capture data electronically via a handheld device.
Your work will also include deploying automatic monitoring equipment such as data loggers and passive sampling equipment in waterbodies; and desk-based work, such as creating and updating electronic site information documents; quality assuring your field data; entering survey data onto databases.
You will follow methods laid out in our guidance documents, including those relating to our Health and Safety and Quality Management Systems.
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.
Interviews will be held in person (location and time to be confirmed).
To make an informal enquiry about this role, please contact Claire Liversage at claire.liversage@cyfoethnaturiolcymru.gov.uk
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.
What you will do
- Carry out survey work and data collection, in order to help deliver our monitoring programmes as part of the business plan and environmental outcomes.
- Be familiar with current laboratory procedures and data entry requirement, and upload data directly to the laboratory databases.
- Support EAO in scheduling their own and team members sampling on LIMS.
- Provide good quality data via field sampling and undertake initial data quality assurance in the field.
- Help support colleagues in developing and maintaining skills for specific sampling techniques.
- Train and supervise seasonal assistants to deliver annual sampling work.
- Be able to lead small team of staff in delivering operational sampling e.g. electrofishing Officer in Charge.
- Interpret and implement basic scientific and technical procedures and principles in an integrated way to ensure monitoring activities are carried out to the required standards.
- Provide sampling advice and support to other monitoring staff; test and apply improved sampling techniques/technologies.
- Support investigations, identify concerns and respond to the team/other functions, in line with our own policies, to support positive environmental outcomes.
- Maintain specialist sampling equipment.
- 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.
- Experience of operational sampling and/or monitoring.
- Experience of team working.
- Reasonable knowledge of terrestrial ecology, freshwater ecology, water quality, fisheries or earth science.
- Data and information management experience.
- A current full UK valid licence to drive NRW fleet vehicles. (cars and vans)
- IT competencies; MS Office and database experience.
Welsh Language level requirements
- Essential - Level A1
- Desirable: Level B2 – Upper intermediate level (able to discuss work matters)
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.
