The role
Are you passionate about shaping sustainable development in Wales? Do you want to help safeguard our natural resources while playing a key role in planning the places where we live, work, and thrive?
We’re looking for a Development Planning Advisor to join our expert team within Natural Resources Wales (NRW). This is an exciting opportunity for individuals with experience in environmental assessment or the town and country planning system who are ready to make a real impact.
You’ll provide authoritative environmental advice to Local Planning Authorities and other stakeholders, helping to shape everything from housing and infrastructure to energy and agriculture. Your work will influence both strategic development plans and individual planning applications, covering topics such as flood risk, biodiversity, water quality, landscape, and more.
You’ll engage with a wide variety of development proposals—from national infrastructure projects to local regeneration schemes—and work alongside technical specialists across NRW to deliver evidence-based, timely, and effective input.
This is a varied and rewarding role, ideal for someone who enjoys collaboration, thrives in a fast-paced environment, and is confident communicating complex issues to a range of audiences. Your advice will help ensure that development in Wales is sustainable, resilient, and aligned with our environmental responsibilities.
We offer a supportive, flexible working environment including hybrid options, opportunities for professional growth, and the chance to influence real-world outcomes that benefit people and nature alike. You will be contracted to the NRW office in Swansea - Maes Newydd 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 Jonathan Scott via Jonathan.Scott@naturalresourceswales.gov.uk
Interviews will take place via Microsoft Teams.
This opportunity will be offered as a Fixed Term Appointment (FTA) for a period of 100 weeks with the possibility of being made permanent.
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.
About us
Our Development Planning Advice Service is responsible for providing expert and influential environmental advice to Planning Authorities and Welsh Government to support their decision making.
What you will do
- Produce external advice to preapplication enquiries, development management consultations (with the support of more senior colleagues on technically complex, development proposals) ensuring NRW advice is robust, evidence based and delivered to deadline.
- Contribute to the preparation of information in relation to challenges against at NRW advice.
- Develop and maintain effective customer relationships.
- Maintain auditable records of actions and outcomes to justify and demonstrate that all legal and procedural requirements have been met.
- 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.
- Knowledge of environmental impact assessment techniques and methods.
- Knowledge of development planning processes.
- Able to communicate effectively with customers, explaining complex issues and gaining support by influencing.
- Able to analyse information and situations, solve problems and make sound judgements.
- Able to write clear, concise documents.
- Able to work well as part of a team.
Welsh Language level requirements
- Essential: Level A1 - Entry level
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.
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