The role
The role
Are you interested in playing an active role in restoring Wales’ peatlands?
Natural Resources Wales (NRW) are looking for an experienced hydrologist to join our newly formed Survey and Monitoring Team, which sits within the Wales National Peatland Action Programme.
You will be NRW’s technical lead for peatland hydrological monitoring. In this key position, you will undertake hydrological investigations and monitoring of Welsh peatlands, enabling us to assess success of restoration interventions. You will be responsible for monitoring scheme design, installation, recording, maintenance, analysis and reporting. You will also be central to the ongoing development of hydrological monitoring protocols and assessments metrics.
Provision of peatland hydrological advice and guidance both at a local, site based-level, and national level, particularly regarding restoration design and delivery, is another core component of this role. There is also a need for you to stay up-to-date with, and help implement, emerging best-practises and technologies.
Whilst our peatlands are wonderful, you will sometimes need to undertake fieldwork in sometimes physically demanding environments.
We value continuous learning and development—you’ll have access to a wide range of resources and support to grow in your career. This role offers the chance to influence not just the current environmental landscape, but the legacy we leave behind.
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 Karen Wilkinson – karen.wilkinson@cyfoethnaturiolcymru.gov.uk
Interviews will take place through Microsoft Teams 12th January 2026.
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
- Using your specialist expertise deliver directly, and through commission support, the hydrological elements of NPAPs overall outcome monitoring strategy (including monitoring scheme design, installation, recording, maintenance, analysis and reporting), and to undertake the ongoing development of hydrological monitoring protocols and assessment metrics.
- Advise and support NPAP project staff on peat hydrology issues relevant to restoration design and delivery.
- Advise and support peatland hydrological assessments and monitoring more generally across NRW, including monitoring and site/impact programmes on National Nature Reserves (NNRs) and Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), Ground Water Dependent Terrestrial Ecosystems monitoring, and the application of investigation and monitoring evidence to the development of peatland restoration projects.
- Contribute to the development of guidance, standards and methodologies for investigating and monitoring peatland hydrology.
- Serve as the NRW technical lead for peatland hydrological monitoring and investigation data, including developing and managing GIS-based datasets, ensuring data meet defined standards etc.
- Manage and develop the hydrological elements of NPAPs peatland survey framework agreement, contributing to or leading specification development and acting as the technical lead for any work commissioned from this framework by the NPAP team and advising other teams in NRW on its use.
- Provide wider specialist advice and technical support for other peat projects and peat work within NRW.
- Advise on when external hydrological advice support should be sought and to serve as NRWs professional lead for such work, including signing-off specifications for issue to contractors.
- Contribute to the development of the NRW peatland evidence programme.
- Work collaboratively with other NPAP teams and other NRW teams to deliver cohesive and strategic action on peatlands in Wales.
- 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.
- Significant levels of relevant, practical hydrological experience.
- Experience of wetland hydrology / ecohydrology.
- You will have a recognised qualification, degree or equivalent knowledge.
- Be a member of professional body or have relevant experience.
- Experience of supervising, coaching and mentoring.
- Ability to undertake fieldwork in sometimes physically demanding environments.
- Significant first-hand knowledge of hydrological investigation and analysis methods and the application of this knowledge in ecological contexts.
- Full UK driving licence.
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.
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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