Water Quality Permitting Officer

Closing date: 31 January 2023 | Salary: £32,876 - £36,229 (Grade 5)| Location: Flexible

Contract type: Permanent

Work pattern: Full time, 37 hours per week.

Post number: 201597

As an organisation we support flexible working. This role allows hybrid working (a mix of home and office working) and a working pattern suitable for you can be discussed on appointment if you are successful.

You will be contracted to the nearest NRW office to your home, of which you will be required to attend for regular meetings, training and for one-to-one meetings with your manager. These will be planned in advance.

Job description

To provide specialist lead/support on the assessment and determination of complex water quality permit applications in accordance with NRW Policy, processes, guidance and procedures.

To provide specialist expertise to cover the Water Quality Permitting regimes relevant legislation.

To be accountable for non-routine strategic permitting work needed to ensure NRW are issuing effective permits in line with changing legislation and regulatory requirements.

To work closely with Water Quality team members and across the Permitting Service, to share both routine and non-routine work to maximise efficiency and utilise individual strengths.

Responsibilities

Your responsibilities include:

Determine the outcome of complex Environmental licence/permit applications through sound decision making for applications for their assigned regime by carrying out appropriate technical assessment in accordance with NRW policies and procedures where available, and issue, refuse or vary permits to time and budget.
Determine applications using a range of technical guidance and technical software and/or modelling programmes as required by your assigned regime.
Aid technical development of permitting officers within your assigned permitting team, through direct coaching and by supporting the delivery of the Technical Development Framework using your expertise in your related area.
Represent the permitting team in your area of expertise on relevant internal technical groups, and internal/external stakeholder meetings.
Act as lead for complex permit/licence determinations, including less complex nationally significant infrastructure projects.
Co-ordinate and lead in preparing defence in relation to legal challenges against permit decisions.
Provide technical support in your subject matter area to operational teams to include pre-application advice and support the delivery of structured training as required.
Contribute to improved efficiency and performance of the permitting team, identify opportunities for changes to process and guidance and support a culture of continuous improvement for both your assigned regime and for across regime working.

Qualifications, experience and knowledge

Knowledge and experience of the following:

Knowledge of the relevant legislation and how it relates to the permitting process.
Practical experience of assessing relevant licence/permit applications or using them in a compliance role.
Track record of delivering timely optimal solutions by effective information analysis and risked based decisions.
Experience of coaching and mentoring skills.
Experience of customer service delivery and the ability to influence and persuade to achieve environmental outcomes.
Experience of delivering process improvements/efficiencies.

Welsh language requirements

Essential Level 1 – able to pronounce Welsh and use basic phrases

Please note if you do not meet the level 1 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.

Competencies

Applications to this role will be assessed based on the following competencies, both at shortlisting and interview. Please give examples of how you demonstrate these competencies when completing your application form.

Essential Knowledge and Skills	Expertise gained in a defined area or function, enabling the post holder to provide advice and guidance to others. Demonstrates a sound understanding and appreciation of the work of the wider function. Has good literacy, numeracy and communication skills including well developed customer facing skills. Experience of supervising others is desirable.
Evaluation of Information	Demonstrates the ability to understand information, procedure manuals, statutory codes and legislation and interpret and apply the requirements to undertake their role. Able to analyse and process non-routine technical information, containing a degree of complexity.
Decision Making and Autonomy Requirements	Ability to decide how best to achieve results, requiring some degree of judgment and creativity and the need to alter priorities where there are conflicting demands. Able to solve problems and make decisions of a technical nature; primarily around their own area of work but will also cross over with the work of others. Problems and decisions may contain a degree of complexity and require the need to apply different techniques or methods. Ability to undertake research to determine how best to resolve issues. Able to provide guidance to less experienced members, to resolve problems.
Impact	The work undertaken is generally within a discrete area, so will primarily affect the direct environment, but may also extend across other subject and work areas. Aspects of the work may also have the potential, if carried out incorrectly, to impact on third parties and a wider area.
Communication and Relationships with Others	Demonstrates the ability to interact and communicate with people around their area of expertise, across a range of functions within NRW and external parties, adapting their approach and style appropriately. Well established inter-personal and communication skills with the ability to develop and sustain good working relationships, which may involve a degree of influencing.
Responsibility for People	No line management responsibility; but will supervise others in specific activities or pieces of work.

Benefits of working for us

This role will offer a range of benefits, including:

agile and flexible working (role dependent)
Civil Service Pension Scheme offering employer contributions of 26.6% to 30.3%
28 days annual leave, rising to 33 days
generous leave entitlements for all your life needs
health and wellbeing benefits and support
weekly well-being hour to use at your choice

See full details for all the employee benefits you will receive.

How to apply

Please send a completed Application form to Applications@naturalresourceswales.gov.uk using the post number as the email reference

Before completing your application, please read our Guidance on completing a job application form

Application closing date 31 January 2023

Interviews will take place on February 16^th & 17^th through Microsoft Teams.

If you have any queries about the role, please contact Terry Gulliford at Terry.Gulliford@cyfoethnaturiolcymru.gov.uk

Natural Resources Wales embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunity. We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition.

We welcome and encourage applications from groups currently underrepresented, including women, black and ethnic minority groups and people with a disability. We have a guaranteed interview scheme for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.

We put the principles of human rights, equality, fairness, dignity and respect at the heart of our values.

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