Environment Officer

Environment Officer NRM Agriculture 8 Posts throughout Wales

• Location: Wales
• Post Number: 103081
• Contract type: These fixed term until 31 March 2019
• Work pattern: 37 hours a week
• Grade / Salary: 4 - £24,528 - £28,215
• Application closing date:  Monday 25^th June 2018

Job Purpose:

High levels of agricultural pollution incidents in Wales have caused significant fish kills and impacted on water quality. NRW along with its partners are developing a strategy and influencing policy to tackle agricultural pollution in Wales.

As part of this strategy, NRW is proposing a further programme of work to undertake pollution prevention and potential enforcement that complements our existing work and that of other bodies.  To help deliver this ambitious project, we are recruiting Environment Officers (Agriculture) to eight posts throughout Wales to deliver agricultural projects and activities to reduce agricultural pollution in the dairy sector.

The successful candidate’s primary role will be working proactively in poor performing catchments engaging with farmers and land managers. They will provide advice and guidance on pollution prevention and compliance, help influence and implement best farming practice and where necessary take protective enforcement action to achieve compliance. Officers will work closely with NRM team and agricultural leads within NRW to ensure a consistent approach and delivery of work.

The Officers will carry out targeted advisory and compliance visits at high risk farms dairy farms. Visits will be followed up in writing detailing necessary improvements, timescales, potential cross compliance breaches and potential protective response (Notices). There would be no county boundary restrictions to where these target visits take place and a risk-based approach would be taken to determine which farms are visited.

The officers will work closely with and help coordinate current and planned catchment initiatives and partnerships. The partners include Farming Unions, Dŵr Cymru catchment team, Afonydd Cymru Catchment Officers and Farming and Forestry Connect. This will ensure a joined-up partnership approach to deliver agricultural pollution prevention advice and enforcement avoiding the potential for duplication of effort. There will be a focus on any new designated Nitrate Vulnerable Zones (NVZ), helping those farmers understand what the requirements are to achieve compliance under the new NVZ Regulations. 

The Officers will also seek further funding opportunities through partnership working and Regional Development Plan projects to help assist in developing innovative ideas, technology and practices which have the potential to further reduce agricultural pollution.

Job Specific Criteria

1. Educated to degree level or equivalent in a relevant scientific subject is necessary or related experience. Essential In addition a qualified FACTS advisor. Desirable
2. Knowledge of agriculture in Wales, environmental regulations, environmental incident management, and Natural Resources Wales remit. Desirable Good interpersonal skills to influence and negotiate with the whole range of customers within the agricultural community – communication, assertiveness, decisiveness, persuasiveness, and interpersonal sensitivity are vital to securing environmental improvements through the development of effective working relationships. Essential

1. The role sometimes involves dealing with conflict situations. Ability to make enforcement and compliance decisions that impact on external stakeholders in line with NRW policy, procedures and guidelines. The holding of an NRW warrant to exercise powers of entry and enforcement activities or willingness to work towards these. Desirable

1. An ability to work independently to manage, prioritise and organise your own workload in a timely manner. Essential

1. Customer Relations - Experience of working within a customer-related field. Desirable.

Welsh Language Requirements:

Due consideration has been given to Welsh language requirements in line with our organisation's Welsh Language Scheme Guidance for recruitment.Some of the posts require daily contact with Welsh speaking customers/partners and the welsh language requirements for each of the posts are as follows:

Montgomeryshire post welsh language level 4.

North East Wales post welsh language level  4

North West Wales post welsh language level 4

Pembrokeshire post welsh language level 3

Monmouthshire post welsh language level 1

Carmarthenshire post: 1x welsh language level 4, 1 welsh language level 1

Ceredigion post: welsh language level  4