Senior Protected Species Advisor

Closing Date: 15 June 2025 | Salary: Grade 6: £41,132 - £44,988​ per annum | Location: Cardiff or Bangor

Team / Directorate: Development Planning Advice Service/Operations

Starting salary:  £41,132 rising to £44,988 per annum through annual increments being paid each year (pro rata for part time applicants)

Contract type: Permanent

Work pattern: Full time, 37 hours per week (Part time, annualised hours, compressed hours or term time working considered - discussions at interview stage welcome)

Interview date: To be confirmed

Post number: 203912, 203913

The role

Are you passionate about protecting Wales’ most iconic wildlife? We’re looking for an experienced ecologist to take on a senior role in our Protected Species Team, part of Natural Resources Wales’ (NRW) Development Planning Advice Service. 

As a Senior Protected Species Advisor, you’ll lead on providing expert technical advice for a wide range of legally protected species, including bats, otters, great crested newts, dormice, red squirrels, and pine martens. You’ll support both internal colleagues and external stakeholders, guiding decisions on development proposals and species licence applications to ensure the best outcomes for conservation and compliance. 

Your work will have direct influence on planning and licensing decisions across Wales, contributing to national efforts to tackle the nature emergency. You’ll also mentor other team members, share your expertise, and collaborate with colleagues across NRW and beyond. 

Key responsibilities include: 

  • Providing expert advice on the ecology, conservation, and mitigation of protected species, with a focus on legally protected terrestrial fauna. 

  • Leading on complex development planning casework and licence assessments. 

  • Supporting and mentoring colleagues across NRW’s Protected Species Team. 

  • Engaging with internal teams and external customers to deliver clear, practical advice that balances conservation and sustainable development. 

  • Contributing to the development of guidance, tools, and best practice. 

We’re looking for an organised, adaptable professional with deep ecological knowledge, strong communication skills and a collaborative approach. If you’re motivated by making a real difference for wildlife at a national scale, we’d love to hear from you. 

To make an informal enquiry about this role, please contact Jane Garner on jane.garner@cyfoethnaturiolcymru.gov.uk. 

Interviews will be confirmed at a later date.

Successful external applicants will be subject to a satisfactory Disclosure and Barring Service Check (DBS) check. We aim to make offers of appointment within 4 to 8 weeks of the closing date.

What you will do

  • Oversee and provide technical assurance for teams input to Local Development Plans and other sub-regional strategies and plans ensuring advice is robust, evidence based and delivered to deadline.  
  • Provide advice to Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects or complex high-risk casework/Species Permit consultations ensuring advice is robust, evidence based and delivered to deadline. 
  • Contribute professional judgement and assistance to decision-making in respect of strategic and complex casework/Species Permit consultations managed by other team members. 
  • Contribute to the preparation of information in relation to challenges against NRW development advice or licensing determinations, including attendance at Appeals and Inquiries. 
  • Provide advice to support the management of designated sites where Protected Species are present. 
  • Contribute to the development of NRW policy/ process and guidance and advise on effective implementation in the team to ensure that a consistent & effective approach is maintained.     
  • Develop and maintain effective customer relationships (internal and external) to ensure good understanding and the efficient delivery of a fit for purpose advice service.  
  • Mentor, train and coach other members of the team and the wider Planning Service on policies, procedures, practices and techniques equipping them with the knowledge and skills required to deliver their work in an effective, consistent and efficient manner. 
  • Contribute advice to multifunctional place planning such as Area Statements. and biodiversity resilience plans and programmes. 
  • Contribute to the development of the team work plan. 
  • Ensure the technical development of team members. 
  • Provide technical expert witness capability to Appeals and Inquiries on matters of Protected Species for which the team has a remit. 
  • Provide technical advice support to the Police in investigating Protected Species offences and contribute to wider Protected Species compliance activities as appropriate.  
  • Contribute to the identification/commissioning of evidence/ surveillance and monitoring programmes. 
  • Contribute to the delivery of surveillance and monitoring programmes. 
  • Produce 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. 
  • Required to take part in incident response activities. 

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.

  1. Excellent knowledge and experience of the ecology and conservation of, and approaches to mitigation suitable for the range of the species for which the team has responsibility. 
  2. Excellent understanding of legislative and regulatory frameworks that relate to protected species and their protection and enhancement . 
  3. Extensive experience of considering protected species in complex developments and schemes 
  4. Practical understanding of development planning process and customer needs. 
  5. Ability to communicate and negotiate effectively with stakeholders at all management levels. 
  6. Good written and spoken communication skills and an ability to represent both the technical and strategic aspects of Protected Species work to non-specialists, both within NRW and externally, in a concise and effective way. 
  7. Coaching and mentoring skills. 
  8. Able to work well as part of a team and lead virtual teams of staff. 
  9. Able to secure and maintain a licence to disturb protected species. 

Welsh language level requirements

  • Essential: ​Level A1 - Entry level (able to use and understand simple, basic phrases and greetings, no conversational Welsh)​

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

If you think you have what it takes to do this role, but don’t necessarily meet every single point on the job description, please still get in touch and we will be happy to discuss the role with you in more detail.

We’re passionate about creating a diverse workforce and positively encourage applications from under-represented communities. We embrace equality of opportunity irrespective of disability, neurodivergence, ethnic origin, colour, nationality, gender expression and gender identity, marital status, sexual orientation, culture, or religion.   We put the principles of human rights, equality, fairness, dignity and respect at the heart of our values.

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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