Warning & Informing Specialist Advisor

Team / Directorate: Flood Risk and Water Management, 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: 04/08/2025

Post number: 200288

The role

Are you passionate about helping people and communities prepare for the growing risks of flooding and climate change? Join our Warning and Informing team as a Specialist Advisor, where you’ll play a leading role in delivering and enhancing flood warning services across North and Mid Wales.

As the team’s technical lead, you’ll provide expert advice and guidance, helping shape our flood warning service. You’ll contribute towards the planning, scoping and managing of projects that improve how we warn and inform the public — from developing new systems and tools to refining our procedures based on the latest data and technology.

You’ll represent the team in internal and external meetings, contribute to national initiatives, and play a key role in coordinating with partners like emergency services and local authorities. You’ll also support the team by mentoring colleagues, leading on duty officer procedures, and contributing to long-term strategy and planning.

During flood events, you’ll step into the role of Flood Warning Duty Officer, taking responsibility for issuing alerts and working closely with responders — this is a rota’d 24/7 standby role, typically one week in every 6–8.

This role offers variety and purpose: one day you could be writing a technical paper for national policy development, the next you might be leading a response during a flood event or collaborating with communities to improve resilience.

If you're looking for a role where you can combine technical leadership, real-world impact, and flexible working, this is your opportunity to help shape Wales’ response to a changing climate

As an organisation we support flexible working.  You will be contracted to an NRW office within the place base / location above 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 Rhys Hughes at Rhys.o.hughes@cyfoethnaturiolcymru.gov.uk.

Interviews will be face to face (details of time and location will be shared in advance). 

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

• Provide accurate and timely specialist advice to the team(s) on issues involving the flood warning service to deliver the Flood Risk Management Strategy. 
• Provide technical advice to ensure delivery of the flood warning service objectives for the Area to reduce flood risk and prevent loss of life. 
• Support Health & Safety best practice by actively promoting awareness and ensuring the provision of safe working practices to comply with NRW’s policy and standards. 
• Analyse and interpret data, prepare technical reports with recommendations for decision making and report on achievements of service standards. 
• Liaise and work with and support our LRF partners.
• Plan, scope and sponsor or manage projects to contribute to flood risk reduction targets. 
• Contribute to the delivery of flood warning service process and policy in order to achieve practical solutions for the area. 
• Using specialist knowledge to develop and manage a programme of work that contributes to the delivery of directorate and National. 
• 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. Educated to degree in relevant scientific subject (e.g. physical geography, environment science or civil engineering). 
2. Coaching and mentoring skills. 
3. Graduate member of appropriate professional body (e.g. CIWEM or ICE) and working towards becoming chartered in the near future. 
4. Substantial operational experience of flood incidents gained over a number of years. 
5. Ability to demonstrate an excellent understanding of a wide range of flooding related issues e.g. data management, flood incident processes - including warning, informing and response by the public and professional partners.
6. NRW’s key duties and responsibilities and how the warning and informing service supports these. 
7. Warning and informing’s key customers and partners. 
8. Experience in programme/project management, including developing, commissioning and managing projects. Experience in communicating effectively with a range of stakeholders. 
9. Demonstrable ability and confidence to provide innovative and effective solutions and identify and challenge inappropriate approaches/solutions to problems. 
10. Must have a full UK driving licence. 

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

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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