Specialist Regulatory Approaches Advisor

Are you ready to shape the future of how we manage and fund water quality in Wales?

We’re looking for an experienced and strategic thinker to take the lead on our water quality charging schemes at Natural Resources Wales. This is a rare opportunity to influence environmental funding at a national level—ensuring our approach to charging supports both strong environmental outcomes and high-quality services.

In this role, you’ll lead the strategic review of our annual charges for water quality, helping to create a charging system that’s fair, future-focused, and financially sound. You’ll be the go-to expert in this field, advising across the organisation and working closely with Welsh Government and key partners to translate national policy into practical delivery on the ground.

You’ll also play a vital role in developing guidance, programmes, and strategies that align with environmental goals and government policy, ensuring our schemes are compliant, transparent, and effective.

We’re looking for someone who can combine technical expertise with big-picture thinking—someone who thrives on collaboration and can build strong working relationships across teams and sectors.

If you’re passionate about making a lasting impact on how we protect and improve Wales’ water environment, we’d love to hear from you.

This is a fixed term role until 30 October 2026 with the possibility of extension.

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 Eleanor Ellick [email protected] or Selby Le Roux [email protected]

Interviews will take place through Microsoft Teams

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. 

About us

Based within our Water Quality Regulatory Approaches Team in Evidence, Permitting and Planning, you’ll be part of a team that makes policy ambition a reality—developing the tools, guidance, and training needed to support effective, proportionate regulation across Wales.

In this newly created role, you’ll play a vital part in shaping how we fund our work through the development of fair and future-ready fees and charges. Your expertise will help ensure our charging schemes support a sustainable approach to water quality regulation, while reflecting the services we provide and the ambitions we’re working to achieve.

What you will do

• Be the principal point of contact with environmental regulators, both UK and European, to share information and work together on the regulatory approach, technical advice and guidance for all relevant Sectors.
• To share information and work together on the development of operational policy and new legislation, interpretation of relevant legislation, advice and guidance for the specific sector(s) and areas of responsibility.
• Maintain a detailed working knowledge of the assigned sector(s) identifying the implications of legislative, technology and market changes for Natural Resources Wales and the sector(s).
• Support the development and training of staff across NRW by applying technical, legislative and regulatory knowledge and experience.
• Lead and project manage specific and complex issues inc. commissions by RBB) to enable consistent and appropriate understanding and application by staff that enables effective regulatory service provision.
• Contribute to the delivery of the team’s business plan, the directorate delivery plan and NRWs corporate plan.
• Support the mentoring and coaching of Advisors within the team to ensure that the team has sufficient technical and legislative resilience for your assigned area of work.
• Advise on evidence needs and opportunities, commission evidence & project manage evidence projects, in line with the agreed evidence programme.
• Design monitoring and evaluation frameworks of regulation interventions to inform assessment of the need for improvements in regulation and permitting processes by NRW.
• 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.

1. Knowledge of Welsh, UK and EU legislation related to your specific sector(s); Welsh, UK government Policy drivers in your specific sector(s).
2. Experience in informing and influencing government departments/regulators, preferably on environmental issues.
3. Extensive experience in forming and maintaining close links with internal and external partners/stakeholders to deliver the outcomes of both a specific function/project/team and the wider organisation.
4. Experience of understanding and applying regulatory activities.
5. Be able to work at pace and have a track record of delivery.
6. Being innovative and demonstrating drive to achieve targets
7. You will be expected to keep up to date with changing regulatory policy and proposed changes to legislation via membership of a relevant professional body or other equivalent means.

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.