Cyfoeth Naturiol Cymru / Natural Resources Wales
Operational & Technical Support Officer
Get notified of more jobs like this · No spam, ever
How your CV stacks up
Upload your CV to see how well it fits this job role
?%
The role
We are looking for a proactive and organised Operational and Technical Support Officer to play a key role in supporting Natural Resources Wales' (NRW) environmental monitoring programmes and incident response activities.
Working closely with NRW Analytical Services and field sampling teams, you will provide technical, logistical and operational support to ensure the effective delivery of monitoring and enforcement work. You will help maintain compliance with Quality Management Systems, legal Chain of Custody requirements and Health and Safety standards, ensuring environmental samples and data are managed accurately and efficiently.
The role includes supporting laboratory operations, coordinating sample processing and dispatch, managing analytical information, assisting with enforcement investigations and contributing to the ongoing development and maintenance of the Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS).
Your work will help ensure the integrity, traceability and quality of environmental data that supports regulatory reporting, pollution prevention and environmental protection across Wales. This is an excellent opportunity for someone who enjoys working in a varied, detail-focused role and wants to make a tangible contribution to safeguarding the environment.
37 hours a week starting at 7am each day. (The pattern is usually Monday to Friday starting at 7am each day with the possibility of Saturday working as overtime.)
As an organisation we support flexible working. You will be contracted to the NRW office at the above location 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 Lloyd Herbert at Lloyd.Herbert@cyfoethnaturiolcymru.gov.uk
Interviews will take place through Microsoft Teams
About Us
NRWis the largest Welsh Government Sponsored Body, working to protect, improve and sustainably manage Wales' natural resources for the benefit of both current and future generations.
NRW Analytical Services (NRWAS) is a UKAS-accredited laboratory based at Swansea University's Singleton Campus, operating to ISO/IEC 17025:2017 standards. The team provides vital analytical support for NRW's environmental monitoring programmes, helping to deliver evidence-based decisions that protect Wales' rivers, lakes, coastal waters and wider natural environment.
As the central hub for environmental monitoring and evidential samples, NRWAS receives and processes hundreds of samples each week to support both routine monitoring and incident investigations. The team also coordinates sample dispatch to specialist laboratories, supplies sampling equipment and provides technical support to colleagues across NRW.
Joining NRWAS means becoming part of a supportive and professional team that plays an important role in ensuring the quality and reliability of environmental data. Together, we help provide the evidence needed to safeguard Wales' natural resources and respond effectively to environmental risks and pollution incidents.
What You Will Do
- Conduct the daily sample registration, accurately registering samples, collating and inputting monitoring data from various sources utilising the Laboratory Information Management System.
- Support data administration within the Analytical Service and provide associated support services to laboratory staff and other NRW staff that routinely use LIMS.
- General housekeeping, including reception duty, monitoring and management of mailboxes and entering of analytical results from third party laboratories accurately.
- Support reporting of results and data transfers within agreed SLA standards of service utilising several different systems.
- Maintain due diligence of the correct processes to maintain legal chain of custody for enforcement samples and to uphold the laboratory's ISO17025 Accreditation from UKAS.
- Manage document storage requirements to ensure compliance with the laboratory's QMS and current legislation.
- Organise and dispatch samples collected from the Monitoring Programme to be outsourced to third-party laboratories for analysis.
- Manage container and consumable order requests for all sampling teams, processing and delivering orders within agreed timescales as well as preparing sample containers for re-use, ensuring they are free from contamination using specialised equipment.
- Perform physically demanding, and repetitive lifting and carrying duties.
- 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.
Reasons to use Rodeo
Start with a chat, not a search bar
Grad scheme, placement, apprenticeship? Not sure what you want yet — that's fine. Your agent talks it through with you and turns "I have no idea" into a shortlist.
It searches the market for you
Every day your agent scans the market matching roles against what actually matters to you, not just keywords on a CV.
Only hits
No noise. No "maybe this fits." Just roles with a clear explanation of why they're right — and where to focus when applying.
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.
- Achieved A Level qualifications, or you will have the equivalent level of knowledge.
- Previous experience in an administration, technical or logistical support of a local area network, ideally in a high throughput environment with delivery to tight deadlines.
- Strong and effective self-management and organisational skills and the ability to use your initiative to solve complex, non-routine issues.
- The ability to work either in isolation or as part of a team
- Good written and verbal communication skills with the ability to write very clearly and the ability to communicate confidently at all levels with a commitment to excellent customer service.
- A high level of computer literacy including proficiency with Microsoft Office including Word, Excel, Outlook, One Drive for business. An understanding of document management systems, cloud-based storage and data entry and record management in bespoke systems such as LIMS. Prior experience of maintaining records in Business ICT systems plus a demonstrable aptitude for learning new software at pace.
- A good understanding of the laboratory's quality system and how that affects every aspect of the analytical process.
- Excellent awareness of not only the laboratory specific but general Health & Safety requirements of self and others by being aware of the laboratory and NRW health and safety policies.
Get help with your application
Your very own career expert that helps elevate your application to the next level.
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.
Additional Information
Due to the nature of the work the successful candidate must be eligible for Security Check (SC) clearance. This generally requires five years' continuous residency in the UK. Further details on eligibility can be found on National security vetting: clearance levels - GOV.UK. Offers will also be subject to a satisfactory Disclosure and Barring Service Check (DBS) check.***
Natural Resources Wales is unable to offer visa sponsorship for this position. Although we hold a Skilled Worker visa sponsorship licence, it applies only to specific roles that meet both the eligibility criteria and salary requirements set out by the UK Government under the Skilled Worker visa route.
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.
You are welcome to apply for any vacancy in Welsh or English, and any application submitted will be treated equally. Applications are welcome from individuals who want to work full-time, part-time, or job share.
“It took my CV and asked me questions relevant to understanding what kind of jobs to suggest for me. Suggestions were almost perfect. Jobs were exactly what I’ve been looking for.”
Jessica, London
Location