Conservation Graduate Placement

The role
Are you a recent graduate passionate about nature, sustainability, and making a real impact? Join Natural Resources Wales (NRW) in a vital role supporting farmers to protect and enhance Wales's most important natural sites through the Sustainable Farming Scheme.

As part of our new postgraduate placement programme, you'll gain practical, hands-on experience that goes far beyond the classroom. You'll be involved in a wide variety of exciting work, including:

Carrying out field-based ecological assessments
Analysing and interpreting environmental data
Working directly with farmers to agree on practical, sustainable land management actions
Supporting the consenting process for activities on protected sites
Using real-world evidence, datasets and environmental systems to inform your work

You'll be based in local environment teams across Wales, meaning you'll get to apply your knowledge in real-world settings where your work will make a tangible difference. While the team is centrally managed, the placement offers flexibility, on-the-ground experience, and a chance to grow your network across the sector.

This is a unique opportunity to build a strong foundation in environmental management, develop your professional skills, and play an active role in shaping a more sustainable future for Wales.

These placements are aimed at individuals who have completed a postgraduate degree, or undergraduate degree with relevant field experience.

.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 contract Callum Stone at or Russell De'Ath

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
The Sustainable Land and Nature Group plays a central role in delivering Natural Resources Wales' vision - where nature and people thrive together. We lead on the protection, restoration and sustainable management of Wales's land-based natural resources.

Our areas of work include terrestrial ecosystems and species, sustainable land management, the Sustainable Farming Scheme (SFS), woodlands and forestry, and soils. We develop policy and strategy, deliver expert advice, and coordinate integrated environmental planning to support nature recovery and climate resilience.

Working across NRW and with partners, we provide technical guidance, shape evidence programmes, and ensure the effective delivery of our Land and Nature Programme - helping to secure a healthier, more sustainable future for Wales.

What you will do
Help to deliver and support the Sustainable Farming Scheme (SFS) Designated Sites Management Plan (DSMP) service, including a range of activities necessary to write the management plan and to consent the "schedule of works".
Apply your professional training in real world situations
Develop good working relationships internally and externally with environment teams supporting experienced staff to undertake more complex or technical assessments
Shadow and support the consenting process so that by the end of the placement period you are competent in dealing with SSSI consent.
Work with Welsh Government systems and data to ensure that management
plans, actions and decisions are recorded in keeping with service level agreements, in support of the business administrator.
Work with the business administrator for the SFS DSMP service, including supporting the Lead Specialist Advisor in co-ordinating the management of risk, action, decision and issues logs, recruitment decisions and communications and supporting the on-going development and maintenance of the DSMP service risk register.
Provide essential support to the SFS Operational Readiness Programme manager and other technical leads on their projects as according to business and project needs.
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 .

A graduate qualification in a relevant discipline, such as ecology, environmental management, environmental science, geology, sustainable agriculture or agricultural science.
The ability to work unsupervised.
Self-motivation and intuition.
Ability to communicate effectively internally and with external stakeholders.
Strong ability to analyse and interpret information is essential.
Ability to use data, information and knowledge confidently and present data using Microsoft systems.

Welsh Language Level requirements:

Essential: C1 - Proficiency level

Welsh language levels

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 work part time, as part of a job share or who work full time.