Location
Central London with flexible and hybrid working arrangements. You will be contracted to the nearest NRW office to your home, with regular face-to-face meetings and training planned in advance.

Hours
Full Time

Salary
£41,132 per annum

About the Role
Are you ready to make a real difference? Join Natural Resources Wales in a pivotal role where your scientific expertise will help protect Wales’ environment and public health while supporting sustainable industrial growth. As a Senior Permitting Officer, you will work independently and collaboratively to assess complex environmental permit applications across a diverse range of large industry sectors in Wales, including refineries, large combustion plants, landfills, paper and food production, metals processing, and activities involving radioactive substances.

Using your strong scientific background, particularly in chemistry and maths, you will carry out robust and complex technical assessments in line with legislation, technical guidance, NRW policies, and procedures. Your decisions to issue, refuse, or vary permits will directly influence how major industries operate, ensuring they meet environmental standards and adopt best practices.

You will lead on specific areas based on your experience, becoming a trusted specialist within the team. Whether your background is regulatory or operational, your insights will be key to shaping smarter, more resilient environmental regulation.

In addition to permitting, you will mentor and support less experienced colleagues, helping build their confidence in decision-making and supporting them to meet deadlines. You will engage with internal and external stakeholders to resolve technical queries, contribute to work planning, and drive process improvements. Participation in industrial cluster groups and embedding the principles of Sustainable Management of Natural Resources (SMNR) into regulatory frameworks will ensure the approach remains forward-thinking, integrated, and impactful.

This is your chance to be part of a progressive organisation working at the intersection of science, policy, and industry, safeguarding Wales’ natural resources for future generations.

Experience
- Extensive experience assessing complex installation permit applications or significant practical work experience in regulated process industries.
- Proven coaching and mentoring skills.
- Experience making permitting decisions using a range of technical guidance, software, and modelling programmes.
- Experience supporting operational teams with specialist expertise in pre-application discussions and post-permit work.
- Track record of delivering timely, optimal solutions through effective information analysis and risk-based decisions.
- Experience coordinating and leading legal defence preparations related to permit decisions.
- Experience representing permitting services at internal technical groups and external stakeholder events.

About you
- Strong scientific background, particularly in chemistry and maths.
- Customer-focused approach to service delivery.
- Effective planning and organisational skills.
- Ability to work independently and collaboratively.
- Commitment to equal opportunities and diversity.
- Willingness to develop professionally through personal development plans.
- Welsh language skills at Level A1 (entry level) or willingness to learn and improve during employment.

Qualifications
- Degree or equivalent qualification in a relevant scientific discipline.
- In-depth understanding of relevant legislation related to installation permitting processes.