Specialist Advisor, Modelling and Remote Sensing, , National Peatlands Action Programme

The role

Do you want to play a key role in shaping how Wales applies remote sensing and modelling to restore and protect its peatlands?

Natural Resources Wales is seeking a Specialist Advisor in Modelling and Remote Sensing to support the delivery of the National Peatland Action Programme (NPAP).

This is a unique opportunity to lead the development, commissioning, and interpretation of evidence derived from satellite, aerial, and numerical modelling sources. Acting as the professional lead for remote sensing within NPAP, you will ensure that complex data is translated into clear, actionable insights that inform restoration delivery, reporting, and future planning.

In this role, you will provide specialist expertise and strategic advice on remote sensing and numerical modelling, supporting the delivery of the programme's objectives. You will commission and manage technical projects, working with remotely sensed data to produce high-quality evidence that underpins decision-making. A key part of your work will involve processing, analysing, and interpreting complex satellite and aerial imagery using tools such as GIS and R, ensuring outputs are robust, reliable, and fit for purpose.

You will play an important role in promoting and embedding remote sensing approaches across the organisation, ensuring that appropriate digital and ICT capabilities are in place to support this work. Collaboration will be central to your success, as you engage with colleagues across NRW, Welsh Government, and UK-wide partners to help shape and influence remote sensing programmes at both national and UK levels.

Communicating complex technical information clearly will also be essential. You will translate detailed findings into accessible reports, presentations, and guidance, ensuring that evidence is understood and used effectively by a range of audiences. Alongside this, you will keep up to date with emerging technologies, innovations, and best practice in remote sensing and modelling, helping to ensure that Wales remains at the forefront of evidence-led peatland restoration.

Peatlands are vital for carbon storage, biodiversity, and climate resilience. By joining us, you will play a key role in ensuring Wales makes the best possible use of technology and evidence to restore and protect these important habitats for the future.

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 Dr Esther Clews at [email protected]

Interviews will take place on 06/07/2026 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 Peatland Data Support Team are data scientists that draw on spatial and statistical analytical tools to develop products to inform, implement and report on NRW's National Peatlands Action Programme. The National Peatland Action Programme is funded by the Welsh Government and operates as a Strategic Project within Natural Resources Wales to coordinate peatland restoration action in Wales.

This role is one of three Specialist Advisors who support the team leader and mentor junior staff to deliver workflows and data products that inform planning of peatland restoration activities across Wales and report on the progress and outcomes the National Peatland Action Programme.

What you will do

• Provide specialist expertise and advice on remote sensing to the NPAP.
• Commission, lead, manage and undertake projects to deliver evidence products for NPAP derived from remotely sensed data, often involving complex processing and analysis of the data.
• Work across the organisation to promote, develop and implement remote sensing solutions for NPAP, building in the required ICT support.
• Interact with, and influence, a range of partner organisations working on complex and strategic remote sensing programmes and projects at Wales and UK levels.
• Keep up to date with developments in numerical modelling and remote sensing methods, including best practice in techniques and applications.
• 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).
• Required to take part in incident response activities.
• 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.

• You will have a recognised qualification, degree or equivalent experience with specialist/technical knowledge in a range of subjects, preferably with experience of applications of remote sensing to peatlands.

• You will have practical experience of processing, analysing and interpreting satellite, aerial imagery, lidar and/or drone data in software such as ENVI, eCognition, SNAP, ArcPro, FME, R or other specialist packages. Be up to date with developments in remote sensing methods, including best practice in techniques and applications.

• You will have experience of managing technical projects to deadlines, and managing the full life-cycle of data, with substantial experience across a range of roles relevant to this peatland remote sensing role.

• You will be a confident communicator with the ability to extract key information and present this in a clear and concise manner to a range of audiences in both written and oral forms.

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.

Unless otherwise stated in the 'Role' section of this advert, 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.

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.