Senior Specialist Lawyer

Role Overview

As the environmental regulator of water and wastewater in Wales, NRW plays a vital role in ensuring that water discharge permits deliver the best outcomes for the environment—both now and for the future.

Natural Resources Wales (NRW) is seeking a Senior Specialist Lawyer to provide advice and support primarily to our Environmental Permitting department but also to our wider Policy and Regulatory functions. The focus will be on water quality and related matters, reflecting the growing need to protect Wales’ water bodies and the significant investment being directed towards this area.

A central aspect of this role will be to deliver clear, pragmatic, and risk‑based legal advice on complex issues relating to the permitting of storm overflows and other high‑profile water discharges. You will also play a key part in ensuring NRW’s decisions are robust and able to withstand scrutiny, including representing NRW in legal proceedings such as judicial reviews or appeals to the Planning and Environment Decisions Wales (PEDW).

The preferred location is Cardiff, though other NRW office locations may be considered. We support flexible working and will agree a suitable hybrid working pattern upon appointment. Face‑to‑face meetings or training will be scheduled in advance.

Interviews will be face to face (details of time and location will be shared in advance).

• Act in the best interests of NRW ensuring decision making and advice given are legally sound and all risks are actively managed.
• Provide high‑quality, risk‑ and solutions‑based legal advice so that the Board, the Chief Executive, Directors, managers and all officers fulfil their legal obligations, statutory duties and functions in accordance with the law.
• Use professional judgement and risk analysis to best utilise external legal providers, commission, manage those providers, including Solicitors, Barristers and Parliamentary Agents, to ensure NRW fulfils its lawful obligations and the service delivers value for money.
• Instigate and conduct criminal proceedings, providing recommendations for decision to Head of Legal Services on prosecutions, formal cautions and civil sanctions including assessment of evidence and application of the public interest test in accordance with the Code for Crown Prosecutors.
• Take full conduct of civil litigation including specialist proceedings (eg judicial review), developing and implementing individually tailored litigation strategies, being accountable for assessing evidence, likelihood of success, preparing for and attending courts, tribunals and inquiries and conducting advocacy in those fora.
• Consider the pertinence of, and where necessary develop and draft legislative orders (eg Orders, byelaws and other subordinate legislation) to achieve NRW objectives.
• Through effective engagement, communication, influencing and negotiation, develop and maintain good working relationships with internal clients and external stakeholders including Welsh Government, Westminster departments, other public‑sector organisations, AMs, MPs, various industrial and commercial sectors regulated by NRW, the legal community, the Courts and Tribunal service.
• Influence the development, implementation and interpretation of EU, UK and Welsh legislation by interacting with the relevant legislative bodies and their policy advisors in a way that promotes Welsh interests and ensures Wales‑specific impacts are understood.
• Contribute to and advise upon the development and implementation of NRW strategies and policies, identifying and limiting all risks to ensure strategy and policy making is lawful, robust and can be supported through challenge.
• Encourage best practice, innovation and continuous improvement across the Legal team and NRW by identifying and implementing learning opportunities from casework, sharing expertise and knowledge through mentoring and coaching, and providing training internally and/or to external bodies.
• 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…