Flood Risk Analysis Advisor

The role

Are you a skilled hydraulic modeller ready to make a real impact? At Natural Resources Wales (NRW), our Flood Risk Analysis team plays a vital role in protecting communities by producing and managing the flood risk mapping and modelling evidence that underpins all our flood risk management work.

In this exciting role, you’ll be at the forefront of building detailed hydraulic models to support capital schemes that improve our understanding and provide the evidence needed to reduce flood risk to vulnerable communities. You’ll review and appraise third-party models submitted in support of new developments in flood risk areas, ensuring they meet our standards and contribute meaningfully to our evidence base.

You’ll also enhance the Wales Flood Map—a key public resource accessed via our website—which plays a vital role in communicating flood risk to people living in affected areas. Capturing and analysing flood incident data will be another important part of your work, helping to inform future modelling studies and deepen our understanding of flood mechanisms and dynamics.

Managing and maintaining flood risk datasets and archives will ensure our evidence base remains complete, accurate, and accessible for future use. You’ll advise stakeholders and partners, helping them interpret and apply our data effectively to support decision-making and risk management.

As an organisation we support flexible working. You’ll be part of a collaborative, technically experienced team based in our Buckley office, delivering consistent services across North and Mid Wales—including the Dyfi, Severn, Dee, Clwyd, and Conwy catchments. A suitable hybrid working pattern will be agreed on appointment and any regular face to face meetings or training will be planned in advance.

As a Category 1 responder, you’ll also contribute to NRW’s flood incident response duties, providing out-of-hours support on one of our flood duty rotas. It’s a chance to make a direct difference when it matters most.

To make an informal enquiry about this role, please contact Neil Taunt at [email protected]

Interviews will be face to face at the Buckley office, date to be confirmed in early February 2026

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.

What you will do

• Lead and undertake the project management and delivery of flood risk modelling commissions.
• Undertake flood risk modelling studies using industry standard modelling software (i.e. Flood Modeller Pro/TuFLOW).
• Use knowledge to assess potential options for reducing flood risk within ‘at risk’ communities.
• Prepare and maintain public facing flood map products.
• Undertake post flood data collection and analysis.
• Quality check Flood Consequence Assessments and provide advice to colleagues with regards to development and planning.
• Build strong working relationships across the business and ensure delivery of the evidence required to make informed decisions.
• Represent NRW in post flood public meetings.
• Support Health & Safety best practice by actively promoting awareness and ensuring the provision of safe working practices to comply with NRW’s policy and standards.
• Act as mentor and technical advisor to less experienced team members.
• 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.

1. Educated to degree level or equivalent in a scientific or engineering subject.
2. Good project and budget management knowledge with experience in delivering projects.
3. Experience in 1D/2D fluvial or coastal modelling (e.g. Experience in Estry, TuFLOW, Flood modeller Pro, Hecras etc).
4. Experience of programming to support hydraulic modelling and data manipulation (e.g. Python)
5. Excellent knowledge & experience of GIS systems and mapping (ARCGIS or QGis).
6. Knowledge of hydrological estimation for flood flows (e.g. FEH, WINFAP)
7. Excellent knowledge of data management and management of large/complex data sets.
8. Excellent communication and analytical skills. Ability to communicate complex issues to a broad audience.
9. Good report writing skills.
10. Must have full UK driving licence.

Welsh Language level requirements

• Essential: Level A1 - Entry level

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.

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.