Purpose of the post
•Ensure that the people of Gwynedd are at the heart of everything we do.
•Manage and implement a rolling programme of soft estate inspections and ecological surveys for the trunk road network in accordance with WGTRMM, DMRB and the Highways Act (1980).
•Identify, manage and improve the soft estate and ecological inventory and assets including wildlife infrastructure in accordance with WGTRMM, DMRB and WG commitments.
•Actively participate in the development and continual improvement of Soft Estate / ENVIS and other environmental data collection methodology and its application.
•Manage programmed, routine and reactive maintenance activities and environmental management associated with the soft estate and supporting assets (e.g. Invasive Non Native Species (INNS) control, tree planting, wildflower works, wildlife infrastructure etc.) including supervision of works.
•To assist the Environment Team with implementing the requirements of environmental legislation and Welsh Government (WG) policy.
Responsibility for functions
•Manage external service providers, partnerships and stakeholders
•Vehicle
•Trail cameras
•Binoculars
•Tablet / laptop
•Mobile phone
•Welsh Government and NMWTRA environmental asset management and recording databases
Main duties
Management
•To deputise for the Environmental Co-ordinator when required.
•To manage external service providers (Contractors / Partner Authority workforce / Other external service providers) including providing instructions / supervision / work audits).
•To manage relationships and liaison with environmental partners and stakeholders including dealing with enquiries.
•To assist and advise the Environment team and Welsh Government regarding improvements to biodiversity, landscape and / or environmental management.
•To apply for and / or assist in applying for a range of ecological / environmental licences, assents etc.
•To manage and collate data sets associated with asset inventory, biological records, and specialist wildlife surveys, and to interrogate and present this data to the wider Environment Team and other partners etc.
Inspection and Inventory Function
•To assist with the management of environmental inspections including of the soft estate and wildlife / ecological inventory on the trunk road network in accordance with the requirements of the Welsh Government Trunk Road Maintenance Manual (WGTRMM), The Highways Act (1980) and Welsh Government asset management systems.
•To undertake inspections for the creation of soft estate and ecological inventory information detailing new and existing assets in accordance with WGTRMM including woodlands, grasslands, water bodies, amenity areas, biodiversity assets (such as bat boxes, badger tunnels, hibernacula). The survey data is to be recorded in WG asset management systems.
•To programme and undertake soft estate / environmental inspections to comply with WGTRMM, legislation and other Welsh Government policy commitments.
•To work with the wider Environmental team to use these results to identify, assess and prioritise asset defects and opportunities.
•To programme and undertake soft estate / work visits and inspections to ensure Partner Authority / contractor compliance with the SDA (Service delivery agreement) / programmes of work e.g. tree planting / grass cutting / Invasive weed control etc.
•To develop expertise in Welsh Government and NMWTRA environmental asset management and recording databases (including the use of Geographic Information Systems) and actively participate in the development and continual improvement of Soft Estate / ENVIS and other environmental inventory data collection methodology and application. To include assisting in the management of land asset and highway boundary information.
•To report and assist with the investigation of environmental incidents on the network.
•To assist with or undertake inspections for other highway asset types e.g. highway boundaries when required.
•To inform the NMWTRA Environment team, Operations team and Route Management teams as soon as practicable of any observed Category 1 defects to allow them to be ‘made safe’.
Ecological & Environmental Survey Function
•To carry out checks for nesting birds in line with NMWTRA bird licence requirements (for works which cannot be undertaken outside of the bird nesting season).
•To assist with the management of ecological surveys on the trunk road network in accordance with the requirements of the Welsh Government Trunk Road Maintenance Manual (WGTRMM), scheme and budget commitments.
•To carry out more detailed surveys of the soft estate (e.g. rapid assessments of wildflower grassland plots) to enable appropriate management actions to be identified and procured in a timely manner.
•To assist the NMWTRA ecologists with managing species records from the soft estate / trunk road network including liaising with external bodies e.g. www.cofnod.org.uk. Cardiff University Otter project etc. as required.
•To assist other NMWTRA teams regarding ecological surveys or considerations required e.g. arising from TRECs checks as part of maintenance works .
•To assist the NMWTRA ecologists to arrange for specialist ecological surveys as required e.g. invertebrates on wildflower verges, eDNA testing in attenuation ponds etc.
•To develop environmental survey specialism e.g. to work towards holding a species licence.
Maintenance & Improvement Function
•Assist with managing the commissioning, implementation and compliance of programmed, routine and reactive maintenance functions associated with the soft estate, for example:
oAnnual programmes for managing invasive species and injurious weeds (as per Legislation, WGTRMM and WG policy and guidance).
oAnnual programme of tree planting and subsequent ongoing maintenance until establishment.
oMaintenance and improvement of wildlife infrastructure / mitigation.
•Manage defect repairs and routine maintenance functions within seasonal time constraints, available budgets and roadspace constraints.
•To provide support to NMWTRA teams and supply chain to manage the risks of damaging or disturbing ecosystems in accordance with legislation, policy and best practice guidelines.
•To support the Environmental Co-Ordinators and Ecologists in the delivery of Welsh Government biodiversity objectives and Ministerial initiatives (e.g. Llwybr Newydd i Natur) and to support all teams to meet Environment Act (Wales) 2016 requirements.
•To provide a response to planning applications that may affect the Soft Estate / Biodiversity etc. as required.
General
•To supervise and provide guidance on work undertaken by service providers.
•To communicate effectively and courteously with elected members, the public, members and Welsh Government officers and other external organisations and bodies.
•To deal with complaints and enquiries in a courteous and professional manner whilst out on site and in the office.
•To co-operate and liaise with staff from other Departments of NMWTRA, and Partner Authorities in order to promote the effective management of NMWTRA.
•To be responsible for self-development.
•Undertake any other proportionate and reasonable duties that correspond with the salary level and responsibility level of the post as required by the line manager.
•Operate within NMWTRA and Gwynedd Council’s policy and procedures in relation to equal opportunities and equality.
Health & Safety and Environmental
•To comply with health & safety aspects of the inspection team including implementing risk management through compliance with for example established safe systems of work and operational risk assessments.
•To ensure that health, safety, environmental risk assessment processes are fully considered in all aspects of the work of the environmental service such as traffic management.
•It is the responsibility of every employee within the Agency to comply with the Health and Safety, environmental and quality policies as defined within the Agency Integrated Business Management System.
•Ensure that Health and Safety at Work and environmental legislation and policies are strictly adhered to.
•Undertake personal Health and Safety responsibility at all times.
•The post holder is expected to be aware of the requirements e.g. the Health and Safety legislation and to cooperate with NMWTRA and Gwynedd Council’s Health and Safety Manager to ensure compliance with the relevant requirements.
•Responsibility for self-development.
•Ensure compliance with Health and Safety rules in the workplace in accordance with the responsibilities noted in the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and NMWTRA and Gwynedd Council’s Health and Safety Policy.
•Operate within NMWTRA and Gwynedd Council’s policies in relation to equal opportunities and equality.
•Responsible for managing information in accordance with NMWTRA and Gwynedd Council’s information management guidelines. Ensure that personal information is treated in accordance with Data Protection legislation.
•Commitment to reducing NMWTRAs carbon emissions in accordance with the Carbon Management Plan, and to encourage others to act positively towards reducing NMWTRAs Carbon Footprint.
•Undertake any other reasonable duty which corresponds to the salary level and responsibility level of the job.
Special circumstances
•Requirement to work hours which are outside normal working hours (bandwidth 07:00hrs to 18:00hrs in accordance with the flexi hours scheme) as requested for example evening and or weekend inspections / surveys within traffic management.
•Requirement that the post holder will undertake training as and when required. Work towards obtaining protected species licences if required.
•Attend occasional meetings in other parts of the UK (e.g. Llandrindod, Cardiff).