Marine Licensing Policy Manager

Vacancy title

Marine Licensing Policy Manager

Closing date

05/05/2026, 16:00

Advertising basis

Loan, Permanent, Secondment

Actual starting salary

A starting salary between £47,675 and £52,557 will be offered to the successful candidate based on their skills, knowledge and experience and performance at interview. This range is not negotiable and anything above point 1 is at the discretion of Welsh Government

Salary range or pay band

SEO £47,675 to £56,445

Allowances

No

Work pattern

Full time (applications are welcome from people who work part time, as part of a job share or who work full time)

Group

Local Govt, Housing, Climate Change and Rural Affairs

Directorate

Climate Change and Environmental Sustainability

Branch

Marine Policy

Location (s)

Pan Wales

Purpose of post

Lead Marine Licensing Policy – Strategic Role with National Impact

Shape the future of marine regulation in Wales.

This is a rare opportunity to influence a nationally significant regulatory system at a time of major strategic importance. The role provides strategic leadership for Welsh Government policy on the marine licensing regime, ensuring Wales has a modern, coherent and future‑proof system underpinned by robust policy and legislation.

About The Role

At the heart of this role is responsibility for ensuring the marine licensing system:

• Enables sustainable development
• Supports Ministers’ priorities
• Delivers timely, proportionate and effective regulatory decisions
  
  

You will provide strategic oversight and assurance of Natural Resources Wales’ delivery of the delegated marine licensing function on behalf of Welsh Ministers, helping to ensure the system is fit for current and future challenges.

Why this role matters

Marine licensing is a high‑profile, fast‑moving policy area and a recognised ministerial priority. This role is central to:

• Supporting net zero ambitions
• Unlocking growth across Wales’s blue economy
• Enabling major infrastructure and offshore renewable energy projects
  
  

Leadership and influence

You Will:

• Lead a small, expert team
• Work closely with senior stakeholders across Welsh Government and Natural Resources Wales
• Drive forward a programme of reform arising from a recent independent end‑to‑end review of marine licensing
  
  

This is a genuine opportunity to influence change, strengthen regulatory delivery and leave a lasting legacy in a nationally significant policy area.

You will provide strategic oversight and assurance of Natural Resources Wales’ delivery of the delegated marine licensing function on behalf of Welsh Ministers, helping to ensure the system is fit for current and future challenges.

Why this role matters

Marine licensing is a high‑profile, fast‑moving policy area and a recognised ministerial priority. This role is central to:

• Supporting net zero ambitions
• Unlocking growth across Wales’s blue economy
• Enabling major infrastructure and offshore renewable energy projects
  
  

Leadership and influence

You Will:

• Lead a small, expert team
• Work closely with senior stakeholders across Welsh Government and Natural Resources Wales
• Drive forward a programme of reform arising from a recent independent end‑to‑end review of marine licensing
  
  

This is a genuine opportunity to influence change, strengthen regulatory delivery and leave a lasting legacy in a nationally significant policy area.

Key tasks

As Marine Licensing Policy Manager

, you will provide strategic leadership for marine licensing in Wales, leading a small specialist team and shaping how Wales manages its seas—balancing environmental protection with economic and social priorities.

Leadership and team management

• Lead and inspire the Marine Licensing Team, driving high‑quality delivery while championing professional development and growth across the team.
• Support wider branch priorities and deputise for the Head of Branch when required.
  
  

Policy leadership and regulatory oversight

• Shape, develop and implement marine licensing policy, ensuring Natural Resources Wales (NRW) delivers an efficient, effective and future‑ready regulatory regime.
• Act as the authoritative voice for the marine licensing regime, clearly articulating its purpose and ensuring it is well understood and respected.
• Provide strategic oversight and assurance of NRW’s delivery of marine licensing on behalf of Welsh Ministers, driving continuous improvement and implementing recommendations from the recent end‑to‑end review.
  
  

Legislation and reform

• Ensure marine licensing legislation remains coherent, up‑to‑date and fit for purpose, supporting a joined‑up regulatory landscape.
• Lead the development of new marine licensing and related legislation, responding to evolving requirements around environmental assessment, strategic compensation and marine recovery.
• Promote coherence across interconnected regulatory regimes, including those where marine licences sit within wider consenting processes.
  
  

Strategic coordination and decision‑making

• Advance plan‑led decision making, aligning marine licensing with marine planning policy and working closely with the Marine Planning Implementation Team.
• Ensure senior leaders and Ministers are fully briefed on high‑profile or sensitive cases, maintaining strong oversight of NRW delivery and anticipating emerging risks and issues.

Hold day‑to‑day responsibility for a range of Welsh Government business within the policy area.

Policy leadership and regulatory oversight

• Shape, develop and implement marine licensing policy, ensuring Natural Resources Wales (NRW) delivers an efficient, effective and future‑ready regulatory regime.
• Act as the authoritative voice for the marine licensing regime, clearly articulating its purpose and ensuring it is well understood and respected.
• Provide strategic oversight and assurance of NRW’s delivery of marine licensing on behalf of Welsh Ministers, driving continuous improvement and implementing recommendations from the recent end‑to‑end review.
  
  

Legislation and reform

• Ensure marine licensing legislation remains coherent, up‑to‑date and fit for purpose, supporting a joined‑up regulatory landscape.
• Lead the development of new marine licensing and related legislation, responding to evolving requirements around environmental assessment, strategic compensation and marine recovery.
• Promote coherence across interconnected regulatory regimes, including those where marine licences sit within wider consenting processes.
  
  

Strategic coordination and decision‑making

• Advance plan‑led decision making, aligning marine licensing with marine planning policy and working closely with the Marine Planning Implementation Team.
• Ensure senior leaders and Ministers are fully briefed on high‑profile or sensitive cases, maintaining strong oversight of NRW delivery and anticipating emerging risks and issues.
• Hold day‑to‑day responsibility for a range of Welsh Government business within the policy area.
  
  

Development opportunities

This is a high‑profile leadership role offering accelerated development for individuals looking to operate at senior strategic level within environmental regulation, policy or public service.

• Work at the centre of a nationally significant, ministerial‑priority policy area, gaining deep expertise in marine licensing and wider marine policy while influencing decisions with real economic, environmental and societal impact.

Operate regularly at senior and executive level, working closely with Ministers, senior Welsh Government officials, Natural Resources Wales leadership and industry stakeholders. The role provides extensive opportunity to strengthen strategic influencing, negotiation, political awareness and trusted‑advisor skills—critical capabilities for progression into senior leadership roles.

Lead and develop a specialist policy team, building advanced leadership capability through hands‑on experience in coaching, performance management, workforce planning and organisational resilience. You will shape strategic direction, embed a positive and inclusive culture, and lead delivery in a complex, high‑profile and fast‑paced environment.

Gain direct experience of regulatory reform and legislative development, including leading change following an independent end‑to‑end review—providing a strong platform for future roles spanning senior policy leadership, regulation, corporate governance or executive management.

Other vacancy related information

• In the event of a large number of applications, an initial sift will be conducted against the lead assessment criterion: Experience 1. Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift or progressed straight to assessment/interview.

• A reserve list may be held for this opportunity. Any candidate who is successful in being offered a reserve status, will remain on the reserve list for 12 months.
• The post may require occasional UK travel including requirements for overnight stays. For example, regular day trips and up to one overnight stay per month.
• In the case of more than one candidate scoring the same, the panel has agreed the following criteria will determine merit order:
• Experience criterion 1
• Technical criterion 1
  
  

• A reserve list may be held for this opportunity. Any candidate who is successful in being offered a reserve status, will remain on the reserve list for 12 months.

The post may require occasional UK travel including requirements for overnight stays. For example, regular day trips and up to one overnight stay per month.

In the case of more than one candidate scoring the same, the panel has agreed the following criteria will determine merit order:

• Experience criterion 1
• Technical criterion 1

Vetting level

Basic

Number of posts

1

Contact point for further information regarding the post

CynllunioMorol.MarinePlanning@gov.wales

Welsh language requirements

3 - Welsh language skills are not essential for this post, they are however desirable and will be considered if two or more candidates receive the same score at the application or interview stage.

Understanding by reading

1 - Can read some basic words and phrases with understanding

Speaking and being understood

1 - Can hold a basic conversation in Welsh

Understanding by listening

1 - Can understand parts of a basic conversation

Writing and being understood

1 - Can write basic messages on everyday topics

Welsh Government, like all other Government Departments use Success Profiles when we recruit. For each role we consider what you will need to demonstrate to be successful. This gives us the best possible chance of finding the right person for the job. It raises performance and improves diversity and inclusivity.

Behaviour 1:

The selection process and stages are:

Leadership

Leadership - Ensure colleagues and stakeholders have a clear understanding of objectives, activities and time-frames.

Behaviour 2:

Delivering at Pace

Act promptly to reassess workloads and priorities when there are conflicting demands to maintain performance.

Behaviour 3:

Working Together

Encourage joined up teamwork within your own team and across other groups.

Evidence to provide

Experience questions

Experience 1:

Strong understanding of marine licensing processes or experience working within a comparable regulatory or compliance regime.

Technical 1:

Clear understanding of key concepts and issues in marine environmental science.

You will be asked about your nationality and if you are legally allowed to work in the United Kingdom. This is to find out if you are eligible to apply for this vacancy. This is a requirement for working within the Civil Service. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/nationality-rules

If you do not meet the eligibility criteria your application will not progress. If it becomes clear at a later stage in the process that you are not eligible to apply, your application may be withdrawn, or the offer retracted.

Nationality Requirements

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service
  
  

All Welsh Government staff are members of the Civil Service, and as a result are eligible for:

• Civil Service Pension Scheme
• 31 days annual leave (pro-rated for part time)
• training and development opportunities

Cycle2Work Scheme

Smart Working flexible working arrangement

Green Car Scheme (subject to availability)

If you are an active Civil Service Pension member you can continue your membership throughout your employment with us.

If you are an active Civil Service Pension member you can continue your membership throughout your employment with us.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition. Please see the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles on the Commission's website.

If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with these principles and wish to make a complaint please email complaints@gov.wales . Please ensure that you refer to the vacancy reference number.

If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from the Welsh Government, you can contact the Civil Service Commission: info@csc.gov.uk.

How To Apply

All applications for this vacancy must be made using our online application system.

Unless stated otherwise in the 'Other vacancy-related information for advert', the Welsh Government cannot offer Visa sponsorship. Welsh Government holds a Visa sponsorship licence, but this can only be used for certain roles and this campaign does not qualify.

Applications are welcomed from people with a diverse range of lived and professional experiences. We are actively committed to becoming an increasingly diverse organisation which represents the diverse communities we serve. There are a number of Diversity networks that staff can participate in, which include the Disability Awareness and Support Staff Network; Minority Ethnic Staff Network; Mind Matters (Mental health and well-being); PRISM (LGBTI+), Women Together and the Neurodivergence Network.

If you have an impairment which prevents you from applying online, please email our recruitment team. You can:

• request an application pack in an alternative format

request a recruitment adjustment to help you submit your application

Use the 'Apply' button to submit your application. You will be asked to register if you don't have an account or sign in if you do. Registration takes a few minutes and you will need an email address.

You should check your Application Centre regularly for updates to your application. Please also check your spam/junk folder in case any communication regarding your application and/or assessment details finds its way there.

Once you've registered for an account and logged in, you'll be taken to the online application form. You must complete this and submit it before the deadline on the closing date. We will not consider an incomplete application form.

If you would like to apply for this vacancy in Welsh, please use the Change Language link on this page. We welcome applications in Welsh, and applications submitted in Welsh will not be treated less favourably than applications submitted in English.

Please see the candidate guidance for more information on the recruitment process.

For information on Civil Service Success Profiles please click here .

For TS to G6 recruitment schemes: When presenting your evidence, you may find it useful to consider the expectations of the grade as set out in the Grade Description as well as the main responsibilities that are essential for the role.

Use the 'Apply' button to submit your application. You will be asked to register if you don't have an account or sign in if you do. Registration takes a few minutes and you will need an email address.

You should check your Application Centre regularly for updates to your application. Please also check your spam/junk folder in case any communication regarding your application and/or assessment details finds its way there.

Once you've registered for an account and logged in, you'll be taken to the online application form. You must complete this and submit it before the deadline on the closing date. We will not consider an incomplete application form.

If you would like to apply for this vacancy in Welsh, please use the Change Language link on this page. We welcome applications in Welsh, and applications submitted in Welsh will not be treated less favourably than applications submitted in English.

Please see the candidate guidance for more information on the recruitment process.

For information on Civil Service Success Profiles please click here .

For TS to G6 recruitment schemes:

When presenting your evidence, you may find it useful to consider the expectations of the grade as set out in the Grade Description as well as the main responsibilities that are essential for the role.