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Summary


We are the public body that looks after England’s historic environment. We champion historic places, helping people understand, value and care for them.


Historic England have a fantastic opportunity for you to join us as our Architect/Building Surveyor.

This is a Full Time, Fixed-Term Contract until 31st March 2027.


The location of this role is National where we offer hybrid working, you will be based in one of our following offices and from home - Newcastle, York, Manchester, Birmingham, Swindon, Bristol, Portsmouth (Fort Cumberland) and Cambridge.


Salary


National - £39,590 - £41,805 per annum dependent upon experience

Cambridge - £42,624 - £45,252 per annum dependent upon experience


We offer a wide benefits package including a competitive defined benefit pension scheme to which we make 28.97% employer contributions, a generous 28 days holiday, corporate discounts, free entry into English Heritage sites across the country and development opportunities to ensure you achieve your goals.


To view our full range of benefits please follow the link here.


What you will be doing


The Technical Conservation Team in the National Specialist Services Department specialises in the conservation of buildings, structures and landscapes. We set standards and provide specialist technical services and strategic leadership on the technical aspects of the care, repair, maintenance and adaptation of the historic built environment. We do this by developing and promoting evidence-based technical guidance and best practice to support those who care for and make decisions about the stewardship of the historic environment.


As a member of the Historic Building Climate Change Adaptation Team, you will be supporting the delivery of a programme of technical guidance and training that improves knowledge, reduces skills gaps and increases the confidence of heritage professionals and decision-makers on all aspects of adapting historic buildings for energy efficiency and climate resilience. You will also support work to improve access to our guidance for homeowners. You will provide authoritative evidence based advice and guidance on best practice methods for the climate change mitigation and adaptation of the historic buildings for climate resilience, to ensure interventions are well-informed and appropriate. Clients include colleagues in Historic England, government departments and the wider building conservation sector.


Who we are looking for


  • You will have a professional qualification in architecture or building surveying, with current ARB registration or chartered RICS or CIAT membership and accreditation in building conservation, or a commitment to gain conservation accreditation within 6 months of appointment
  • Extensive and wide-ranging practical experience in the repair, alteration and adaptation of traditional buildings, of diagnosing defects in historic buildings and specifying appropriate works.
  • Practical experience in approaches to energy efficiency and climate resilience in the built environment and specifying works that meet current regulations and standards.
  • Thorough understanding of the mechanisms of deterioration of building materials, options for retrofit and the implications of interventions and material choices
  • Good understanding of factors affecting building performance, including the interactions between the building fabric, services, occupant behaviour, and internal and external environment
  • Strong written communication skills, including the ability to write reports, policy statements, guidance, and articles for a range of audiences.


Please note your application will be scored and assessed against the above criteria.


We are an equal opportunity employer which values diversity and inclusion. If you have a disability or neurodiversity, we would be happy to discuss reasonable adjustments to the job with you.


Having won the Gold Award from MIND for workplace wellbeing in seven consecutive years, we also recognise the importance of a healthy work-life balance.


We are an inclusive employer and believe that flexible working options are for everyone. We want to make sure our working arrangements don’t prevent anyone from joining us because of their personal circumstances. We also want to provide you with the best balance in your home and work life that we can.


We are open to considering options including job sharing, part-time working, compressed hours working and different working locations, including hybrid working. Please visit our jobs pages or contact us to find out more.


Why work for Historic England


We are committed to promoting equality of opportunity for everyone. Diversity helps us to perform better and attract more people to support our work. We welcome and encourage job applications from people of all backgrounds.


We particularly encourage applications from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic candidates and candidates with disabilities as they are underrepresented within Historic England at this level.

Historic England want all of our candidates to shine in the recruitment process. Please tell us what we can do to make sure you can show us your very best self. You can contact us by email at recruitmentTeam@Historicengland.org.uk if you have any recruitment queries.


At Historic England we use a hiring system called Applied. Applied is a behavioural science-backed recruitment platform that reduces bias, improves quality of hire and increases diversity. We do not use CV application for the majority of our hiring processes. You will answer a selection of questions that allow our hiring teams to test your skills and suitability for the role.


At Historic England, we value the expertise and individuality each candidate brings and want to hear about this in your own words. If you require the use or AI tools or other resources to support your application, we ask that all information is factually accurate, original, and reflects your own experience. To best represent yourself, we encourage you to write in your own words and use AI-generated content only as inspiration—not as direct input.


Provisional interview dates: 17th December 2026 via Microsoft Teams. A second stage will be carried out face to face if required.


Please follow the link for a full copy of the Job Description –


https://historicengland.org.uk/content/job-descriptions-hr/architect-chartered-building-surveyor-ftc-jd/