Principal Archaeologist

Permanent, Full Time

up to £55,706 per annum + benefits

Location: Essex

Closing Date: 9th June 2026

*Whilst contractually based at our Chelmsford office, with attendance expected one day per week, there is flexibility for home-working alongside site visits across our operational area as required.

Fantastic opportunity to take your archaeology career to the next level and combine technical expertise with leadership.

You will lead the delivery and commercial growth of Place Service’s traded historic environment services, ensuring they are efficient, high-quality and financially sustainable. You will balance income generation with a strong commitment to sustainable development, environmental protection and the long-term success of the Historic Environment specialism.

You will provide expert archaeological advice across the full planning lifecycle, managing the most complex and sensitive cases. This includes representing the service at hearings, examinations in public and inquiries, delivering high-quality heritage assessments, and overseeing major historic environment data, records and survey work, including the development of new tools and approaches.

You will manage complex projects and contracts involving multiple stakeholders, ensuring delivery against agreed budgets, specifications and performance measures. You will also drive new business activity by identifying opportunities, securing new clients and leading bids and tenders for high-value work, embedding a strong commercial mindset within the team.

As a team lead, you will manage five line-reports. You will lead on archaeological advice to local planning authorities throughout Essex, St Albans, Sussex and the South Downs National Park.

As the discipline lead and subject matter expert, you will provide authoritative advice to Council members, senior officers, clients and internal teams. You will build strong client and partner relationships, support effective team working, line manage Consultants and contribute to skills development across the sector through training and professional learning, while supporting planning authorities in meeting their statutory duties relating to heritage assets and the wider historic environment.

Please note that the job role requires you to be mobile throughout an operational area. Therefore, the post holder will need to have a driving licence and access to a vehicle, or the ability to meet the mobility requirements of the role through other means.

To find out more about the work we do: placeservices.co.uk/media/hagdd4vo/historic-environment-team-year-in-review-2024-25-reduced.pdf

Please note the internal job title of this role is Principal Historic Environment Consultant. For a copy of the full role profile please email faye.robertson@essex.gov.uk. For an informal discussion around this opportunity, please contact Tim Murphy, Historic Environment Manager, via tim.murphy@essex.gov.uk or 0333 032 0847.

Comprehensive CPD is available within the role, including access to our annual programme of Traditional Building Skills, Conservation courses and lectures: https://www.placeservices.co.uk/conservation-courses/conservation-courses/

Your benefits package includes;

Holiday entitlement of 27 days per annum (plus bank holidays), with the opportunity to buy additional annual leave
Local Government Pension Scheme: essexpensionfund.co.uk
Employee Wellbeing and counselling provision
Volunteering leave
Eye care vouchers
Travel discounts and season ticket loans
Retail and restaurant discounts and cashback on purchases

Place Services is a unique business and a great place to work. To find out more about us please visit: www.placeservices.co.uk/who-we-are/about-us

Essex County Council is proud to be a Disability Confident Leader. We’re committed to interview all disabled applicants who choose to apply under our Job Interview Scheme if they meet the minimum requirements of the job. Please speak to our Recruiters if you require any reasonable adjustments during the process. We’re also committed to interview all veterans and care leavers, who meet the minimum requirements of the role for which they are applying.

Once you’ve secured your role within Essex County Council you will receive many great employee benefits, including support for unpaid carers and flexible working arrangements to accommodate their needs.

At Essex County Council, we value integrity and ethical behaviour. We kindly ask that you embrace our code of conduct and the Nolan principles, including throughout the recruitment process. Your commitment to these standards helps us maintain a positive and respectful workplace for everyone.

Essex County Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults, and expects all employees and volunteers to share this commitment.

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