- East Suffolk Council, Riverside (Lowestoft) or East Suffolk House (Melton)
- £35,412 - £39,152 per annum
- 37 hours per week
- Permanent
Join us in protecting and shaping East Suffolk’s extraordinary heritage.
East Suffolk is a district where history meets coastline, countryside, and thriving communities. With 3,600 listed buildings, 50 Conservation Areas, 148 Scheduled Monuments, and 31 historic parklands, our heritage is as rich and varied as the landscapes that surround it, from vibrant market towns and rural villages to stunning coastlines within the Suffolk & Essex Coast and Heaths National Landscape.
We have an exciting opportunity for a Heritage Officer to join our established, well-respected Design and Heritage team, part of the council’s Specialist Services alongside our Landscape, Arboriculture, Rights of Way and Ecology experts. This is a new role, giving you the rare opportunity to shape its scope and make your mark from day one.
What you’ll be doing
You’ll work closely with our Assistant Heritage Officer, Senior Design & Heritage Officers, and Principal Design & Heritage Officer to:
- Provide expert advice on development proposals affecting heritage assets.
- Support nationally significant infrastructure projects.
- Commission and deliver Conservation Area reviews and appraisals.
- Lead on expanding and updating Article 4 Directions.
- Propose new listings and update our Buildings at Risk register.
- Champion heritage with colleagues, developers, communities, and elected members.
This is not just a casework role, you’ll influence projects and policies that will safeguard East Suffolk’s heritage for future generations.
About you
We expect you to bring the skills, experience, and commitment needed to protect and enhance East Suffolk’s heritage, including:
- Significant experience working with listed buildings and Conservation Areas.
- Strong theoretical, technical, and practical knowledge of built heritage conservation.
- A good grounding in planning and building control processes.
- Associate or Full Membership of the Institute of Historic Building Conservation (IHBC).
- A positive, proactive approach with the ability to assess proposals, solve problems, and communicate effectively with a range of audiences.
Why join us?
You’ll be part of a team of five heritage and design specialists with backgrounds in building conservation, architecture, archaeology, planning, urban design, and landscape history. Working in a well-resourced, supportive environment, you’ll have opportunities for career development, professional training, and cross-disciplinary learning.
If you think you have the skills and passion to succeed, even if you don’t tick every box, we’d like to hear from you.
Specialist Services Prospectus link, provides information on the team and priorities of the Design and heritage Team
Why work for us?
East Suffolk Council is a great place to work and there are lots of benefits our employees can access. To find out more about why we are so proud of East Suffolk Council, take a look at our video and hear why our employees think it is such a great place to work.
In addition to the rural and urban diversity of East Suffolk itself, the district is close to the large urban centres of both Norwich and Ipswich, with rail services providing access to the Council’s offices by train. We might be 'on the edge' but we can be accessed easily from a wide area (jpg) and offer flexible and remote working in a dynamic team.
Here are some of the main benefits:
- Great opportunities for training and development
- Generous leave entitlement (equivalent to 25 days a year, increasing to 31 days after 5 years’ service, plus bank holidays)
- Local government pension scheme
- Free car parking (for when you are working in the office)
- Discounts on mobile phones, computers, holiday and travel, fashion and clothing, health and beauty and many other products and services.
Please see our benefits brochure for further information.
The majority of our teams are working in an agile way, with a mixture of home and office working, depending on individual preferences and service requirements. If you wish to discuss how that might impact your working arrangements if you were the successful candidate, please contact the recruiting manager listed at the bottom of this advert.
For more information
You can find out more about planning in East Suffolk and the work we do on our planning recruitment webpage.
For an informal discussion regarding this post, please contact Robert Scrimgeour, Principal Design and Heritage Officer, on 01394 444610 or email [email protected].
Closing date: Friday 12th September 2025 – 12 noon
Interview date: Week commencing 22nd September 2025 – Interviews held in Melton, Suffolk
How to apply
Step 1 - Read the advert and the Job Description and Person Specification
Step 2 - Complete the Supporting Statement template. Your statement needs to indicate how you meet each of the criteria contained within the Person Specification. Please use the template provided (other formats will not be accepted).
Step 3 - Complete the online application and upload your statement. Please note, CVs are not accepted.
For more information, check out the How to Apply section of our Career Site.
