ARCHAEOLOGIST,

AOC Archaeology Group; City of Edinburgh; On-site; GBP 26,000 - 28,000; Full time

Job summary

A respected heritage services company in Edinburgh is seeking passionate archaeologists for permanent and fixed-term contracts. Successful applicants will join a professional team committed to high standards and personal development. Roles include fieldwork, with support from senior colleagues to enhance skills through structured training programs. The position offers a competitive salary, annual bonus scheme, and numerous employee benefits including pension schemes and welfare support.

Benefits

Annual bonus scheme

Company pension scheme

Comprehensive welfare support

Training budget for conferences

Flexible working policy

Cycle to work scheme

Qualifications

• Must be a motivated professional archaeologist looking to develop their career.
• Applicant should be a dynamic individual with good team skills.
• Degree-level qualification is essential.

Responsibilities

• Support archaeological fieldwork as part of a team.
• Work independently and under initiative, including overnight stays.
• Engage in constant skill development with senior support.

Skills

Motivation

Teamwork

Professionalism

Dynamic approach

Education

Degree level qualifications

Tools

CSCS card

Full driving licence

Job description

About The Role

Archaeologists – Permanent and Fixed Term Contract

Salary range: Site Assistant – £26,110.22 – £27,151.87

Location: Edinburgh

About AOC

Our Purpose is to provide innovative solutions to the nation’s heritage in a safe, inclusive, and sustainable way. Our four core values are at the heart of AOC and make us a leading, responsible business: Ensure a safe and understanding place to work; Work towards a sustainable, greener future; Be inclusive, tolerant and a great place to work; and Add value to society. We are a Registered Organisation (RO) of the Chartered Institute for Archaeologists (CIfA). We have a fully integrated management system and are accredited with ISO 9001:2015 (Quality Management), ISO 45001:2018 (Health and Safety) and ISO 14001 (Environment). We offer a full range of fieldwork, consultancy, survey, post‑excavation and public archaeology services and have one of Britain’s largest and most experienced teams of artefact, ecofact and conservation specialists. We have one of the largest networks of offices across the UK (London, Milton Keynes, Leeds, York, Edinburgh, and Inverness). We work in Britain and Ireland.

We continue to be one of the leading, and fastest growing, heritage companies in the UK; over the last 3 years we have seen our turnover and staff double in size and post-Hs2 we have maintained the same turnover levels. Our ambition it so continue our planned growth, particularly in northern England, in 2025 and beyond.

2026 promises to be an exciting year for AOC and for our staff. We are actively involved in a range of projects across the UK, including infrastructure (road, rail, energy), housing, commercial and utilities. The range of archaeology on these sites is vast, including Palaeolithic, Mesolithic, Neolithic, Iron Age, Roman, Medieval and Post‑Medieval.

Role

This is an excellent opportunity to further your career in archaeological fieldwork. It is vital that you are a good team member with a positive and enthusiastic approach to archaeology. You will also need to be self‑motivating and able to work independently and under your own initiative, and it will be necessary to work away from home with overnight stays. We encourage our team to grow and in this role you will be supported by a senior member of AOC who will assist in improving your skill set and further your career using our bespoke Job Aspiration Matrix. AOC have a dedicated Training Department, dedicated to training all staff, and we have a training programme designed for early career archaeologists in particular.

About You

• Motivated, professional archaeologist who is interested in developing their career with a forward‑thinking company with high professional standards of work
• Dynamic individual who will be central to the reputation, future growth and success of the Group
• Excellent team member
• Degree level qualifications
• CSCS card (preferred but not essential)
• Full driving licence (preferred but not essential)

Benefits

• Salary under constant review; appointments will be made on the basis of demonstrated ability and previous experience and based on a 37 hour week
• Ring‑fenced Annual Bonus Scheme
• Company pension scheme
• Full PPE (compliant with all current industry and Govt advice; please see https://www.aocarchaeology.com/covid-19)
• Accommodation and subsistence (compliant with all current industry and Govt advice) will be provided if working away from home including weekend accommodation when required
• Training budget and time allowance to attend conferences
• Clear and transparent job progression using AOC’s bespoke Job Aspiration Matrix
• Comprehensive Welfare Scheme for Employees including Employee Assistance Programmes including Occupational Health support, generous sick leave, over 50 Trained Mental Health First aiders
• Support for research
• 100% Paid CIFA membership; CSCS card and SSSTS and SMSTS card where required
• Flexible working policy is in place, to reflect both the requirements of the staff and business
• TOIL and sickness benefits
• Paid Travel for all staff
• Medicash Health Insurance scheme
• Cycle to work Scheme
• Staff led Committees including Employee Representative committee, H and S Committee and Social Committee
• Staff are encouraged to seek internal development and are encouraged to apply for roles across sectors

Applying

Please submit your CV and a cover letter outlining your relevant experience to [e-mail]. Applications will be reviewed as they come in, and suitable candidates may be appointed immediately. The final deadline for applications is 30th January 2026.

For further information, please contact Martin for an informal discussion. All inquiries will be treated in confidence.

Two references will be required. Referees will not be approached without the candidate’s permission.

AOC Archaeology Group is an Equal Opportunities Employer. We welcome applications from all backgrounds and are committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace.