Dartmoor Headwaters Officer (Historic Environment)

Dartmoor National Park Authority; Highweek; On-site; GBP 36,000 - 40,000; Part time

Job summary

Dartmoor National Park Authority invites applications for the Headwaters Officer (Historic Environment). The role focuses on delivering natural flood management schemes while safeguarding historic environment designations and collaborating with archaeologists to understand the place's special character.

The post will help produce specifications and tender documents, work with contractors on-site, and travel to sites across the National Park.

Qualifications

• Significant professional archaeological experience including fieldwork surveys and desk-based assessments.
• Experience building relationships with organisations and stakeholders such as statutory agencies and landowners.
• Experience working with contractors to deliver high-quality outcomes.

Responsibilities

• Deliver natural flood management schemes while balancing nature restoration and historic environment designations.
• Produce specifications and tender documents for historic environment surveys.
• Collaborate with DNPA archaeologists to understand the place’s character and ensure protection of historic features.
• Travel to different sites within the National Park and work with contractors on-site as needed.

Skills

Archaeological fieldwork

Desk-based assessments

Stakeholder management

Job description

Grade 5: £35,570 - £40,444 per annum (pro rata)

Part-time 0.5 FTE (18.5 hours per week)

Fixed-term contract until October 2029 (subject to project funding, we anticipate the opportunity to extend until 2033)

About Us

Dartmoor National Park Authority (DNPA) works in partnership with local and national stakeholders to conserve and enhance Dartmoor as a vibrant, living, working landscape and community, teeming with natural beauty, wildlife and cultural heritage.

DNPA have launched a new nature enhancement strategy to restore natural processes at a catchment scale.

The Role

The Dartmoor Headwaters Officer (Historic Environment) will work with the Dartmoor Headwaters Officers (NFM) to deliver natural flood management schemes that benefit nature recovery and are compliant with historic environment designations. They will help to balance the competing priorities of nature restoration, climate resilience and protection of historic features, making sure that these considerations are incorporated into the scheme designs. Ultimately, the post will help ensure that the historic environment is considered, protected and managed appropriately alongside natural environment priorities.

The post holder will support the team to produce specifications and tender documents for bespoke historic environment surveys and work with contractors on-site as and when needed. They will also have the opportunity to work closely with DNPA’s archaeologists to build knowledge and learn more about the special character of the place.

About You

You will have significant professional archaeological experience including expertise in archaeological fieldwork surveys and desk-based assessments. Ideally, you will have a proven track record of building positive working relationships with a range of organisations and stakeholders, including statutory agencies, local authorities, interest groups, farmers and landowners. Experience of working with contractors to deliver high-quality outcomes is also essential.

You will be comfortable promoting key messages to a range of audiences and building positive relationships with stakeholders and the project team.

The post is based at the Authority’s head office at Parke, Bovey Tracey, but will involve travel to other sites within the National Park.

Closing Date:Sunday 13 September 2026.

Interview Date:Thursday 24 September 2026.