Principal Conservation Officer

Nottingham City Council; East Midlands; On-site; GBP 41,000 - 44,000; Full time

Job summary

Nottingham City Council is seeking a Principal Conservation Officer to lead heritage advice on listed buildings, conservation areas, and major proposals. You will shape conservation policy and ensure high-quality development while protecting Nottingham's historic environment.

You will collaborate with planners, urban designers, regeneration teams and external partners to deliver priorities, including updating Conservation Area Management Plans and guiding heritage-led regeneration across the

Qualifications

• Degree or postgraduate qualification in conservation, planning, architecture, heritage management, building surveying or a related discipline.
• Substantial experience of built heritage conservation within a planning, development management or related professional environment.
• In-depth knowledge of planning legislation, national planning policy and guidance relating to the historic environment, with building conservation principles and traditional materials.

Responsibilities

• Lead the review and updating of Nottingham's Conservation Area Management Plans.
• Advise on listed buildings, conservation areas, major development proposals, and heritage-led regeneration.
• Collaborate across the Council and with external partners to deliver priorities and practical improvements on the ground.
• Work with planners, urban designers, regeneration teams, Historic England, developers, councillors and local communities.

Skills

Degree in conservation/related

Heritage conservation experience

Planning legislation knowledge

Communication & stakeholder mgmt

Assess significance & balance

Collaborative approach

Education

Degree or postgraduate qualification in conservation, planning, architecture, heritage management, building surveying or related

Job description

Contract Type: Permanent

Working Hours: 37 hours a week, Monday to Friday

Worker Type: Hybrid Worker

Salary: Starting Salary is £40,777 (level one), rising to £44,075 (level four) plus a £5,000 p/a market supplement (approved to August 2027) - pay award pending

Location: Loxley House, Station Street, Nottingham, NG2 3NG

We’ve got an exciting opportunity available for talented individuals to join our workforce - perhaps this is the opportunity you’ve been looking for? Read on to find out more…

Working for Nottingham City Council has great benefits. As well as competitive pay, great leave entitlement and access to a generous pension scheme, we strive to create an innovative, inclusive and progressive work culture where everyone is supported to do and be their very best.

In return, we are looking for people like you - people who are innovative, driven and committed to serving and improving Nottingham. So, if you are passionate about making a difference to the lives of those who live and work in our city, we want to hear from you.

You can read more about the different benefits offered to colleagues working for Nottingham City Council here.

About the Service

Nottingham City Council's Development Management Service plays a key role in shaping one of the UK's largest and most historic Core Cities. Nottingham is a city with a rich and varied historic environment, from medieval heritage and historic neighbourhoods to landmark civic buildings and industrial heritage, alongside an ambitious programme of regeneration and investment.

The service is at the heart of delivering the Council's vision for Nottingham as a city that is thriving, green and ambitious. Working across planning, urban design, heritage, trees, enforcement and regeneration, we help to ensure that growth and investment enhance the qualities that make Nottingham a distinctive place.

This is an exciting time to join the Council as we continue to support major regeneration projects, city centre renewal and investment in our historic environment.

About the Role

This is an opportunity to play a leading role in managing and enhancing Nottingham's historic environment at a time of significant change and investment across the city.

As Principal Conservation Officer, you will be the Council's specialist heritage adviser, working on listed buildings, conservation areas, major development proposals, heritage-led regeneration projects and complex planning matters. Your advice will directly influence how the city evolves, helping to secure high-quality development whilst protecting and enhancing Nottingham's heritage assets.

A key focus of the role over the coming years will be leading the review and updating of Nottingham's Conservation Area Management Plans and then working collaboratively across the Council and with external partners to deliver their priorities. This provides a rare opportunity not only to shape conservation policy, but to help turn that vision into practical improvements on the ground.

You will work closely with planners, urban designers, regeneration teams, Historic England, developers, councillors and local communities, making a visible contribution to the future of the city.

About You

The ideal candidate will have:

• A degree or postgraduate qualification in conservation, planning, architecture, heritage management, building surveying or a related discipline.
• Substantial experience of built heritage conservation within a planning, development management or related professional environment, including handling complex and sensitive heritage casework.
• In-depth knowledge of planning legislation, national planning policy and guidance relating to the historic environment, together with a strong understanding of building conservation principles, architectural history and traditional building materials.
• Excellent communication, negotiation and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to provide clear, proportionate and defensible professional advice.
• The ability to assess significance, setting, harm and public benefits and develop practical solutions that balance conservation and sustainable growth.
• A collaborative and proactive approach, with a passion for heritage, place-making and helping to shape the future of a major city.

This post is covered by the statutory duty under Part 7 of the Immigration Act (2016) (English Language Requirement for public sector workers) and therefore the ability to speak fluent English, is an essential requirement for the role.

You can find the job description for this post here.

At Nottingham City Council we believe that work is what you do, not where you do it. We offer different working arrangements, depending on the role, including hybrid working. Further information on Worker Types and what these mean in terms of how and where you work can be found on the additional information for applicants page.

For informal enquiriesplease contact Gillian Bradbury, Planning Services Manager by email at [e-mail].

Closing Date: Tuesday, 22nd September 2026 at Midnight

Please note there may be occasions where we close the advert before the closing date and we encourage you to apply as soon as possible.

Interviews will be held:w/c 5th October 2026

If you have any technical issues when completing your application, please contact our Employee Service Centre: https://emss.org.uk/support

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