Principal Archaeologist

• Closing Date: 09 June 2026
• Location: Hybrid. 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.
• Contract: Permanent - Full-time
• Salary: up to £55,706 per annum + benefits

About the Role

This is a 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 Services’ 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 life cycle, 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, please see our 2024-25 Historic Environment Team Year in Review document.

Please note the job title of this role is Principal Historic Environment Consultant. For an informal discussion around this opportunity, please contact the Historic Environment Manager Tim Murphy via tim.murphy@essex.gov.uk / 0333 032 0847.

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