Conservation Officer

Salary details: £ - £

• Salary: Career Graded post £30,060 - £32,654 bar £35,235 - £37,938 a. pay award pending
• Location: Wingerworth, near Chesterfield with hybrid home working options

Are you an experienced conservation professional with a passion for shaping sustainable communities and leading a high-performing team?

We are seeking a Conservation Officer to join our Planning Policy and Environment Team at North East Derbyshire District Council.

In this new pivotal role, you will play a leading role in ensuring that development proposals respond to the rich historic environment of North East Derbyshire, which contains 500 listed buildings, 30 conservation areas and 33 Scheduled Monuments, a number of which are classified as amongst the most significant heritage assets nationally. You will collaborate with Development Management colleagues to negotiate high quality schemes that sustain and enhance heritage assets and work alongside the Principal Conservation Officer to update our evidence on the district’s historic environment, including conservation area reviews and appraisals and proactively engaging with owners of heritage assets on the Risk Register.  

The Planning Service has embraced significant changes, including the adoption of a new pre-application advice service and a partnership with Design: Midlands to increase the quality of schemes submitted at the formal application stage, including from a heritage perspective.

The Service is leading on many corporate priorities. The Local Plan review is underway and you will play a key role in making sure that the policies we adopt help us achieve development that preserves and enhances our historic environment. You will also contribute to updating our baseline heritage information. There are major regeneration projects in the pipeline, including those affecting heritage assets and you will play an important role in shaping how these schemes develop.  

This position would suit somebody who has some post-qualification experience in building conservation. Above all, we are seeking someone with a passion for their subject, who thrives on working as part of a team to achieve the best outcomes for our historic environment.

North East Derbyshire can offer an excellent platform for you to develop your career. The Planning Service is involved in a number of national pilot schemes, including the Proptech Innovation Fund and the Planning Skills Delivery Fund. The successful candidate will have the opportunity to be involved in these projects and apply many of these changes to how we engage with and preserve the historic environment.

We have a genuine ‘One Team’ approach here at North East Derbyshire. This is not just a slogan, it is a way of working that recognises that we will deliver far better outcomes for all if we see the ‘bigger picture’ and work together. This approach fosters people who have bold ideas, seize the initiative and have a determination to push things forward. If this sounds like you, we would very much welcome your application!

👉 Check out the full Job Description and Person Specification for more detail

In return the Council offer

• A supportive and collaborative working environment.
• Opportunities for professional development and career progression.
• Flexible working arrangement, up to 35 days annual leave and a strong focus on work-life balance.
• Access to the Local Government Pension Scheme and other employee benefits.

Join us and help shape the future of our District – where your leadership can make a lasting impact.

Apply today!

If you are interested in this post, please apply using the online application on our dedicated webpage on Derbyshire Jobs at: https://www.ne-derbyshire.gov.uk/about-the-council/jobs/working-for-us/why-work-for-the-council or via Derbyshire - Jobs and Careers by clicking ‘Apply for this job’ and creating an account.  You can save your progress and exit the application at any time, coming back to it at a later stage to complete and submit your application.  Applications close Midnight, Monday 11^th August 2025.

Please read the Guidance Notes provided before completing any application and please note that CV’s will not be accepted.

If you do not have internet access, you can request an offline application pack by emailing: HumanResources@ne-derbyshire.gov.uk

For further information

Please contact Rebecca Waddington, Principal Conservation Officer via email: rebecca.waddington@ne-derbyshire.gov.uk or telephone: 01246 217177 for an informal discussion about the role.

Please note the Council only consider applications from candidates eligible to work in the UK and who possess a current work permit appropriate to the job role advertised.

If you have not received any communication within 4 weeks of the closing date, please assume you have been unsuccessful on this occasion and we thank you for your interest in the job role.