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Form of work
SalaryWe are the public body that looks after England’s historic environment. We champion historic places, helping people understand, value and care for them.
Historic England have a fantastic opportunity for you to become an Architectural Investigator. The purpose of this role is to investigate, research and assess buildings and the historic built environment in England. The job involves gathering, analysing and interpreting research material and field data, producing reports and disseminating findings, in order to inform the protection and management of the historic environment.
What you will be doing
Carrying out exemplary research and investigation in support of Historic England's Corporate Plan. This work will include contributing to Listing and Planning casework, Historic England's Enhanced Advisory Services and English Heritage Trust projects, as well as undertaking studies of places, building types and themes. Such projects will enhance understanding and awareness of the historic environment.
The postholder will make regular use primary and secondary sources, both in national and regional archives and online, and will undertake site visits and fieldwork. Producing written reports of a high standard will be a key part of the job, as will disseminating and promoting Historic England's research through various means, including publications and training. The postholder will liaise with others in the built environment sector, including amenity societies and experts. Some picture research and negotiation about image reproduction will also be required, as will archiving of research work using relevant systems and approaches.
The postholder will contribute to the development of approaches to investigating, understanding, assessing and characterising architectural heritage assets, and may be asked to represent Historic England through advocacy, lecturing and public speaking. The job will involve developing areas of specialism within the field of architectural investigation/architectural history, including places, building types and chronological periods, and undertaking training to support this development.
Please note that the role:
requires regular visits to sites, libraries, archive centres and other places, some of which may be difficult to access by public transport;
requires some overnight stays/long working days, occasional evening and weekend working, and possible working at height and on building sites. Such sites may be anywhere in England, not just in the East.
Who we are looking for
Someone with the following knowledge and experience:
A high-standard academic and/or professional qualification in architectural history or a related subject. Alternatively, equivalent experience gained through on-the-job training or practical experience.
A broad knowledge of British architectural history, with a specialism in one or more area - ideally, for this post, in medieval/vernacular buildings and/or 20th-century architecture.
Hands-on experience of architectural investigation and analysis and of undertaking documentary research using a variety of sources.
Experience in producing written text to a high standard, for different audiences and in different media, and in communicating effectively orally.
Appreciation of the range of approaches used to investigate and analyse buildings and places.
Experience of working on large projects and within interdisciplinary teams.
We are an equal opportunity employer which values diversity and inclusion. If you have a disability or neurodiversity, we would be happy to discuss reasonable adjustments to the job with you. Having just won the Gold Award from MIND, we also recognise the importance of a healthy work-life balance.
We are an inclusive employer and believe that flexible working options are for everyone. We want to make sure our working arrangements don’t prevent anyone from joining us because of their personal circumstances. We also want to provide you with the best balance in your home and work life that we can.
We are open to considering options including job sharing, part-time working, compressed hours working and different working locations, including hybrid working. Please visit our jobs pages or contact us to find out more.
Why work for Historic England
We offer a wide benefits package including a competitive pension scheme starting at 26% contributions, a generous 28 days holiday, corporate discounts, free entry into English Heritage sites across the country and development opportunities to ensure you achieve your goals.
We are committed to promoting equality of opportunity for everyone. Diversity helps us to perform better and attract more people to support our work. We welcome and encourage job applications from people of all backgrounds.
We particularly encourage applications from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic candidates and candidates with disabilities as they are underrepresented within Historic England at this level.
