Principal Place Leadership and Conservation Officer in Leicester

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.

About the Role

We are seeking a Principal Conservation Officer to provide expert advice and leadership on heritage and conservation matters within Nottingham City Council’s Planning Service. This is a key role in protecting and enhancing the city’s historic environment, ensuring that heritage considerations are fully integrated into planning decisions, regeneration projects, and policy development. You will work on a wide range of complex and high‑profile cases, including listed building consents, conservation area proposals, and enforcement matters involving heritage assets. The role involves close collaboration with developers, statutory consultees such as Historic England, and local communities to secure high‑quality, sustainable outcomes that respect Nottingham’s unique historic character while supporting growth and regeneration.

About You

• A degree or postgraduate qualification in conservation, planning, architecture, or a related discipline
• Significant experience in built heritage conservation within a planning context, including advising on planning applications and listed building consents
• In‑depth knowledge of planning legislation, national and local policy, and guidance relating to the historic environment, along with a strong understanding of architectural history, building materials, and conservation techniques
• Excellent analytical, communication, and negotiation skills, with the ability to interpret technical information, produce clear written reports, and present evidence at planning committees, appeals, or public inquiries
• Strong organisational skills, the ability to manage a varied caseload, and a collaborative approach to working with colleagues, partners, and stakeholders
• A commitment to delivering high‑quality services that put citizens first, alongside a strong understanding of equality, diversity and inclusion in service delivery

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.

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.

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 likely be held: w/c 6th July.

Nottingham City Council is committed to recruiting a talented workforce that reflects the communities we serve. We are a fair and inclusive employer and welcome applications from people from all backgrounds and with different abilities. We recruit for diversity and value difference. We particularly want to hear from you if you are from Minority Ethnic communities, identify within the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer+ community (LGBTQ+) and if you are Disabled - these groups of people are underrepresented in our workforce, and we’d like to reflect our local population more through our recruitment processes. We are supportive of flexible working arrangements wherever possible and we would encourage you to discuss this with us during the selection process, should this be something you are interested in.