Principal Historic Buildings Officer

The office base for this Principal Historic Building Officer position is Woking. We support hybrid working and you will be required to attend the office for at least 2 days per week.

Our Offer to You

• 26 days' holiday, rising to 28 days after 2 years' service and 31 days after 5 years' service
• Option to buy up to 10 days of additional annual leave
• A generous local government salary related pension
• Up to 5 days of carer's leave and 2 paid volunteering days per year
• Paternity, adoption and dependents leave
• An Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) to support health and wellbeing
• Learning and development hub where you can access a wealth of resources
• Wellbeing and lifestyle discounts including gym, travel, and shopping
• A chance to make a real difference to the lives of our residents

About the Role

Surrey County Council is looking for a Principal Historic Buildings Officer to manage, promote and enhance its Historic Buildings service. Based within the Council's Historic Environment Planning Team at Woking, this role offers an exciting opportunity for a qualified heritage specialist to develop, grow and put into practice their skills in the assessment, understanding and management of historic buildings and conservation areas within the context of the planning process, whilst managing a small team of dedicated buildings specialists.

Surrey County Council is a County Planning Authority responsible for dealing with planning applications for minerals and waste development, and for the County Council's own development proposals, which include Education and Highways Management. The Historic Environment Planning Team is part of the Environment, Transport and Infrastructure directorate and provides advice, guidance and heritage-related planning advice to a number of organisations, as well as to the general public.

The successful candidate will be an experienced conservation and buildings specialist with a strong track record in delivering timely, efficient and pragmatic planning-related services. You will be familiar with the architecture and architectural history of Surrey in particular, and the UK in general, and have thorough knowledge of the investigation, assessment, understanding, conservation and management of historic buildings and conservation areas. A degree in a suitable heritage-related subject (History, architectural studies, historic building conservation, archaeology) is required, as is extensive experience in the provision of advice, guidance and expertise in the management of a wide range of historic buildings types, as well as conservation areas and designed landscapes.

We are particularly looking for applications from candidates that can demonstrate how they would develop this role further and expand the boundaries of the current service into new thematic and geographic areas, together with experience of contract management and a talent for developing projects and attracting grant funding. They would also be required to navigate effectively a significant degree of stakeholder engagement, ranging from the general public, through to fellow professionals and elected Members.

Your Application

In order to be considered for shortlisting, your application will clearly evidence the following skills and align with our behaviours:

• Educated to degree level in a relevant subject, with a passion for and a developed level of experience in, advising and managing various aspects of the built historic environment
• Full membership of the IHBC
• A broad and detailed knowledge of British Architecture, Designed Landscapes and Archaeology, and a deep and extensive understanding of the planning process surrounding heritage management
• Excellent IT skills and be confident at using Microsoft Office and GIS applications
• Provision of examples of service development

You will need to have the willingness and ability to travel around the county to meet the demands of the role.

To apply, we request that you submit a CV and personal statement

Before submitting your application, we recommend you read the job description & Our Life at Surrey handbook to get an insight into working at Surrey.

Contact Us

Please contact us for any questions relating to the role. This could be to discuss flexible working requests, transferable skills or any barriers to employment. Please contact Tony Howe, Historic Environment Planning Manager via email at

The job advert closes at 23:59 on 31/05/2026 with interviews planned to follow.

This post has been designated as a politically restricted post in accordance with the Local Government and Housing Act 1989.

Local Government Reorganisation (LGR)

Surrey County Council is undergoing Local Government Reorganisation, moving from a two-tier system to two new unitary councils in April 2027. If you are employed by Surrey on 1st April 2027, your role will transfer with current terms and conditions to one of the new organisations, supporting local devolution and greater powers for our communities.

Our Commitment

We are a disability confident employer which means if you have shared a disability on your application form and have evidenced you meet the minimum criteria, we guarantee you an interview.

Your skills and experience truly matter to us. From application to your first day, we're committed to supporting you with any adjustments you need, we value inclusion and warmly welcome you to join and help build a workplace where everyone belongs.