Principal Conservation Officer

About the team we are recruiting to:

Planning is about making the best use of land and making places where people want to live, work and play. Through preparation and implementation of land use planning policies and guidance, our work unlocks growth, contributing significantly towards our corporate priorities, and strives to protect and improve the built and natural environment.

The team includes specialists in Ecology, Building Conservation, Landscape, Urban Design and Planning Policy. The professional expertise in the wider planning service and council as a whole makes it a great place to work with opportunities to develop skills and knowledge.

About the role:

This role is an exciting opportunity to contribute to the delivery of a high performing and effective planning service for West Suffolk Council, supporting our ambitions for good quality and sustainable growth.

The post sits within the council's multi-skilled strategic planning team, reporting to the Service Manager - Strategic Planning. The postholder manages the specialist team, and is the lead officer in the council in respect of the historic built environment and the main responsibility of this post is to provide specialist advice on all aspects of the historic built environment across West Suffolk, focussing on:

• Providing specialist advice on planning applications, pre-application enquiries and planning appeals which relate to the historic built environment
• Providing specialist input into enforcement cases and appeals
• Providing specialist input into the formulation of development plan policies and supporting documents
• Monitoring and reviewing listed buildings and conservation area designations
• Providing specialist technical advice to the owners of historic buildings
• Managing the Senior Conservation Officer, Senior Ecology and Landscape Officer and Urban Design Officer

What you will need:

• Experience of managing a team, or ability to manage a specialist team.

• Educated to degree level in an appropriate professional discipline and eligible for full membership of a relevant professional institute/organisation (e.g.IHBC)

• Demonstrable experience of working at a senior level as a building conservation officer, preferably within a local authority

• Extensive and up to date knowledge of planning law, policies, and procedures as they relate to the historic built environment

• Extensive knowledge of traditional building styles, construction types, materials and typical issues/defects

• Ability to work as part of a team in facilitating the delivery of major projects

• High level of communication skill and interpersonal ability
• Confident and effective presentational skills
• Commitment to delivering a high-quality planning service
• Self-motivated
• Team player able to motivate and inspire confidence in others to deliver to the best of their ability

• Flexible and able to respond positively to a changing environment

• Competent in the use of IT

• Able to solve problems, prioritise workloads and provide support to colleagues.

• Excellent interpersonal, leadership and relationship-building skills, to maintain strong relationships with colleagues, partners and external bodies.

• Strong management skills, empowering and supporting your team to deliver.

• Site visits are required in a large rural area and so the suitable candidate will need to hold a current driving licence and/or the ability to travel around West Suffolk

Why work for us? Our benefits include:

• Holiday entitlement of 25 days, increasing to 29 days after 5 years (pro rata if part time) plus bank holidays (with an option to buy up to 10 extra days each year subject to approval)
• Generous pension scheme – contribute between 5.5% and 6.8% (depending on your salary) and the council will contribute 26%
• Life assurance – a payment of three times your annual salary
• Essential car user allowance of £846 - £1,239 per annum (depending on engine size)
• flexible working options to enable work/life balance
• agile working - ability to work in the office and from home
• access to a unique employee benefits package which includes discounts and cashback on supermarkets, high street shops, holidays, mobile phones, electrical goods, savings and loan schemes and many other products and services
• Salary sacrifice benefits including Cycle to Work scheme, Tusker Leased Car Scheme and SmartTech (buy the latest tech products interest free and repay through your monthly salary)
• Rail and bus staff discounts
• A range of Health and Wellbeing initiatives including an employee assistance programme
• Discounted membership at Abbeycroft Leisure centres
• A culture of learning inspiring staff to focus on continuous learning
• Modern office accommodation

For more information:

For an informal discussion and further information please contact Christine Leveson, Principal Conservation Officer, on or email Please note, we are unable to accept CVs, please follow the online application process to apply.

Closing date: 16 December 2025

Interview date: 7 January 2026

West Suffolk Council has been rated in the top 10 district councils for climate action (Climate Scorecards 2023) and as a member of UK100 has demonstrated its commitment to a rapid transition to Net Zero with Clean Air in our communities. The council has declared a climate and biodiversity emergency and is committed to working towards net zero emissions by 2039.