Head of Heritage Protection (Job share) (Maternity cover)


Company:	Government Recruitment Service
Salary:	£56,582 to £63,384 a year
Hours:	Full-time
Location:	M2 3AW
Job type:	Temporary
Posting date:	21 Oct 2026
Closing date:	3 Nov 2026

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Summary

Heritage is all around us, it is valued by people, and it drives pride in place and wellbeing. It is a key part of the Government’s place and community agenda, and a brilliant place to come and make a difference. Our preserved heritage tells our national story - from monuments such as Stonehenge, to our industrial landscapes to local pubs.

The Heritage team does everything from listing buildings to designing and operationalising grant schemes, from sponsorship to developing heritage policy and potential bill measures. We are a flexible team and work to ensure the best outcomes for our Secretary of State’s priorities:

Growth and good jobs in every place
A more socially cohesive country with an inclusive national story
Richer lives with choices and opportunities for all

You will lead the heritage protection team alongside your job-share partner (an existing G7 who works 3 days a week) to deliver the government’s responsibilities to protect buildings and monuments through the listing and scheduling processes.

The heritage protection team oversees the department’s statutory duties to protection the historic environment through the designation of listed buildings, scheduled monuments, and protected wreck sites. It also manages a non-statutory review process for listing decisions, and powers for the upkeep and repair of historic buildings.

Key deliverables include:

Managing a fascinating caseload across different heritage protection regimes
Steering complex casework, with close engagement with legal colleagues, Historic England, and ministers
Ensuring correspondence is drafted in a timely way and to a high standard
Contributing to policy preparation for a potential heritage bill.

The protection team sits within the wider heritage team in VEHLAC and you will be expected to make a strong corporate contribution to the life of the team and the wider directorate.

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