Building Conservation Manager

English Heritage Ltd; York and North Yorkshire; Hybrid; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

A charitable heritage organization in England is seeking a Building Conservation Manager to oversee the care and repair of historic sites. The ideal candidate should have a background in building conservation or architecture, with proven project management skills and knowledge of health and safety regulations. Responsibilities include managing contracts, conducting site visits, and prioritizing repair needs. This role offers a salary starting from £40,852, flexible working, and various benefits, including 25 days of holiday and pension contributions.

Benefits

25 days holiday plus bank holidays

Matched pension contributions up to 10%

Flexible hours

Free access to all English Heritage sites for you and up to six friends

25% discount in shops and cafes

Enhanced maternity and paternity leave

Opportunities for career progression

Qualifications

• Experience in historic and conservation environments.
• Understanding of heritage and planning policies.
• Ability to work effectively in a multi-disciplinary team.

Responsibilities

• Ensure repair and enhancement of historic sites.
• Manage building maintenance contracts and schedules.
• Conduct regular site visits and assess project progress.

Skills

Project management

Contract management

Communication skills

Knowledge of health and safety regulations

Education

HND or NVQ Level 4 in building/construction

Job description

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Building Conservation Manager

Title Building Conservation Manager Location 37 Tanner Row, York, YO1 6WP Salary From £40,852 / 36 Hours per week / Permanent Job type Permanent Ref 16283

Heritage is for everybody, and we are here for heritage.

Heritage lives in places and people, memories and stories, artefacts and traditions. It can connect us all to the past, and to each other. It can make us happier, strengthen every community, and help shape society for the better. Everybody should be able to enjoy the benefits it brings.

That's why, as a charity, we care for over a million objects and hundreds of historic sites in every part of England, from international icons to local treasures. And it's why we open them up, share their stories and find new ways for everybody to enjoy, learn, play and create.

We are looking for a Building Conservation Manager to join our team. The role is full time (36 hours per week) and permanent.

Do you have a passion for historic buildings and environments? Do you have a strong understanding of the emerging threats and opportunities within the heritage sector? Do you have proven experience of delivering building conservation schemes in complex historic environments? Are you ready to play a key role to ensure the care, repair, and enhancement of the National Collection of historic sites and monuments in the North of England?

English Heritage seeks a highly motivated heritage professional who could be from an Architecture / Building Conservation / Surveying background (or similar) to take up the role of Building Conservation Manager in the Estates team based in the North of England. You will principally cover English Heritage properties in Yorkshire, Lancashire and Cumbria, but may be required to work in other areas such as Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire, and Derbyshire. You will be allocated an office base in York where you will be required to attend on occasion for meetings, can work from that office permanently, if desired, but homeworking is also supported. You will be required to undertake regular site visits across the region (some sites having office space available).

As Building Conservation Manager you will be responsible for properties ranging from country houses to ruined castles, abbeys and Roman structures, as well as modern visitor centres. Guided by the principles and aims set out in our Sustainable Conservation Asset Management Plan, your primary aim will be to address the repair priorities highlighted in condition surveys that are needed to bring the historic sites into sustainable conservation and ensure planned and reactive maintenance schedules keep the assets at that level.

To do this the role requires strong project/contract management skills and a working understanding of health and safety regulations in a construction environment (CDM Regulations etc.). It also requires competence in operating within the constraints of heritage and planning policies and statutory requirements, as well as being able to demonstrate a robust understanding of historic building conservation best practice principles.

A Building Conservation Manager will be a person who is an effective written and verbal communicator, able to excel in forging positive relationships with both internal colleagues (Curatorial, Collections, Operations, Experience and Engagement, Health, Safety & Security Manager etc.) and external stakeholders (Historic England, UNESCO etc.), sometimes in challenging situations.

A key aspect of the role will be to support your team to get the best out of contractors, ensuring all work is carried out in accordance with English Heritage Trust's standards and policies. To support your team's work, you will identify when consultant support is required, work with the Estate Manager/Senior Estate Manager to procure and manage specialist services via a Shared Services Agreement from Historic England and appoint any other external specialists that might be required.

Regular site visits are required for the role and due to the geographical spread and nature of some of the sites in the region you will be required to drive, and therefore you must hold a valid driving licence for the UK. Occasional overnight stays in hotels covered by expenses will likely be required.

You will be a dynamic heritage professional who can react to the needs of a complex estate of multi-phased building and place types, and who can both balance and prioritise workload.

To be considered as a Building Conservation Manager, you will need:

• Minimum HND or NVQ Level 4 or equivalent in a building/construction related discipline,
• relevant experience within historic and conservation environments,
• extensive experience of client side administration of building maintenance contracts and schedules of rates,
• working knowledge of current legislation and regulations covering building and civil engineering works and other relevant statutory regulations and bylaws, including Health and Safety at Work regulations, particularly Construction Design and Management Regulations (2015),
• the ability to work effectively in a multi-disciplinary team. Dedicated to English Heritage and its future.

Interviews will be held on Monday 16th February 2026 in person at a English Heritage site in North Yorkshire, site to be confirmed at selection stage.

The Benefits

• Salary from £40,852, depending on skills, experience and location
• 25 days' holiday plus bank holidays, pro rata, rising to 28 days after 3 years
• Matched pension contributions up to 10%
• Flexible hours
• The opportunity to progress your career within the heritage sector
• Subscriptions to professional bodies
• Free access to all English Heritage sites for you and up to six friends and family members
• 25% discount in our shops and cafes
• A salary sacrifice car lease scheme
• Enhanced maternity, paternity or shared parental leave
• Options to buy additional leave
• An inclusive working atmosphere everybody is supported from all backgrounds, religions and with different needs
• Opportunities to go to some of our great live music and history events

If you would like to talk to us e.g. about workplace adjustments or working patterns, please contact Mr Stephen Gandolfi, Senior Estate Manager (North), on [e-mail] . No agencies please.

Find out more about us and what we do: https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/about/ You can also meet some of our people and hear about why they enjoy working with us: https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/about/our-people/careers-with-us/

Everybody's welcome at English Heritage

Forget the stereotypes. It takes thousands of people from every background to care for England's heritage and open it up for everybody to enjoy. We're looking for every type of person with every kind of skill and experience, and we're committed to making sure that English Heritage is an equitable, diverse and inclusive place to work. You can connect with others through our EDI networks as a member or ally. These include Ethnic Diversity, Faith & Belief, Social Equity, LGBTQ+, Neurodivergence, Age, Disability and Gender Health and Wellbeing.

We take wellbeing seriously. We are committed to ensuring everyone feels safe at work and can carry out their role. To support this, we have a network of Mental Health First aiders, regular information and awareness events, unlimited access to an Employee Assistance Programme and work with our people to implement reasonable adjustments.

You will need to refer to the following documents when completing your application.