Heritage Consultant/Assistant

(MATERNITY COVER)

Fixed-term of 1 year with possibility of extension;
Flexible working arrangements, but mostly Edinburgh-office based;
Salary range: £27,000 - £32,000 (F. T. E. if part time; depending on experience);
Closing date: 2359hrs, Sunday 25th October 2026;
Start date: from mid November 2026;

Simpson & Brown is a leading expert in historic buildings and sites with 49 years of experience working with some of the United Kingdom’s most important built heritage. The Heritage Consultancy Team provides expert advice on how to balance the conservation of our historic buildings and sites with the social, cultural and economic needs of today.

Our work is recognised as leading the field: we were awarded the annual Heritage Research Award by the SAHGB and IHBC in December 2022 and 2024. We produce informative and decisive documents that help to manage change in the historic environment. These include heritage statements, assessments of significance, conservation plans, heritage impact assessments and EIA/ES cultural heritage chapters. Our documents have supported projects all over the UK and abroad. As part of an interdisciplinary practice with architecture and archaeology, we use skills and experience from across these teams to inform our advice and reporting.

Simpson & Brown is looking for an enthusiastic and dynamic person to join the Heritage Consultancy team in Edinburgh. Complementary specialist knowledge and experience are important for us and we encourage all applications.

The role

The work primarily consists of researching and writing a variety of documents relating to the built environment, alongside the Heritage Consultancy Team leader. These documents always include historical analysis (based on primary and secondary research), physical analysis of building fabric/site, analysis of setting, and assessments of significance. The level of detail required varies greatly from project to project. In our reports we use analytical illustrations which summarise these components, to convey the key messages of the document to the reader. All our reports conform to national and local planning/heritage policy and guidance.

Simpson & Brown supports employee development, with Continuing Professional Development (CPD) and will support employee accreditation with IHBC or CIfA if necessary.

Essential skills and experience

• An excellent general knowledge of British architectural history, art and landscape architecture in Britain, the historic built environment and the principles of architectural conservation.
• Ability to carry out primary and secondary source research systematically.
• A good undergraduate degree relating to the historic environment, such as architectural history, conservation of the historic environment, archaeology, or history of art with a special focus on the historic environment.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to work both with others and independently. You would be working as part of a small team, working together simultaneously on projects, but sometimes on your own.
• Good organisational skills to manage multiple and competing demands, and an ability to work under pressure to deliver work to deadlines.
• Intermediate competency in Microsoft Office, with advanced competency in MS Word.
• Right to work in the UK without restrictions.  Proof of eligibility will be required prior to commencement.

Desirable skills and experience

• Post-graduate degree relating to the historic environment, or specialist knowledge of a particular historical period.
• IHBC accreditation at associate or full member level.
• Other heritage-related skills, accreditation or equivalent, such as heritage-related accreditation schemes from CIfA, ICON/PACR.
• General and technical architectural knowledge, awareness of architectural processes, and basic understanding of project economics.
• Experience of working in a commercial environment, and research and preparation of historic-environment reports.
• Experience of assessing cultural-heritage significance in the historic environment.
• A full and clean driving license. Work involves working away from the office in Edinburgh. Sites are often not accessible by public transport.
• Competency in Adobe Creative Suite, particularly Photoshop or Illustrator, and InDesign.
• Experience of working with the four U.K. planning systems relating to the historic built environment.

How to apply

Please email your CV with a covering letter to admin@simpsonandbrown.co.uk, by 2359hrs on Sunday 25th October 2026. Interviews will be conducted from the 28th October 2026 and the following week.