Senior Design, Conservation and Sustainability Officer

Job Reference: WCC
623192

Location:
Westminster City Hall, 64 Victoria Street, Westminster, SW1E 6QP

Apply Before: 4th March 2026

Regeneration, Economy and Planning in Westminster City Council is a world of extraordinary stories. Where innovative and open-minded people bring everything to the cause. Even expertise from surprising places.

Take Serena. She is an absolute force of nature at the heart of our Church Street regeneration. And she puts the residents first in everything. Serena’s vision is clear. Regeneration isn’t just about bricks and concrete. It’s about communities. It’s about the environment. It’s about the lives of people and how they feel about where they call home. Serena is their advocate, making sure residents’ voices aren’t just heard, but drive the changes we’re making.

The future is safe in her hands.

As Senior Design, Conservation and Sustainability Officer, you too can make a powerful contribution. You’ll be at the heart of shaping the borough’s comprehensive urban design and landscape, which includes a high number of historic, landmark buildings. Your goal will be to balance the needs of a vibrant economy and growing communities with the conservation of Westminster’s unique character.

Working closely with Head of Design, Conservation and Sustainability and Principal Design, Conservation and Sustainability Officers, you’ll visit, monitor and report on the condition of historic buildings and conservation areas. Advising applicants, building owners and other stakeholders on their care and protection. This will include lending your expertise on adaptions that could be made to existing buildings to address climate change and energy efficiency.

There will be a strong writing element to this role. You’ll prepare documents to secure protection of buildings in conservation areas. As well as write ups of unauthorised works on listed buildings.

You will prepare appeal statements and evidence for consideration at hearings, attending to give evidence, when required. We’d like your contributions to the preparation and production of studies, policies and guidelines relating to urban design and conservation across the borough.

As Senior Design, Conservation and Sustainability Officer, you’ll be joining a team of architects, urban designers, specialists in architectural history, conservation and sustainability. We’re working in a borough of constant change, which we need to handle sensitively, as there is amazing history that needs to be preserved, too. Together, we foster a progressive, inclusive work culture with flexible arrangements, unified by our shared purpose to care for and better our borough.

To be equal to the role, you’ll have professional, specialist expertise on the conservation, care and protection of historic buildings and urban design. This will include an understanding of adaptions to address climate change and energy efficiency. You either have or are working towards a degree in architecture, architectural conservation or urban design, including sustainability within the built environment. Plus, you’d be keen to gain a relevant qualification in Urban Design, Town Planning or Conservation.

Experience wise, you’ve dealt with planning and related applications, including negotiating with applicants, appeals and enforcement. You’ve liaised with internal and external stakeholders, effectively understanding customer needs and communicating clearly, whether in writing or verbally. Working well in a team also comes easily to you.

You’ve worked under pressure, delivering results within challenging time frames and limited resources. From this, you’ve gained excellent organisational and analytical skills, with an ability to prioritise while maintaining high standards of output.

You understand project and programme management, including how to successfully budget and allocate resources. You’ve kept computerised records, ideally using document management systems.

We’d like you to have a familiarity with planning law and procedures, relevant statutes, circulars, rules and regulations, as well as the City Council’s own policies and…