Senior Archaeologist; Geophysics

Salary: £37,778.88 – £39,455.08 depending on experience + generous benefits package

Hours: Full time, 37.5h/week

Locations
:
Based in Yorkshire & North office, Cleckheaton or Boxworth, Cambridgeshire although travel nationwide will be required

Contract Type: Permanent (with 6 month probationary period)

Closing Date: March 27th 2026

Due to a large volume of work the geophysical survey team at Headland are looking to recruit additional experienced staff to complement our team.

Do you ever wonder how archaeological sites are located and identified in the first place? Do you want to be at the forefront of the development of geophysical survey techniques in the commercial field? Do you want to join a large team with a range of experience working on nationally important and interesting projects throughout the United Kingdom and the EU?

In Headland we are proud of our people. We will support you to your meet your goals and train you in specific archaeological and other skills to feel confident and succeed in your role.

We are looking for candidates who are self‑driven with a positive outlook and excellent understanding of archaeological geophysics and British archaeology. You will be very experienced in running geophysical surveys and capable of overseeing a number of projects in the field and in the processing and reporting phases at the same time. You will be a good team worker who can promote new ideas and new ways of working and motivate your teams to deliver projects to programme and to budget.

The Senior Archaeologist (Geophysics) will run large‑scale geophysical surveys in the field as well as being office‑based where you will oversee the interpretation of data, production of project documentation, reports, research and analysis. Your work will primarily involve conducting and reporting on a range of geophysical surveys (magnetometer, electromagnetic, earth resistance, GPR and metal detection). You will have experience and knowledge of a range of techniques and be able to assist managers in supporting field and reporting teams on projects beyond those you are directly undertaking yourself.

As part of the geophysical survey team you will get involved in several large and exciting projects across the UK and EU. We have many large‑scale infrastructure projects throughout 2026, which include landscape wide 1000+ha sites and linear schemes. Working away and travelling in new places is a normal part of this role.

• A minimum of 5 years’ experience in British commercial archaeological geophysics with at least 3 years’ at a Supervisory level
• A desire to lead, develop and learn
• A thorough understanding of the theoretical background underpinning the commonest archaeological geophysical techniques
• A sound knowledge of the principles of operation of the most frequently used geophysical survey equipment
• Experience of sole responsibility for geophysical survey projects of significant scale including survey logistics, data quality control, post‑processing and reporting.
• An ability to support managers in their duties and assist with overseeing projects, producing paperwork and providing input to tenders
• Experience and understanding of all current UK guidance and standards for geophysical survey
• An understanding of UK commercial archaeology, planning legislation and the role of geophysics in the planning process
• A full clean UK driving licence and willingness to drive company vehicles
• A willingness to travel, work on projects across the UK and when required stay on site and/or occasionally work weekends on geographically distant projects
• Degree level education or higher in a relevant subject
• A demonstrable portfolio of reports
• Excellent organisational skills
• Experience in the use of commercially available survey processing and graphics packages such as QGIS
• Ability to use own initiative to achieve targets
• Membership of the CIfA
• Ability to motivate and help coordinate teams
• An ability to carry out prolonged manual work in an outdoor environment
• Ability to work under pressure and use your own initiative
• Good organisational & communication skills

• Being part of RSK Group, a well‑established global leader in the…