Jobs at TerraDat
JOB VACANCY – ARCHAEOLOGICAL GEOPHYSICS FIELD TECHNICIAN
Position:
Archaeological Geophysics Field Technician
Contract type:
Full-time (37.5 hrs per week), Permanent
Salary:
£26,512.20 p.a.
Benefits:
Holiday entitlement of 28 days p.a. (excluding bank holidays),
Company contributory pension scheme and profit-related bonus scheme,
Company health insurance scheme.
An opportunity has arisen for an Archaeological Geophysics Field Technician to join our innovative, down-to-earth team of geoscientists, helping our clients uncover buried archaeological features across the UK and Ireland.
TerraDat (UK) Ltd. is an established archaeological and engineering geophysical survey company based in Cardiff, South Wales. We are recognised as leaders in our field with over 30 years of experience, and our archaeological survey work supports planning consultancies, developers, and heritage organisations across the UK and Ireland.
Our culture is focused on innovation, R&D, openness and the pursuit of scientific excellence. TerraDat’s resources of geophysical instrumentation, extensive project reference archives and state-of-the-art processing software make it one of the best in the UK. This role will allow you to grow alongside the company as it responds to exciting new applications.
For archaeological survey work, our primary technique is fluxgate gradiometry (magnetometry), which we routinely carry out using ATV-towed sensor arrays. We also use Ground Penetrating Radar and Resistivity surveying where these form part of a project. We carry out this work across the UK and Ireland, in settings ranging from greenfield sites to more challenging terrain.
Job Description
The position on offer is for an Archaeological Geophysics Field Technician based at the head office in Cardiff, working within TerraDat’s archaeological team.
The main responsibility will be supporting the Project Archaeologist or Project Geophysicist during on-site data acquisition, primarily operating ATV-towed fluxgate gradiometer arrays across agricultural and greenfield sites. You will also assist with Ground Penetrating Radar byu (GPR) and resistivity surveys where these form part of a project, along with topographic and GPS/GNSS positioning work. Full training will be provided in all survey methods and equipment; however, a background in field archaeology or geophysics would be beneficial. CSCS certification and ATV training will also be provided.
The post will require regular travel to sites around the UK and Ireland, with extended periods away from home. Most work takes place during the normal working week; however, there are occasions when weekend work is required. Overtime is paid for any weekend hours worked. TerraDat aims to avoid consecutive working periods longer than 10 days and operates a staff rotation. The majority of business travel is by company vehicle, generally a van, departing from our Cardiff office.
Depending on the fieldwork program, time will also be spent back in the office in Cardiff, where responsibilities will include equipment maintenance, initial data checks, and data digitisation.
Depending on company-wide workloads, there may from time to time be opportunities to assist with geotechnical and geological geophysical fieldwork. This opportunity will provide successful applicants with useful exposure to a wider range of geophysical techniques and a deeper understanding of geophysics as a discipline.
Responsibilities
- Assisting the Project Archaeologist and Project Geophysicists
- Operating ATV-towed fluxgate gradiometer arrays for magnetometry surveys
- Operating towed multi-channel GPR arrays
- Assisting with resistivity and electromagnetic surveys where these form part of a project
- Topographic/GPS surveying
- Equipment maintenance and care, including charging, checking, and packing down at the end of the day
Qualifications/Key skills
- Full UK driving licence
- Current passport
- Right to work in the UK
- Motivated and keen to work as part of a team
- Computer literate
- Good disposition for outdoor working
- Flexibility and willingness to travel
- Conscientious with good attention to detail
- Good communication skills
- Good practical skills
- Able to pick up new skills and learn ‘on-the-job’
Location
- The position is located at our head office in Cardiff, U.K.
- You will be required to travel to sites across the UK and Ireland
- Occasional weekend work will be required
To apply, please send a CV and detailed cover letter to ([email protected]) by the 21st of August 2026.
TerraDat uses state-of-the-art geophysical mapping techniques to map the subsurface. The benefit of geophysics is that it is non-invasive and can rapidly map large areas and reduce the chance of missing buried targets. We’ve been offering our services for over 25 years to clients from the engineering, environmental, energy and construction markets. Here are four case study booklets showing how geophysics can be applied to your ground investigations.
