As the living, growing home of our national story, The National Archives is already a special place to work. We’re an institution nearly 200 years old with a collection spanning 1,000 years of history. But it’s where we go next that makes things really interesting. In our strategic vision: Archives for Everyone, we set ourselves the challenge of becoming the 21st Century national archive - a different kind of cultural and heritage institution: Inclusive, Entrepreneurial, Disruptive. We won’t become this overnight. It will take time, focus, effort and daring. That’s where you come in. Because we can’t do this without you. Job Overview Salary: £45,000 per annum Contract type: Permanent Band: F / Senior Executive Officer Closing date: Sunday 22nd February 2026 Are you passionate about archives and the stories they tell? The National Archives is looking for someone to manage our team of Modern Britain records specialists, joining our Collections Expertise & Engagement department, where we use our expert knowledge to inspire audiences and make them think differently about archives. In this role, you will have a records specialism in one or more of the political, diplomatic, government, social, legal, or economic history of Britain post-1782, as this relates to collections held at The National Archives. You will be expected to develop a deep understanding of these collections and develop specialist knowledge of records of public inquiries which have been transferred to The National Archives or will be in the future. Your work will involve advising a wide range of audiences — from the general public to academics and government departments — on how to access and interpret these records. You will collaborate across teams to deliver public engagement programmes, academic research and corporate activities. This is a dynamic role that blends research and public engagement; you will also be expected to contribute to our day-to-day public advisory service, dealing with enquiries from the public at Kew and online. We are looking for someone with a higher degree in a relevant field or equivalent experience, a strong knowledge of modern British records post-1782, and management experience. You should have an active research profile, excellent communication skills, and a proven ability to engage both specialist and non-specialist audiences. A collaborative mindset is essential. This role is based at our Kew site, with flexibility for some home working. You may also need to travel to government departments and be available for occasional evening events. If you are ready to help shape how the public engages with records related to modern Britain, we would love to hear from you. This is a full time post. However, requests for part-time working, flexible working and job share will be considered, taking into account at all times the operational needs of the Department. A combination of onsite and home working is available and applicants should be able to regularly travel to our Kew site for a minimum of 60% of their work time. Application Process • Interview: Interviews will be held on-site in Kew. Candidates invited to interview will be required to prepare a presentation in advance. • Personal Statement: We ask all applicants to uoload their CV and a personal statement, not exceeding 1200 words. Selection for interview will be based on the ‘essential’ requirements in the job description so please ensure that your statement demonstrates in detail how you meet these requirements. Artificial Intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please visit the Civil Service Careers website where you can find further information on the use of AI in the application guidance section. Please note: anonymised recruitment is standard for roles across the Civil Service. However, due to the nature of this role and the information required in the selection process, please disregard any requests to anonymise your application. Sponsorship: We are unable to offer sponsorship for this role. Job Description Job Purpose In the Collections Expertise and Engagement (CEE) department, we are passionate about using our expert knowledge of our collections to inspire audiences and make them think differently about archives. The leader of the Modern Britain specialist team is responsible for growing, maintaining and sharing expert knowledge of collections at The National Archives relating to political, diplomatic, administrative, government, social, legal and economic history in Britain post-1782. The post holder leads a team of record specialists with responsibility for the line management and mentoring of the team, for promoting the work and visibility of the team, and for ensuring that team members make a full contribution to departmental and corporate initiatives. The post holder will be expected to have an existing specialism in some aspect of the records within the remit of the Modern Britain team, and they will be expected to grow and share this expertise. In addition, they will be expected to develop specialist knowledge of records of public inquiries which have been transferred to The National Archives or will be in the future (public inquiries being the official investigations, conducted by an independent body, to examine matters of public concern). They will use their knowledge to contribute to our day-to-day public advisory service, giving research advice about records onsite and online, and sharing knowledge and expertise internally and externally. Through collaboration with colleagues across the organisation they will develop and deliver our public engagement, education, and academic programmes, and contribute to corporate initiatives and activities. In addition, they will develop and undertake innovative and interdisciplinary research, inspiring a diverse audience of public, students, academics and the wider archive and government sectors. Their work will include using the records to surface diverse voices and histories from within the archive for audiences of all kinds. They will produce high-quality research into the records within their remit, and use this research both for academic outputs and for public engagement. Over time, and with appropriate skills development, they will be expected to contribute to formal research projects and collaborations which contribute to The National Archives’ status as an Independent Research Organisation. This includes engaging with developments in digital archiving and digital humanities research methods to promote and develop their specialist area. Role and Responsibilities Leadership and management Line manage and lead staff in the Modern Britain Team and identify opportunities for their personal development; Manage the contribution of the Modern Britain Team to departmental projects, TNA’s public service, and to corporate initiatives and programmes, always acting as a role model. Work closely with other team leaders to implement departmental strategies in a consistent way, linked closely to TNA’s corporate initiatives and strategies; Mentor team members, supporting them to develop collections knowledge and research skills by identifying needs and opportunities, and evolving and delivering training, workshops; Deputise for Head of Modern Collections when necessary. Collections and engagement Maintain and deepen specialist knowledge of The National Archives' modern/contemporary British records; With appropriate support, develop specialist knowledge of records relating to public inquiries (as defined above), with a view to leading on developing guidance products, training and delivering advice to a range of audiences; Improve and share knowledge of modern British records through the creation and delivery of innovative research guidance, talks, training, and publications, aimed at multiple and diverse audiences, including public history researchers, government departments, academic experts and TNA staff; Work with teams and departments responsible for public engagement to develop and deliver inspiring and innovative ways for non-research audiences to experience our collections, finding new ways for the public to engage with our records; In conjunction with colleagues, develop priorities for cataloguing and access improvement within specialist areas and take ownership of projects aimed at delivering this strategy, with a focus on securing external resources to deliver project work; Participate in the delivery of Collections Expertise and Engagement’s day-to-day public information services onsite and online through a variety of channels, and proactively work with colleagues to develop and improve these channels; Steer the development and support of relevant digitisation projects, commercial product delivery, service delivery enhancements, and educational products in relevant fields; Represent The National Archives as a knowledgeable and engaging spokesperson to external audiences such as at press events, media interviews, partnership and stakeholder activities and VIP tours. Research and academic engagement Deliver a key role in engaging with the academic and research sectors, establishing research priorities with specialist colleagues and identifying opportunities for external funding, partnership research projects, collaborative initiatives, and managing TNA’s involvement through the end-to-end process, including supervising doctoral students as appropriate; Promote The National Archives’ collections and enhance our reputation for high-quality research within the modern British specialist area through regular contributions at academic events and to research publications, reusing these research products and outputs for public engagement where possible; Play a key role in developing and delivering content for TNA’s high-profile programme of archival training skills workshops aimed at university students. Working Conditions Normal office environment Display Screen Equipment user Person Specification Essential Strong people leadership, management and interpersonal skills, experience in mentoring colleagues, and ability to manage effectively through periods of organisational change; Excellent communication and negotiation skills, with demonstrable abilities to interact productively and build effective internal and external relationships and networks on behalf of The National Archives; Ability to handle a varied and demanding workload, and to manage own priorities within a supportive team environment; Specialist knowledge of modern/contemporary British history as evidenced through qualifications or experience; Demonstrable knowledge of the modern/contemporary British collections held at The National Archives and of relevant collections held elsewhere; Active research profile and demonstrable credibility in the academic and research sectors relating to specialist field; Experience of communicating research effectively to non-specialist audiences (e.g. digital content, exhibitions, public talks, outreach workshops and teaching); A record of accomplishment in project delivery to time and to budget. Desirable Published author in records-related material and/or specialist area. Other Requirements A combination of onsite and home working is available and applicants should be able to regularly travel to our Kew site for a minimum of 60% of their work time. The post may require working some evenings and some Saturdays to support the public service and engagement activities. Time off will be arranged in compensation for these contributions. Occasional travel to locations other than Kew will be required. The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan and the Civil Service D&I Strategy. Benefits Generous benefits package, including pension, sports and social club facilities, onsite gym, discounted rates at our on-site cafe and opportunities for training and development. Annual leave entitlement of 22 days per calendar year (rising to 25 after the first year, and incrementally to 30 days after six years) and 10½ days public and privilege holidays per annum. Any move to The National Archives from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax-Free Childcare. Determine your eligibility at https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk/ ( opens in new window) Reasonable adjustments If a person with disabilities is put at a substantial disadvantage compared to a non-disabled person, we have a duty to make reasonable changes to our processes. If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should: Contact The National Archives via careers@nationalarchives.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs Complete the ‘Reasonable Adjustments’ section of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need further on in the recruitment process. For instance, you may need wheelchair access at interview, or if you’re deaf, a Language Service Professional Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment. Security Successful candidates must pass a disclosure and barring security check. People working with government assets must complete basic personnel security standard checks (opens in new window) Nationality requirements This job is broadly open to the following groups: UK nationals nationals of the Republic of Ireland nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window) nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020 Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service Further information on nationality requirements (opens in new window) Working for the Civil Service The Civil Service Code (opens in new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants. We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles. (opens in new window) The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria. The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy. This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans initiative. (opens in new window) Contact point for applicants: Name: The National Archives Recruitment Team Email: careers@nationalarchives.gov.uk Further information If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment Principles and you wish to make a complaint, in the first instance, you should contact The National Archives via email: careers@nationalarchives.gov.uk If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from the Department, you can contact the Civil Service Commission at https://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk/recruitment/recruitment-complaints/ (opens in new window)