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: £40,000 - £45,000 per annum Contract type: Permanent Band: F / Senior Executive Officer Closing date: Monday 5th January 2025 at midnight The National Archives’ Legislation Services team is responsible for legislation.gov.uk, the official home of enacted and revised UK legislation and the only comprehensive free-to-use source of updated UK legislation. Open data is at the heart of our legislation services. The legislation data we curate and create comprises document data in XML, graph-based data in RDF, and website usage data, metadata about legislation, including amendment and application data, bibliographic information as well as exhaust data from our publishing processes and website operations. Ensuring this data is correct, complete, high quality and consistent is vital, underpinning our ability to deliver new functionality and to aid legal certainty for users. The Data Manager will quality assure and maintain legislation data in all its formats in line with our data strategy and reporting to our Legislation Data Service Owner, making sure that the data we hold is valid against our schemas, meets agreed standards and is as correct and consistent as possible. They will look for opportunities to improve the quality, consistency and accessibility of the data to support the continual improvement of our legislation services. Confident in working with XML, they will give advice to our contractors on the structure of published legislation and assist the editorial team in maintaining revised legislation by supporting the more complex and technical corrections and help with filling in gaps in the legislation data. The Data Manager will become expert in our various RDF datasets, carrying out analysis and seeking out improvements to the data modelling where they would bring efficiencies. Managing data projects with our contractors as required. 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. Application Process • Interview: Interviews will be held on-site in Kew in January 2025, and will include technical questions as part of the assessment. • Personal Statement: We ask all applicants to submit work history details 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. Sponsorship: We are unable to offer sponsorship for this role. Job Description Role and Responsibilities Manage and maintain legislation data in line with government standards and best practice: Manage and maintain legislation data in all of its formats in line with government standards, to ensure that it validates against the applicable schema and is as complete, correct and consistent as possible. Ensure legislation datasets are as complete as possible for example through acquisition and the digitisation of missing data and ensure the flow through of new data, including new datasets, into business-as-usual practices. Manage XML schemas: Manage the implementation, documentation, maintenance and improvements to the CLML schema and all other XML schemas in use. Lead the CLML schema change board, co-ordinating input from contractors, internal and external stakeholders and public data users to ensure schemas are managed responsibly but pragmatically and consistently in line with changing requirements. Responsible for the UK AKN (Akoma Ntoso) model (also known as LegalDocML), representing The National Archives on the AKN change board, working closely with our Lawmaker team (who provide a legislation drafting tool) to ensure consistency and standardisation of the model. Manage RDF ontologies: Manage RDF ontologies to ensure consistency of RDF data across platforms, and to ensure ontologies are properly documented. Lead the ontologies change management processes. Oversee legislation API and legislation URI schemes Oversee the delivery of maintenance and documentation of the legislation API and legislation URI schemes that have been built by our contractors and are used across all platforms. Carry out hands-on testing as required. Project management: Manage data projects such as the creation and roll out of new datasets, creating data from pdfs, data digitisation, the continuous development of the Research service, working closely with the Legislation Data Service Owner. Support other projects as required, for example Project Odyssey which is looking at using AI across legislation data. Technical support: Provide technical support to the Legislation Services team in relation to the use of legislation data and data systems and support the editorial team to carry out complex technical data corrections, providing training and guidance as required. User support: Answer user enquiries that concern data or the use of the Research service. Engage with data re-users to better understand their needs. Working Conditions Normal office environment Display Screen Equipment user Person Specification Essential: Experienced and expert data manager: Evidence of the experience and skills required to manage or commission documented technical services such as APIs, databases, search engines, editorial tools. Experience of working with structured data, with schemas and ontologies and of managing compliance with templates and rules. Experience of implementing data governance best practice: Evidence of the experience and skills required to effectively manage data governance, working with internal teams and external contractors, to ensure data security, consistency, standards compliance, data protection compliance, data validity and integrity, and to manage the data lifecycle effectively. Exceptional attention to detail, with the proven ability to work methodically: Evidence of working to a very high standard of attention to detail, with a clear and methodical approach to work and demonstrable procedural skills and abilities to ensure that data is managed to a high quality of accuracy, consistency and completeness. Clear communicator: Experienced at explaining technical issues to a non-technical audience with evidence of producing and delivering clear communication to different types of users, including both data re-users, contractors, and non-technical users (internal and external). Technical support skills: Evidence of supporting users to help them to more effectively use data and data management tools, including the proven ability to share knowledge provide advice to a range of users (for example internal teams, external contractors). Project management: Evidence of delivering successful projects, ideally using Agile methodologies, working as part of a multi-disciplinary team. Experienced at working collaboratively with internal teams and external suppliers to ensure changes are managed with due consideration for the impact on all creators and consumers of the data to ensure that the right solutions are found and agreed upon by all. Desirable: Experience of data processing techniques: Experience and skills in using data processing techniques such as AI or NLP or a demonstrable ability to learn new technical skills quickly and well. Experience of working with the types of data that we have: Experience of working with document data in XML, graph based data in RDF, web usage data and exhaust data. Technical capability (or evidence of an aptitude to learn) in XML schema language (Relax NB W3C schema), SPARQL, AKN, OWL and JSON. Demonstrable understanding of government data standards and best practices and how they relate to the role of Data Manager. Legislative domain knowledge, for example about how UK legislation documents are structured and how they change over time through the process of amendment. Other Requirements A combination of onsite and home working is available and applicants should be able to regularly travel to our Kew site. Must be prepared to travel to other Government departments as required. Occasional overnight stays may 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)