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: £52,130 per annum Contract type: Permanent Band: G / Grade 7 Closing date: Tuesday 27th January 2026 The National Archives' Collection Care Department has a strong and growing reputation for its outstanding expertise in caring of archival collections. Our collection is one of the largest and most important archival collections in the world, with more than 220 shelf kilometres of paper, parchment, photographs, textiles and other materials. The long-term preservation of our collection provides unique challenges, as we are balancing the needs of the materials against demands for access and sustainability. We are looking for a highly motivated, very experienced, well respected, and creative expert to build on the success of recent years and to further develop The National Archives' preservation and operations agenda. You will leverage the existing expertise within the department, drive innovation and bring new perspectives to approaching the long-term preservation of our entire collection. Working in tandem with our Heritage Science Conservation Research, Conservation for Imaging, Conservation and Treatment Development, and Engagement teams, as well as relevant departments across the organisation, you will constantly benchmark our preservation practice against national and international standards and best practice. You will use your deep understanding of value and risk assessment, material deterioration, and data modelling to inform our approach to managing our repositories and access to our collection. You will work closely with peers around the world to find ever new and innovative solutions to our complex preservation challenges and you will expand our professional network to the benefit of the team's professional development and that of our collection. Your commitment to operating sustainably will help us to meet our ambitious sustainability targets for our site, and you and your team will effectively support all of Collection Care’s operations. A highly effective communicator, you will lead on The National Archives' approach to the long-term preservation of our physical collection, support our exhibition and public engagement agenda, provide leadership for the sector, and will push our publication output and presence at international conferences. Responsible for managing teams supporting the delivery of on-going preservation programmes and Collection Care operations, you will define priorities, manage risks, and will align our approach to preservation with The National Archives' strategic plan. As Head of Preventive Conservation and Operations you will form part of Collection Care's Senior Management team, and you will assume strong leadership in the development and delivery of key strategic initiatives for the whole department in line with current and future objectives of The National Archives. 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 in February 2026. Candidates invited for interview will be asked to prepare a presentation, and will attend a peer panel as part of the assessment process. • 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 may be able to offer sponsorship for this role. Please contact us with any questions at careers@nationalarchives.gov.uk. Job Description Role and Responsibilities Provide leadership and foresightedness to ensure the development, promotion and delivery of The National Archives' preservation approach and programme in line with the organisation's business objectives and research priorities. Proactively engage in the testing of new theories and practices based on sound evidence and data analysis to inform the strategic development of Collection Care in line with business objectives. Develop long term, internationally accepted, and evidence-based preservation strategies that will serve The National Archives and other interest groups, particularly the archives sector. Ensure the outcomes of your teams' work are published and disseminated widely to enhance our impact, reputation and our international presence. Develop, implement, and disseminate sector leading guidance and inform the organisation’s approach to accessing, transporting, and displaying our collection onsite, across the country and world-wide. Expand Collection Care's capacity through identifying and exploiting funding applications and collaboration at national and international level and work closely with the organisation's Grants Development in this area. Manage and deliver highly complex and time sensitive preservation projects in collaboration with multiple partners to ensure projects are completed on time and within budget, exploring new technological solutions wherever possible. Represent The National Archives and network with wider professional sectors to develop collaborative and peer reviewed projects in the areas of preservation and stipulate wider academic research and interest. Ensure communication on strategic issues with internal and external stakeholders to maintain the visibility, credibility and delivery of preservation at The National Archives. Provide technical and scientific expertise to inform The National Archives' strategic planning and practice. Working Conditions Normal office environment Conservation Studio and labs Display Screen Equipment user Moving items up to 10kg in weight May encounter distressing or harmful material Person Specification Post-graduate preservation, collection management, conservation, or heritage science qualification. Expert knowledge and extensive experience of preservation in a recognized capacity. Strong intellectual capacity and technical skills to engage preservation experts and scientists within and outside your own specialist field alongside high analytical skills to effectively analyse and evaluate preservation strategies. Very strong problem-solving skills and creativity to address the most complex preservation problems and to develop innovative solutions whilst exploring new technological methods. Demonstrably strong ability to develop, manage and deliver high level preservation projects and to explore unchartered territory. Very strong networking, collaboration and negotiation skills, with the ability to build strong links with senior staff at The National Archives and with university departments and the public alike. Sound judgement, critical thinking and decisiveness as well as a deep understanding of risk and value assessment to drive The National Archives' long-term preservation approach. Extensive management skills and the ability to prioritise projects relating to their wider impact and to balance competing claims for resources. Excellent communication skills both written and oral and for different audiences and a track record of peer reviewed publications and presentations at international level. Desirable: Experience of teaching and mentoring. Experience of academic and/ or scientific research. Experience with the media 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. Must be prepared to travel nationally and internationally as required, at times at short notice Occasional overnight stays will be required. Must be prepared to be available in cases of emergency 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 25 days per calendar year (rising to 26 days after 2 year’s service, 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) Selection process details 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 Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK nationals of the Republic of Ireland nationals from the EU, EEA or Switzerland with settled or pre-settled status or who apply for either status by the deadline of the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in new window) relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals working in the Civil Service relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals who have built up the right to work in the Civil Service certain family members of the relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals 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)