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: £57,303 Contract Type: Permanent Grade: G / Grade 7 Closing Date: 15th April 2026 at midnight About Us The National Archives (TNA) is the official archive of the UK government and one of the world’s leading centres for historical, digital and cultural knowledge. Based in Kew, it preserves and provides access to over 11 million records spanning more than 1,000 years of national history – from Domesday Book to modern digital government files. As a non-ministerial department, it plays a vital role in democracy, transparency, and the preservation of national memory. TNA delivers high impact services across five core areas: Public engagement, including reading rooms, exhibitions, education programmes and nationwide outreach that open history to everyone. Government services, advising departments on records management, digital preservation, and transparency, while operating key platforms such as: Legislation.gov.uk Find Case Law (court and tribunal judgements) Public Enquiries UK Government Web Archive. Research and academic support, acting as an Independent Research Organisation and collaborating with universities on archival science, digital preservation, data analysis, and historical research. Digital services, providing global online access to over 9 million digitised records through platforms like Discovery, digitisation programmes, and a cloud based digital preservation system. Commercial and specialist services, including licensing, publishing, consultancy, conservation expertise and partnerships that extend the impact of the national collection. A recognised leader in innovation, TNA is pioneering the use of artificial intelligence in areas such as digital appraisal, sensitivity review, handwritten text recognition, named entity recognition and visual search – all aimed at improving access, efficiency and public value. Its vision is to build a “living, digital archive” for the future, combining traditional archival expertise with cutting edge technology. Working at The National Archives means joining a purpose driven organisation where heritage, technology and public service meet. Staff contribute to safeguarding the nation’s story while shaping new ways for people to discover and use it. It is an inclusive, forward thinking environment offering opportunities to innovate, collaborate with experts across disciplines, and make a lasting difference to how society understands its past and prepares for its future. The Infrastructure team resides within the innovative and progressive Digital and Technology Directorate and is embedded in a major and exciting three year legacy displacement programme. The directorate is a welcoming group of over 100 multidisciplinary professionals, all focused on building, delivering and supporting secure, modern and efficient digital and technology services. This role leads the infrastructure team with responsibility for the design, implementation, administration and support of infrastructure and digital solutions and services and the effective deployment of resources. About the Role We are looking for an accomplished Digital and Technology Infrastructure Services Manager to join us and lead a team of engineers and their workload. You'll mentor, coach and help develop the team as well as work-load manage business as usual with projects. This is a great opportunity for you to apply your broad skills across a range of systems and services and to provide technical leadership, working collaboratively with key stakeholders and external parties in supporting and working closely with Digital and Technology teams, security advisors and senior management to provide solutions design, expertise and assurance to projects and programmes. You will help develop and maintain Digital and Technology infrastructure and platform policies and procedures, and work with senior management to develop the cyber security strategy. SC-level Security Clearance or willingness to obtain SC clearance is mandatory for this role and requires that you have lived in the UK for the last 3 years. The length of required residency may depend on individual circumstances. About You We are looking for a self-motivated and enthusiastic senior manager who will play a major role in the delivery of Digital and Technology services, from legacy system improvements / replacements through to digital and IT transformation. You will work closely with the various Digital teams and the Cyber Security team to design, create and improve new and existing products and services and you will work with business users, delivery teams and suppliers to identify and resolve issues and user needs. You must have very good, broad experience and knowledge of working in a Digital and Technology support environment using a variety of tools to support the management and delivery of production services. You should have experience across all IT service delivery activities including service management, incident management, change management, release management, configuration management, continual service improvement and customer satisfaction as well as playing a role in ensuring the highest levels of operational service delivery. A key part of this role is core infrastructure lifecycle management, ensuring clear and effective roadmaps and taking responsibility for their upgrades or replacements as required. Aligned with this is working with partners to help deliver the service and contract management of these third parties, including support and maintenance contract renewals. The role incorporates budget responsibility for the infrastructure and associated services, working alongside Finance and Procurement colleagues on renewals and supplier performance management. In addition to the activities outlined above, you must have people management experience to lead a team of infrastructure engineers, delivering a range of IT services. Benefits • You will be based in a beautiful setting by the River Thames in Kew with staff parking and good transport links. • An opportunity to work a hybrid working pattern • A comprehensive benefits scheme including a generous Civil Service pension, a subsidised on-site coffee shop and restaurant, season ticket loans, on-site gym and clubs. • 25 days leave rising incrementally to 30 days after six years (plus 10.5 days public and privilege holidays each year) • Excellent training and development opportunities tailored to your role and an agreed development plan. • Influencing the strategic objectives and the opportunity to define, design and implement improvements. • An opportunity to use or learn a wide range of skills. 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: Interviews: Interviews will be held onsite, no earlier than week commencing 4th May Applications: You will be asked to provide answers to 5 questions relating to the key requirements for the role, and to provide your work history. 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 The IT Infrastructure Services Lead is responsible for leading and developing the organisation’s IT infrastructure services, ensuring they are secure, resilient, cost‑effective and aligned to business needs. The role combines people leadership, service ownership, workload planning and prioritisation and technical assurance, spanning both established on‑premise environments and modern cloud‑based platforms. The post holder ensures operational readiness, leads infrastructure change and improvement, and provides expert input to projects, programmes and business‑as‑usual activity. This role acts as a key interface between IT Operations, Digital teams, Security, suppliers and senior stakeholders, translating organisational priorities into clear infrastructure roadmaps and deliverable outcomes. Key Responsibilities Service Leadership & Operations Lead and manage IT infrastructure services, acting as the senior escalation point for significant incidents, problems and changes. Ensure infrastructure services are operationally stable, secure and supportable, with appropriate monitoring, reporting and continuous improvement. Balance day‑to‑day operational needs with longer‑term planning and service evolution. Technical Strategy & Assurance Lead the design, implementation and lifecycle management of infrastructure technologies and strategy, including: Compute, storage and networking Physical and virtualised platforms Cloud services (IaaS, PaaS and SaaS) Commercial off‑the‑shelf (COTS) and open‑source solutions Provide technical leadership and assurance, ensuring solutions align with organisational standards, security requirements and industry best practice. Own and maintain infrastructure technology roadmaps, reflecting both legacy platforms and future cloud‑based services. Own and maintain all relevant support and maintenance contracts including renewals and licensing for all IT services and systems – liaising with and leading Procurement and Finance colleagues regarding IT Infrastructure budgets, renewals and tendering processes. Change, Projects & Improvement Lead infrastructure input into projects and programmes, influencing design decisions and ensuring non‑functional requirements (availability, resilience, security, performance) are met. Take a lead role in the implementation of infrastructure change, ensuring appropriate governance, change control and stakeholder engagement. Identify and progress opportunities for service improvement, simplification and modernisation, working closely with architects and delivery teams. People Management & Capability Line manage and develop a team of infrastructure engineers, providing: Clear direction and priorities Performance management and coaching Support for skills development and modern ways of working Create an environment where teams can adapt to changing priorities, new technologies and evolving service models. Security, Risk & Assurance Work closely with the Cyber Security team and individuals to ensure infrastructure services comply with security policies and controls. Support and coordinate internal and external audits, addressing findings and reducing risk. Contribute to business continuity and disaster recovery planning, including engagement with suppliers and stakeholders. Supplier & Stakeholder Management Lead engagement with external suppliers, ensuring services deliver value, resilience and contractual compliance. Act as a trusted infrastructure advisor to internal stakeholders, influencing and persuading to align with organisational needs. Represent IT Operations on infrastructure matters with internal and external partners. Corporate Contribution Manage workload, priorities and budgets to ensure delivery against agreed plans. Be available for scheduled releases or major changes where required. Deputise for the Head of IT as appropriate. Undertake other duties consistent with the role. Person Specification Essential Criteria: Significant experience leading and assuring IT infrastructure services across on‑premise and cloud environments Strong understanding of information security principles and controls Proven experience of line management and developing technical teams Ability to influence, negotiate and make decisions with confidence Strong communication skills, able to engage senior stakeholders, technical specialists and suppliers Analytical and problem‑solving capability, with sound judgement in complex situations Desirable Criteria: Relevant professional certifications (e.g. Microsoft, HPE, Cisco) IT‑related degree or equivalent experience Experience of cloud migration and service transformation, including Microsoft 365, Azure and AWS Other Requirements A combination of onsite and home working is currently available. Applicants must be able to work from our Kew site at least 60% of their time, possibly more when new to the role SC clearance is required for this role. This requires candidates to have been resident in the UK for at least the past three years. 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)