About the job

Job summary

About the role

The National Archives has an exciting opportunity for Document Production Advisers to join our Document Services team to work in Kew.

 

What you’ll be doing

As a Document Production Adviser, you will have the following responsibilities:

• Producing and delivering documents for readers, staff, and government departments, and ensuring their accurate return
• Organising deliveries and returns of documents held at our offsite storage facility
• Assisting in the audit process by constructing, printing, allocating and undertaking document searches
• Providing information to members of the counter team, to enable them to explain to help resolve document ordering queries for members of the public

We are specifically looking for team members to undertake the duties above but other duties that this role can do are:

• Fielding and responding to customer enquiries by phone, email and Chat
• Working on various enquiry points, dealing with ticket issuing and document production and general reading room enquiries

 

Who we’re looking for

You will need to have the following qualities and experience

Essential:

• Demonstrable experience of working in a customer facing, demand led team
• Positive attitude and willingness to learn
• Demonstrable ability to be flexible and a high level of self-motivation

Other requirements:

• Professional integrity
• Proven ability to work under pressure and meet deadlines
• Attention to detail and ability to use own initiative
• Good verbal and written communication skills
• Be an ambassador for The National Archives

 

Why work for us

Day in, day out, our teams deliver an amazing service, collectively giving advice and guidance as well as enabling access to over 11 million documents, ensuring the appropriate preservation requirements and the integrity of the documents are maintained for future generations.

We have full and part time permanent roles, and Saturday roles (with reduced responsibilities).

You will need to be physically fit as with the repository role you can walk up to 15000 steps in a day

 

Selection process – we intend to hold the assessment days on the 4 and 11 March 2024 (candidates will need to indicate which one they can attend)

• Step 1 - candidates that meet the essential criteria will be called in and receive a short tour before completing a practical exercise
• Step 2 – candidates will then participate in a group teambuilding exercise
• Step 3 – final follow up conversation with one of the hiring managers

*(we expect the process to take approx. 3-4 hours)

Job description

Full job description attached (see below).

Person specification

This role requires on site presence and is not suitable for home working.

We would particularly like to encourage applicants from backgrounds currently underrepresented in archives, including those who identify as Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender (LGBT+), from Black, Asian and minority ethnic cultural backgrounds, those who are neurodivergent, and those with hidden or visible disabilities.

How to apply:

To submit your application please click the 'Apply now' button on this page. You will be asked to write a personal statement, answering 3 questions. You may draw on knowledge, skills, abilities, experience gained from paid work, domestic responsibilities, education, leisure interests and voluntary activities. Please note selection for interview will largely be based on the information you provide in this section so please make full use of the 1250 word count.

Essential criteria:

• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
• Good attention to detail and ability to use own initiative
• Ability to work under pressure and to tight deadlines
• Experience of working in a customer facing, demand-led team
• Able to undertake physically demanding duties and the ability to demonstrate respect for Health and Safety
• High level of self-motivation and ability to work unsupervised
• Good coordinating and liaising skills

Desirable criteria:

• Proficient in the use of IT software packages such as MS Word, Excel and Access

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £24,560, The National Archives contributes £6,631 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

Things you need to know

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 “Assistance required” section in the “Additional requirements” page 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 undergo a criminal record check. Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check (opens in a new window).

See our vetting charter (opens in a new window). People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

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 a new window)

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code (opens in a 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 a 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.