About the job

Job summary

The National Archives (TNA) is looking for an enthusiastic and experienced grant / research manager to identify and secure opportunities for grant-funded projects, partnerships and fellowships. Working with the Head of Grant Development and colleagues across TNA, the Grant Development Manager will play a critical role in supporting TNA’s Research Vision and its grant fundraising, consolidating and expanding our grant-winning capability.

They will explore, negotiate, and manage proposals that enhance and develop TNA’s strategic vision, advising project teams and enabling projects, collaborations and partnerships through application preparation and good grant management. With a proven record in securing funding from a range of sources (e.g. UKRI, the National Lottery Heritage Fund, or overseas), they will represent TNA nationally and internationally in our relationships with current and prospective grant funders.

The postholder will be responsible for multiple applications at one time, working with colleagues across TNA in varied disciplines and business areas. We are a UKRI-accredited Independent Research Organisation, and the majority of our grant proposals are for our research, however we also have a strong and growing portfolio of applications and projects in progress for digitisation, capital infrastructure, public engagement and learning. For public engagement and educational projects, the postholder will work closely with The National Archives Trust, an independent charity with whom we work closely on proposals that promote knowledge and enjoyment of the nation’s archives to the widest possible audience.

As well as providing advice to project teams and managing proposals through our pre-award processes, the postholder will have the opportunity to refresh our research training programme, working with colleagues across the department and wider organisation to deliver a staff development programme that enhances the capability of our staff to become independent researchers and grant-winners.

Job description

Full job description attached (see below).

Person specification

About us:

The National Archives (TNA) is the official archive of the UK government and for England and Wales, making available to the public a vast collection of historical records dating back over 1,000 years. As an Independent Research Organisation (IRO), multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary research into all aspects of our collections and activities is at the heart of what we do.

The Grant Development team is part of our Research, Grants and Academic Engagement department, the central locus for TNA’s:

1. Research strategy and delivery
2. Research impact, culture and engagement across TNA, the IRO community, HEIs and the archives sector
3. Grant fundraising, including in our capacity as an Independent Research Organisation
4. Management and assurance of external funding
5. Grant-making to the archives sector

The postholder will work as a key member of this new, growing and vibrant department of around 20 people.

TNA has a strong track record of securing funding from research councils, particularly from the Arts and Humanities Research Council. In 2023-24, we were awarded total funding of £4.5m, and our year-on-year grant income grew by 60%. It is a business priority to grow our funding portfolio, and we have increasing ambition towards other research councils, including particularly in digital research and computer science, and also want to reach a wider breadth of funders both nationally and internationally, with partners in other GLAM organisations and with the digital and creative industries. Our new Research Vision for 2024 - 2027 will be published in the summer of 2024.

Within the beautiful surroundings of Kew, a 10-minute walk from the Underground and Overground stations, TNA boasts a collegial working environment and an excellent Civil Service benefits package. This includes flexible working, an on-site gym, wellbeing resources and an opportunity to join the Civil Service Alpha Pension Scheme. Putting people at the forefront of our organisation, we are committed to supporting professional development and training for all our colleagues.

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 – our expectation is that 60% of our staff time is spent in the office or working offsite (e.g. on visits), with 40% being from home. Applicants should be able to regularly travel to our Kew site.

How to apply:

If you are an internal applicant: please do not use the link on this page. Please apply via your employee Workday account.

If you are an external applicant: to submit your application please click the 'Apply at advertiser's site' button on this page.

You will be asked to provide details of your work experience and write a personal statement. In your personal statement please explain, using examples, how you meet the essential criteria given below. 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.

Essential Criteria:

1. Graduate-level education or equivalent, with a demonstrable interest in enabling research and grant-winning.
2. Demonstrate experience in project planning, with appreciation of the complexities of budgeting, risk management and knowledge management.
3. Significant experience in pre-award grant management, with a record of providing advice and guidance for academic or heritage funding applications, for example to UKRI.
4. Demonstrable experience of funding application preparation and submissions processes, co-ordination, and success in securing funding.
5. Broad understanding of research practice, culture, policy and funding trends.
6. Excellent co-ordination and interpersonal skills, able to build effective collaborative relationships and networks, and to negotiate and manage challenge with clarity and diplomacy.
7. Demonstrable written and verbal communication skills, capable of presenting to a range of audiences, including at senior levels.
8. Ability to prioritise work, to work independently and exercise judgement on meeting multiple deadlines, and to work well as part of an agile and busy team.

Desirable Criteria:

1. Experience of, or demonstrable interest in, working in or with cultural heritage.
2. Familiarity with UK research funding, UKRI and Full Economic Costing.
3. Training in grants management, for example from the Association of Research Managers and Administrators. 

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £36,515, The National Archives contributes £9,859 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. 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.