About the job

Job summary

The Head of International & External Affairs is The National Archives’ senior liaison for our international work and leads the International & External Affairs function within CEO’s Office. They ensure that our key international and strategically important external relationships are maintained and developed and that The National Archives is connected at the right levels and in the right forums to advance its strategic vision, Archives for Everyone.

Working closely with the Chief Executive and Keeper and other senior leaders, they play the key role in ensuring that The National Archives systematically identifies, explores and exploits opportunities to advance its strategic goals around international working and global leadership, within the context of wider Government strategies for cultural diplomacy and ‘soft power’.

The Head of International & External Affairs coordinates work, across the organisation and externally, to position The National Archives as an influential leader and partner in the international and intergovernmental arena. As the first and subsequently coordinating point of contact for many of our most important and very senior stakeholders (including but not limited to national archivists, executive-level officials of international bodies, overseas dignitaries and other VIPs) they act as an ambassador for The National Archives, building a network of advocates for its work and ensuring that The National Archives makes and maintains the relationships it needs to fulfil its potential as a 21st Century national archive.

The Head of International & External Affairs has line-management responsibility for the Strategic Relations Coordinator (and as appointed any other members of the International & External Affairs team) and matrix-management responsibility for other members of The National Archives’ staff engaged in delivering key projects and events led from the International & External Affairs function.

Job description

Full job description attached (see below).

Person specification

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.

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:

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 each of 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. Ideally your personal statement will be about 1000 words.

At interview stage, candidates will be asked questions against the essential criteria, and will be asked to deliver a presentation, details of which will be shared with candidates invited to interview.

Essential criteria:

• Significant experience, with demonstrable impact at a senior level, of international engagement on behalf of a cultural, heritage or similar body
• A proven ability to conceive, plan and deliver stakeholder-focused events and other projects that enhance corporate reputation and further strategic objectives
• Exceptional relationship management skills with the proven ability to build and maintain positive networks and collaborative relationships with strategically-vital senior-level stakeholders, acting as an ambassador for The National Archives in key forums
• Strong analytic and research skills allied to a demonstrable track-record as a strategic thinker, with the capacity to ‘see the big picture’ and translate insight and analysis into action
• Excellent judgement and decision-making, with a proven ability to think quickly to evaluate options and decide on the best course of action
• Exceptional and demonstrable organisational skills with a proven ability to operate effectively in roles with a very high degree of autonomy, using initiative to solve problems and broker solutions
• Strong leadership and management skills, with significant experience in managing and motivating people to deliver successful outcomes
• Proven verbal and written communication, influencing and engagement skills, gained through significant interaction with senior-level internal and external audiences

Desirable criteria:

• Knowledge of The National Archives’ history and collections
• An understanding of the remit and external context for the work of The National Archives

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £48,108, The National Archives contributes £12,989 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.