About the job

Job summary

The National Archives is looking for an enthusiastic and experienced Sector Development and Engagement Manager to lead a programme of training, skills-building and knowledge-sharing as part of our Archives Revealed funding programme.

Archives Revealed is the only dedicated national funding scheme for the cataloguing and unlocking of archival collections. The programme awards grants to archive services and those with archive collections throughout the United Kingdom, to scope and catalogue their collections for the purposes of making them accessible to the public for research and enjoyment. Since 2006, Archives Revealed has been delivered by a partnership of funders which includes the Pilgrim Trust, the Wolfson Foundation, and The National Archives. In 2024, the programme welcomed The National Lottery Heritage Fund as a new core partner, and the programme will award over £5 million of funding to archives over the next three years (2024-27).

The Sector Development and Engagement Manager will be responsible for the design and delivery of a work package focused on knowledge-sharing, skills training, mentoring and cohort working, among our grantees and the wider archives sector, funded by the programme. They will lead on the provision of support to grantees, building skills and supporting the archives sector in creating impactful projects that engage archive users and the communities of which archive services are part. The postholder will also be responsible for the provision of support to archives and heritage organisations throughout the United Kingdom, working closely with networks, professional organisations and funding partners to ensure that potential applicants and grantees are supported to deliver high-quality proposals and projects. The role will involve extensive liaison with archives and archives throughout England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

We have made a substantial investment in our Research, Grants and Academic Engagement department, which is charged with delivering impactful grant-making to support The National Archives’ leadership of the archives sector. It is an exciting moment to join the team, with a number of new roles being advertised this summer, and with the National Lottery Heritage Fund’s investment enabling us to deliver over five times more funding to the sector in 2024-27 than was possible in 2020-23.

As the Sector Development Manager leading the delivery of Archives Revealed’s training, skills and sector development provision, you will be a key team member as we widen our relationship with the archive sector and continue to support engagement with significant collections across the United Kingdom.

Job description

Full job description attached (see below).

Person specification

About Us

The National Archives 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. We are also the sector leadership body for archives in England.

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

The role is a fixed-term contract until 31 March 2029, based either at The National Archives’ building in Kew, London, or regionally in another part of the United Kingdom on a home-working contract. Requests for part-time working, flexible working and job shares will be considered, taking into account at all times the operational needs of The National Archives.

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:

• Experience of sector development in the archives or a related cultural heritage sector, through investment, skills-building and/or knowledge-sharing.
• Specialist knowledge of key development areas for the archives sector, in particular in public engagement, inclusion and participation; or willingness to develop such knowledge.
• Excellent verbal communication and presentational skills, including the ability to advocate and engage effectively e.g. in delivering training; and proven written communications, including the ability to produce high-calibre speeches, reports and presentations, mindful of the impact on the intended audience.
• Demonstrable understanding of the impact of decision-making and ability to negotiate and influence effectively at a senior level.
• Strong relationship-building skills, with individuals and organisations.
• Ability to work independently, while having a strong team work ethic in sharing skills and ideas. Sound judgement in choosing when to operate on own authority and when to refer matters to line manager, head of department or director.
• Track record of managing a demanding workload and prioritising effectively to achieve maximum impact.
• Experience of, or demonstrable interest in, working in or with cultural heritage and cultural heritage stakeholders to develop skills and capacity.

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.