Accessions Officer

As the living, growing home of our national story, The National Archives is a special place to work. We're an institution nearly 200 years old with a collection spanning 1,000 years of history. We've 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.

The National Archives collects and secures the Government record both current and future, preserving it for the Nation and making it accessible. Our collection spans almost 1000 years and is one of the largest in the world, containing over 11 million historical records from medieval parchment to modern papers, digital files, datasets, websites, tweets, and computer code.

As an Accessions Officer, you'll make government records publicly available, at the right time and in the right way and ensure that our collection continues to grow, making government records from the recent past available and accessible to our diverse audience. Working closely with colleagues from across the organisation, you'll play a key role in enabling the release of records from major government departments, including the Cabinet Office, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, and the Ministry of Defence, while ensuring that the physical records themselves are preserved for future generations. This is an opportunity to contribute directly to safeguarding the nation's documentary heritage and supporting public access to historically significant material.

We are seeking individuals with exceptional attention to detail, strong interpersonal skills, and a commitment to delivering a high quality professional service within the public sector. As part of our Accessions Team, you will work alongside experienced colleagues to manage the final stages of the records transfer process once material has been delivered by Public Record Bodies. This work plays a vital role in supporting these organisations to meet their statutory responsibilities under the Public Records Act 1958 and the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act 2010, offering the opportunity to contribute directly to the preservation and accessibility of the nation's public record.

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.

SC clearance/willingness to obtain SC clearance will be required for this role. This requires candidates to have been resident in the UK for at least the past three years. Please do not apply if you have been resident in the UK for less than three years as your application will be rejected.

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.

We are unable to offer sponsorship for this role.

The Accessions Team sits within the Government Services, Strategy and Engagement Department, under the Government and Archives Leadership Directorate. The team is primarily responsible for administering the final stages of the records transfer process following the delivery of material from Public Record Bodies.