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.

Application Process:

• Interviews will be held on-site, from w/c 31st August at the earliest.
• We ask all applicants to submit work history details and a personal statement of up to 750 words, ideally around 250 words per criteria.

Selection for interview will be based on the three ‘essential’ requirements:

• Ability to work flexibly and constructively as part of a busy team delivering against demanding targets.
• Meticulous attention to detail.
• Work to timescales to meet tight targets.

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, applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action.

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. Accessions Officers play a key role in the accessioning of records into The National Archives’ collection by ensuring that records are correctly prepared for permanent preservation and enabling their allocation to the appropriate areas within The National Archives’ repositories.

This role supports Public Record Bodies in fulfilling their statutory obligations under the Public Records Act 1958 and the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act 2010. Under these Acts, Public Record Bodies are required to transfer public records to The National Archives after twenty years, unless specific exemptions are applied for and approved.

Alongside supporting the records transfer process, the Accessions Team also provides support to the FOI Centre and the Access Team by ensuring that records are accurately processed and prepared in accordance with their access conditions. The role demands exceptional attention to detail and strong interpersonal skills, particularly when working with colleagues across the Government and Archives Leadership Directorate, and the wider organisation. The post holder will be responsible for processing records to tight deadlines, including maintaining accurate data within relevant IT systems, to support the facilitation of public access to selected records.

In addition to working at the site at Kew, the post holder may also be required to work at the premises of other government departments and agencies and be involved in training where needed.

Role and Responsibilities:

• Assist in the transfer of records from Public Record Bodies and/or their third-party suppliers to The National Archives. This includes checking document packing and preparation, reconciling material with accompanying documentation, working within agreed timelines, and maintaining accurate records of all work completed.
• Process material and allocate it to the correct storage location according to its access status, including moving material to and from secure storage.
• Maintain accurate statistics and data relating to The National Archive holdings and transfers.
• Liaise with colleagues across The National Archives to help ensure business targets are achieved.
• Support wider operations by helping maintain the integrity of the collection, for example through redaction work and detailed itemisation of files.
• Contribute to improving and streamlining the records transfer process.
• Provide advice and guidance to The National Archives staff, Public Record Bodies and/or their third-party suppliers in the correct preparation of documents for transfer.
• Assist in delivering training sessions to staff in Public Record Bodies and/or their third-party suppliers.
• Be prepared to assist colleagues across the Government Services, Strategy and Engagement Department as workloads dictate.

Working Conditions:

• Normal office environment
• Display Screen Equipment user
• Moving items up to 10kg in weight
• May come into contact with distressing material

Person Specification:

• Demonstrable ability to provide a customer focused service to the public and other government departments.
• Ability to work flexibly and constructively as part of a busy team delivering against demanding targets.
• Meticulous attention to detail.
• Good communicating and influencing skills.
• Good IT literacy, in particular MS Office.
• Ability to provide training to small groups on standard procedures.
• Work to timescales to meet tight targets.

Other Requirements:

A combination of onsite and home working is available, and applicants should be able to regularly travel to our Kew site.

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found.

Benefits:

• Generous benefits package, including pension, sports and social club facilities, onsite gym, discounted rates at our on-site cafe and opportunities for training and development.
• Annual leave entitlement of 22 days per calendar year (rising to 25 after the first year, and incrementally to 30 days after six years) and 10½ days public and privilege holidays per annum.

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.

Security: Successful candidates must pass a disclosure and barring security check.

Nationality requirements: This job is broadly open to UK nationals, nationals of the Republic of Ireland, nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK, and nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein.

Contact point for applicants: Name: The National Archives Recruitment Team Email: careers@nationalarchives.gov.uk