Hybrid Staff Reading Room Business Liaison Manager bei The National Archives

Job Overview

Salary: £32,721 per annum
Contract type: Permanent
Band: E / Higher Executive Officer
Closing date: Sunday 10th August 2025

About Us:

The Document Services Department (DSD) is responsible for the storage and production of The National Archives (TNA) collection and is the first point of contact for users and visitors to the archives. The collection currently exceeds 17 million documents and expands each year.

About the Role:

Leading as part of the Staff Reading Room team the post holder will oversee and control the day-to-day management of document movement and requests from The National Archives (TNA) research and cataloguing personnel and associated licensing partners.

The post holder will liaise with internal and external stakeholders and negotiate digitising contracts relating to document handling, storage and audit control while representing The National Archives' key corporate business objectives and operational goals. They will take a full role in the development of document handling and preservation requirements and ensure compliance with PD 5454:2012 ‘Guide for the storage and exhibition of archival materials’, provide advice on record storage logistics and co-ordinate the movement and handling of documents by 3rd parties.

The Staff Reading Room and Business Liaison Manager is responsible for the Staff Reading Room (SRR); managing and co-ordinating SRR access to original records to ensure The National Archives' personnel and business partners comply with mandatory document handling and preservation requirements.


About You:

We are looking for a Staff Reading Room and Business Liaison Manager to oversee the operation of our Staff Reading Room team; line managing two members of staff. The successful applicant will have proven management experience in a demand-led customer service environment.

As a custodian of over 1000 years of iconic national documents, this person will be highly motivated, with the ability to stay calm under pressure and have experience of delivering to a deadline. They will also be a team player with the ability to adapt their approach and working style to different stakeholders and situations.

Working collaboratively with other departments and commercial partners they will be operating in a busy environment to deliver vital access to our records in support of The National Archives’ research and commercial activities.

If this sounds like you, join us here in beautiful Kew, just 10 minutes’ walk from the Overground and Underground stations. Staff can expect a range of benefits including a Civil Service Pension, discounts at local businesses, wellbeing resources and we also have an on-site gym, restaurant and staff bar. 

This is an onsite role with a standard working pattern of Monday to Friday, plus overtime on every third Saturday. The post holder will be required to work on the late shift pattern (10:50am-7pm) on Tuesdays and Thursdays on a rota basis, and will be required to visit our offsite storage facility occasionally with an overnight stay.

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.

Application Process:

Interview: Interviews will be held on-site, week commencing 18th August 2025.

Personal Statement: We ask all applicants to submit work history details and a personal statement, not exceeding 1200 words.

Selection for interview will be based on the ‘essential’ requirements in the job description so please ensure that your statement demonstrates in detail how you meet these requirements.

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.

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

We are unable to offer sponsorship for this role.

Job Description

Role and Responsibilities

Management

• To oversee the production of series identified for digitising and work with the Commercial Department in regards to workflow.
• To liaise with licensing partners; providing analytical data on the movement of collections and determine solutions in order to maintain/protect TNA interests and reputation throughout the digitisation process.
• To manage and monitor the daily operations of the DSD repositories and public production service as required.
• To generate and interpret management information from production statistics on digitisation projects to monitor and deliver efficiency measures relating to rescanned/repeat productions.
• To be part of and actively contribute to the DSD senior management team, working closely with senior managers within The National Archives.
• To monitor and review the performance of staff using TNA Performance Management System, addressing poor performance, poor attendance and disciplinary matters in accordance with TNA policies.
• To organise appropriate training for DSD and to promote the continuous development of staff.

Communication Skills

• To co-ordinate and facilitate large public group visit (tour) requests, acting as point of contact throughout the process.
• To draft and review policies and procedures for DSD and put in place controls to ensure best practice when handling original documents in line with the SRR training programme.
• To negotiate with external clients to maintain customer service levels and respond to changing needs while representing TNA interests.
• To liaise with colleagues from other TNA departments and external stakeholders to trace documents, assist with queries and provide solutions to resolve associated problems.
• To provide analytical data reports for the Government and Remote Services manager as required ensuring the safekeeping of documents as necessary.
• To represent your section at management meetings and provide reports and data as requested by senior management.
• To manage the challenge of shared information, and to establish credibility by demonstrating an understanding of the needs of internal and external customers

Expert Knowledge

• To maintain specialist knowledge of the operational needs of the archives and best practice standards (PD5454) for storing and transporting records.
• To be fully compliant with statutory Health and Safety legislation.
• To develop a wide knowledge of DSD dedicated document ordering and audit trail system (DORIS) and Discovery, our catalogue.
• To provide input to complex and detailed corporate FOI enquiries relating to DSD matters within the agreed timescales.

General

• To monitor the procedures relating to records produced to staff and licensing partners, and where necessary promote and review controls over the storage, production, handling and preservation of the records.
• To undertake regular inspections of TNA off-site storage facility to monitor, report on contractual matters and report findings.
• To ensure that mandatory document handling standards are maintained and the annual training requirements are fulfilled.

Working Conditions

• Full time (Mon-Fri), plus overtime on one Saturday in three. To include Tuesday/Thursday working on the 10:50-19:02 roster every six weeks. 
• Display Screen Equipment user 
• Moving items up to 10kg in weight
• May come into contact with distressing material. 

Person Specification

Essential:

• Proven management experience in a demand led customer service environment working to stringent targets and deadlines.
•  Excellent interpersonal and negotiation skills; the ability to communicate effectively at all levels within the organisation and with a range of external stakeholders.
•  Ability to get to the root cause of a problem using strong problem-solving skills, analytical data methodologies and knowledge of external customer information.
•  Strong organisational and influencing skills; ability to organise and influence stakeholders to work effectively to very tight deadlines; with the ability to work effectively under pressure, responding to a demand led service
•  Excellent written and verbal communications
•  Ability to explain complex issues/ideas logically and clearly to staff and peers
•  Ability to adapt approach and working style to different people and situations, both internally and externally

Desirable:

• A good understanding of the UK public record system
• Previous experience of logistic systems
• Strong IT skills including Access and other Office applications

Other Requirements

• This role requires onsite working at our Kew site and occasional overnight stays for offsite visits.

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is
found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan and the Civil Service
D&I Strategy.

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.

 

Any move to The National Archives from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax-Free Childcare. Determine your eligibility at  https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk/ (opens in new window)

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 [email protected] as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs 

• Complete the ‘Reasonable Adjustments’ section 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

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Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.  

 

Security 

 

Successful candidates must pass a disclosure and barring security check. 

People working with government assets must complete basic personnel security standard checks (opens in new window)

 

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 new window)

 

Working for the Civil Service

 

The Civil Service Code  (opens in 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 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. 

 

This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans initiative. (opens in new window)

 

Contact point for applicants:

• Name: The National Archives Recruitment Team 

• Email: [email protected] 

 

Further information 

 

If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment Principles and you wish to make a complaint, in the first instance, you should contact The National Archives via email: [email protected] If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from the Department, you can contact the Civil Service Commission at https://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk/recruitment/recruitment-complaints/ (opens in new window)

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