As the living, growing home of our national story, The National Archives is already a special place to work. We’re an institution nearly 200 years old with a collection spanning 1,000 years of history. But it’s where we go next that makes things really interesting. In our strategic vision: Archives for Everyone, we 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. Job Overview Contract: Permanent Salary: £55,000 Grade: F/ Senior Executive Officer Closing date: 7th February 2025 at midnight Archives are special. As a home of our collective memory, The National Archives (TNA) plays a unique role. We hold records of events of national and international importance as well as documents that speak to our everyday lives, over the last one thousand years. Our web archives are unparalleled in their quality and richness and provide a unique source of evidence of our contemporary government and state. We’re looking for an enthusiastic and skilled Specialist Infrastructure Engineer to influence, shape and grow our web archiving capability. Web archives are challenging and endlessly fascinating. The scale of the collection, the variety of user needs, and the complexity of the data makes it a challenge like no other. This role is fundamental to our mission in improving our collecting, securing our collections, and driving exciting improvements forward. Person specification As The National Archives’ Web Archiving Specialist Infrastructure Engineer, you will bring your expertise and in-depth knowledge to develop and shape our web archiving services, and therefore be a key influencer on how to grow our capability in an open and collaborative environment. We work with suppliers who deliver us many technical services, but we find ourselves at an exciting point of expansion as we increase our capability in house. You will apply your skills and judgement to ensure that our supplier is meeting our technical requirements, set out and implement our internal technical direction, and provide technical assurance in the development of our services. You will embrace challenge and look for opportunities to do things differently. You will help strengthen our agile culture within the team and across the organisation. This includes engaging with experts within The National Archives as well as with external organisations across the digital preservation community and other government departments, by sharing your knowledge with others and raising the profile of our work. You will be passionate about technology and thrive in an environment which values and supports continuous learning and self-development. This is a full-time post. However, TNA are open to requests for part-time working, flexible working and job sharing. 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. How to apply To submit your application please click the 'Apply now' button on this page. You will be asked to upload a CV and enter a supporting statement. In your statement we'd like you to explain how you meet the essential criteria below and what you believe you will bring to the role. Please do not exceed 1200 words. Essential criteria: • Degree level qualification in computing or equivalent level of practical experience with proficiency in a wide range of specialist computing and web technologies, for example JSON and XML, programming languages, particularly Python and database technologies, particularly SQL. • A firm understanding of, and practical experience in, handling data and metadata for the preservation, description, management, and use of digital objects or records to be applied across the organisation. • Experience in delivery of digital services and/or projects, both individually and through collaboration with suppliers, including demonstrable experience in database design, development and management with Agile principles used. • Experience in acting as a point of specialist guidance and applying best practice in security of digital services, including cybersecurity. • Demonstrable ability to effectively manage own workload using available resources, work to tight deadlines, monitor progress, managing competing priorities and changing demands. • A good record of ensuring adherence to agreed quality standards and delivery dates. • Clear, confident, and articulate written and verbal communication skills. • Good interpersonal skills, with the ability to build strong relationships within team and with those in other teams, including with external suppliers. The selection process will consist of: • An application sift process • Short screening telephone interview • Second stage face-to-face interview, including a presentation/task (details of which will be advised to selected candidates) Job Description Job Purpose The National Archives delivers three high-quality web archive services: the UK Government Web Archive (UKGWA), the UK Parliament Web Archive and the EU Exit Web Archive (EEWA). These services provide a crucial national role in preserving and providing access to information published online. Our web archives are our largest digital collections. Each month they grow in volume by many terabytes, which is tens of millions of resources, and serves a substantial number of users online. We are committed to continual improvement to the services in line with Agile principles. There are numerous exciting ways in which we will continue to contribute to delivering The National Archives’ Digital Strategy and Archives for Everyone. The quality and coverage of our web and social media archives is important as it is through them that we preserve the nation’s online heritage and create a compelling record of our age. We dedicate a great deal of effort to this by developing and refining our capture and quality assurance practice to ensure we meet these ambitious standards: this is especially true in the case of the services we provide to public inquiries and other short-term bodies. We must also ensure that we preserve the large volumes of data we acquire, while also making sure that we understand it and help our users access it. Our services are almost entirely cloud-based, which offers us significant benefits in terms of scalability, flexibility, and security. With approximately 550TB of data and several services running in our cloud accounts, Amazon Web Services (AWS), robust design, implementation, management, and monitoring is crucial. This exciting and varied role will provide a wide range of technical expertise and ownership in the web archiving team. This includes the vital work of adapting, implementing, and maintaining the best possible approach for transferring data from our suppliers to infrastructure to The National Archives for permanent preservation. It will also provide in-house technical design, implementation, and support for the web archiving team and for our services. Much of our work is time-sensitive, making anticipation and early detection of problems crucial to avoid the loss of invaluable records in our collection. This role not only safeguards our nation's historical and cultural heritage but also aligns with our long-term goals of preserving and providing access to these records now, and for future generations. The successful applicant will also act as technical lead on initiatives to provide services to users wishing to conduct research into our collections. Role and Responsibilities Design, implement and manage the web archiving team’s services and processes, ensuring that they are consistent with best practice and meet our needs, improving these through regular iteration. Define, implement, and lead on a robust approach for transferring web archive, social media, and ancillary data from our suppliers to The National Archives, ensuring that all data and metadata is valid, complete, and accurate, meeting all agreed standards. Success in this requires application of sound technical knowledge, problem-solving and other skills, across a broad range of technical areas. The large volumes of data involved add to this challenge. In collaboration with suppliers and colleagues, ensure that the best security and cybersecurity practice is followed so that the integrity of all our data and services is assured. Convey knowledge and experience to benefit others and continually improve our security posture. Monitor progress against plans and budgets and redeploy resources to meet changing demands. Be responsible for developing, maintaining, and managing the AWS accounts used by the Web Archiving team, which include a mixture of storage and compute services. This will also involve deploying new services, when required. Ensure that AWS and other services perform as required and meet best practice guidelines (security, efficiency, value for money etc.), monitoring costs again budgets and raising with Head of Department as required. Keep up to date with technical advances, developing own expertise and sharing knowledge within the web archiving team, with colleagues and contacts in other organisations, where appropriate. This information is complex and influence is required to leverage technical expertise to deliver the best outcomes, including quality and efficiently, through cost and resource control, particularly in the cloud. Provide technical support for the Web Archiving team. This includes writing new code, adapting existing scripts (mostly Python), and researching and developing new tools to solve emerging challenging with web archiving and quality assurance processes. Ensure that issues are resolved in a timely manner and escalated where needed. Use keen problem-solving abilities to research and resolve emerging issues, many of which will be novel. Follow ideas through to implementation, support, and continuous improvement. These resolutions will contribute to the objectives of both the Web Archiving team and those of The National Archives, making a tangible impact on our mission to address our digital challenges. Provide ongoing in-team technical ownership of our Web Archiving Management (WAM) Database, a PostgreSQL database hosted in our AWS environment. Collaborating with our supplier and with the web archiving team, ensure that the system continues to develop to meet the needs of the team as we evolve our services. Develop, maintain, and own the technical roadmap for our web archiving services, in collaboration with members of the team. Using persuading and influencing skills to hold our suppliers to account on technical matters and, through collaboration with other members of the team, ensuring that they deliver on time and to specification. Build and maintain a deep understanding of the needs of researchers wishing to use the content of the web archive. This will include developing a working knowledge of the WARC file format and the libraries of analytical tools available. Implement recommendations from existing research conducted into what users need: for example by developing tools to produce summary/derivative data from the archive, and scope and conduct research, development, and evaluation projects to deliver various other tools. Support research initiatives and contribute to funding opportunities to unlock the potential of the archives, often through independent collaboration with external partners. Work with the Web Archiving team and our supplier on improvements to the technical aspects of the service that will enhance the experience of users. For example, the development and maintenance of a best-in-class web archive search service and provide a variety of technical assurance for our work. Consult with and engage colleagues in other teams at The National Archives, including Digital Archiving, IT Operations, Research, and Government Services, ensuring that the web archive services represented in others plans and the services continue to develop in line with our services’ roadmap. Promote and communicate the work of the Web Archiving team and its projects internally and externally, sharing ideas and best practice with colleagues, our suppliers, and the web archiving and digital preservation communities. Forge strong working relationships with peers in other organisations including digital preservation bodies and groups, researchers, current suppliers, and government departments. Be able to influence and persuade to improve outcomes across our work – from capture to preservation and access. Working with the Web Archiving team to understand existing users through statistical analysis to gain insight into use of our services and areas in which we can improve. Additional technical support, as required. Working Conditions Normal Office environment, combination of office-based and remote working Person Specification Essential criteria : Degree level qualification in computing or equivalent level of practical experience with proficiency in a wide range of specialist computing and web technologies, for example JSON and XML, programming languages, particularly Python and database technologies, particularly SQL. A firm understanding of, and practical experience in, handling data and metadata for the preservation, description, management, and use of digital objects or records to be applied across the organisation. Experience in delivery of digital services and/or projects, both individually and through collaboration with suppliers, including demonstrable experience in database design, development and management with Agile principles used. Experience in acting as a point of specialist guidance and applying best practice in security of digital services, including cybersecurity. Demonstrable ability to effectively manage own workload using available resources, work to tight deadlines, monitor progress, managing competing priorities and changing demands. A good record of ensuring adherence to agreed quality standards and delivery dates. Clear, confident, and articulate written and verbal communication skills. Good interpersonal skills, with the ability to build strong relationships within team and with those in other teams, including with external suppliers. Desirable criteria : Experience in cloud computing and in particular Amazon Web Services (AWS). Demonstrable understanding of web archiving technologies and familiarity with the WARC file format and its derivatives. Experience of working within an Agile project delivery structure. Experience of querying and manipulating text-rich data and extracting insight from it (e.g. by determining datasets and appropriate methods for visualising that data). 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 careersnationalarchives.gov.uk 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 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: careersnationalarchives.gov.uk 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: careersnationalarchives.gov.uk 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)