Specialist Infrastructure Engineer - The National Archives - SEO

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.

Job description

Full job description attached - see below

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:

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 upload a CV and write a personal statement. In your personal statement please explain, using examples, how you meet the essential criteria given 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)