Data Analyst (Developer)

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

Salary: £42,000 (£34,000 + £8,000 market supplement)

Contract type: Fixed Term Appointment to 31st March 2026

Band: E (Higher Executive Officer)

Closing date: Wednesday 14th May at midnight

Legislation.gov.uk is a vital resource that has transformed public access to legislation in the UK and has put the statute book into the hands of millions of people who need to read, quote or cite legislation.

The National Archives, in its capacity as the King’s Printer of Acts of Parliament, the King’s Printer for Scotland and the Government Printer for Northern Ireland, has statutory obligations to register, publish, and make available in print, legislation produced by the UK and Scottish Parliaments, the Welsh Senedd, the Northern Ireland Assembly, and the Governments of the four nations. These statutory obligations are managed by the Legislation Services team at The National Archives. We are responsible for legislation.gov.uk, the official home of enacted and revised UK legislation and the only comprehensive free-to-use source of updated UK legislation.

Open data is at the heart of our legislation services. The legislation data we curate and create is a valuable public asset, comprising document data in XML, graph-based data in RDF, and website usage data. The National Archives holds an increasing volume of rich metadata about legislation, including amendment and application data, bibliographic information as well as exhaust data from our publishing processes and website operations.

The team is committed to improving and developing this service, particularly our data offering. We are looking for a data developer to join the Legislation Services Team and grow their data skills. Your focus will be on improving the underlying legislation data, enhancing it and creating new datasets from the text of the legislation. You will also investigate how the legislation data can be organised and delivered in such a way that increases the accuracy of re-use and the ability of AI to consume the data in a meaningful way. You will be contributing to a service used by a wide range of users, including data re-users, who derive insights from legislation. These include academics and researchers, and those developing innovative products, services and applications in Law Tech.

This role would suit someone who is motivated to make important public records accessible, enjoys working in the open in a multidisciplinary agile team, and is keen to make legislation available as data, driving innovation in reuse.

You should be familiar with XML and RDF and be keen to understand the internal makeup of the legislation documents and our schemas. You should be proficient in at least one modern programming language; familiarity with cloud computing and experience of using AI and prompt engineering to process data to extract content would also be an advantage. You will have a passion for learning and developing your skills and will thrive in an environment which values and supports continuous learning.

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-level Security Clearance or willingness to obtain SC clearance is mandatory for this role and requires that you have lived in the UK for the last 3 years. Please do not apply if you have not lived in the UK for the last 3 years as your application will be rejected.

How to apply:

To submit your application please click the 'Apply' button on this page. You will be asked to provide details of your work experience and write a personal statement, not exceeding 1200 words. In your statement please explain, using examples, how you meet the essential criteria in the job description below. You may draw on knowledge, skills, abilities, experience gained from paid work, domestic responsibilities, education, leisure interests and voluntary activities. Please note selection for interview will largely be based on the information you provide in this section.

We understand that you might use artificial intelligence (AI) and other resources to assist with your application; however, please ensure all information you provide is factually accurate, truthful, and original and doesn’t include ideas or work that isn’t your own. We encourage you to showcase your unique knowledge and skills using your own voice.

Selection process:
Shortlisted candidates will be invited to an onsite interview and be required to take a technical test.

Job Description

Role and Responsibilities

In this role you will: 

• Develop and maintain a knowledge of XML, including the bespoke XML mark-up language we use for legislation, CLML (Crown Legislation Mark-Up Language) and the LegalDocML standard and ensure you remain up to date with the latest developments in this area.
• Design and develop XML and RDF data models and structures for legislation in relation to new datasets working closely with other developers where necessary.
• Develop pipelines for data processing, digitisation, cleansing, enrichment, semantic tagging and entity extraction.
• Use prompt engineering to process legislation data to produce new datasets, enable data enhancements and assist with the categorisation and organisation of data for consumption by AI.
• Work with other developers/contractors to integrate automated data processing, including data validation and standardisation; enrichment; transformation; and semantic tagging into live legislation systems and processes.
• Work within a multidisciplinary product team alongside product and delivery managers, user researchers, interaction designers, front and back-end developers.
• Work in the open, contributing to reviewing code, producing relevant documentation and sharing code internally and externally as appropriate.
• Engage actively with Agile working practices and maintain high levels of motivation and performance.
• Be an active part of the wider external development community, identifying good practices we can adopt, sharing our experiences and promoting the adoption of beneficial standards and practices.
• Communicate developments and proposals in the improvement of the data with a range of stakeholders, both internal and external.
• Share your work internally and externally through blog posts, papers and presentations.

Person Specification

Essential

• Data technologies: A strong understanding of data structures, common data formats (including JSON, XML and RDF) and algorithms for data manipulation and traversal. Knowledge of HTML, CSS, JavaScript.
• ETL Processes: Excellent skills in pattern analysis with a broad knowledge and experience of relevant technologies for encoding, manipulating and structuring complex structured and unstructured text (i.e. document based) data at scale. For example, working with ETL tools, programmatic techniques in Python, Shell scripting, XSLT and Natural Language Processing tools.
• Data development: Excellent software development experience gained in a professional environment. Able to code in a modern programming language, e.g. Python, with the desire and aptitude to develop your skills in other languages. Experience of modern development approaches including Agile and Test-Driven development; source control tools such as Git.
• Problem-Solving: Demonstrates a proactive and solutions-focused approach to investigating and resolving problems. Able to understand new concepts and quickly assimilate the details of complex systems. Proactive in learning new technologies and assimilating new knowledge.
• Communication and relationships: Strong communication and relationship building skills, able to communicate effectively with technical and non-technical stakeholders, support and host discussions within a multidisciplinary team, with potentially difficult dynamics, be an advocate for the team externally, and manage differing perspectives.
• Data Governance: Understanding of data governance practices, including data quality, reference and master data, data interoperability, validation and techniques to ensure integrity.
• Approach to work: Work collaboratively and in the open with exceptional accuracy and attention to detail. Demonstrable ability to prioritise tasks and deliver high quality work to agreed deadlines. A commitment to developing new skills and sharing your expertise with others.

Desirable

Experience of the following or a strong commitment to developing your skills in these areas:

• Experience of delivering digital services in accordance with GDS Service Manual and Technology Code of Practice.
• A strong focus on user needs.
• Experience of back-end development in Python / Django and REST frameworks.
• Experience of XQuery and NoSQL databases
• Experience working with legal 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 careers@nationalarchives.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

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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: careers@nationalarchives.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: careers@nationalarchives.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)