Research Projects Data Analyst

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: £32,721.00 - £40,680.00 per annum
Contract type: Fixed Term Appointment for 12 months
Band: E / Higher Executive Officer
Closing date: Monday 26th May 2025 at midnight

Archives are the homes for our collective memories, past and future. The National Archives is the official archive of the UK government and for England and Wales, and one of the world’s leading digital archives. Our vision is to become an inclusive, entrepreneurial, and disruptive archive that harnesses emerging technology to transform our historic mission for the digital age.

As an Independent Research Organisation (IRO), multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary research into all aspects of our collections and activities is at the heart of what we do. This role will support our work on two major research and digitisation projects:
1. EHRI-UK (the European Holocaust Research Infrastructure).
2. Our project to digitise the National Farm Survey and make it accessible online.

EHRI-UK is the national node of the EHRI project, a European Research Infrastructure Consortium (ERIC) committed to trans-national Holocaust research, commemoration and education. One of the central tenets of EHRI-UK is the integration of information about dispersed Holocaust archives into the central EHRI portal.

The 1941 National Farm Survey is a window in time on the UK’s agriculture and land use in the middle of the Second World War. Containing extensive data on over 300,000 English and Welsh farms, the survey is among the most-requested record series at The National Archives. Currently, the complex filing of the paper record makes it difficult for readers to order and this project, generously funded by the Lund Trust, will make it more easily available online.

As data analyst for these projects, you will design and implement workflows to increase representation of UK archives in the EHRI portal, and to manage the quality assurance and ingest into TNA’s catalogue of metadata accompanying the newly digitised National Farm Survey records. You will have the opportunity to work collaboratively across both projects to develop your expertise in existing and emerging technologies that can be applied to enhance archival content and enable the re-use of public data.

About us:

The National Archives’ Research, Grants and Academic Engagement department is responsible for our:
1. Research strategy, enablement and delivery.
2. Research impact, culture and engagement across The National Archives, the IRO community, HEIs and the archives sector.
3. Grant fundraising, including in our capacity as an IRO.
4. Management and assurance of external funding.
5. Grant-making to the archives sector.

The postholder will be a key member of this growing and vibrant department of around 25 people.

Within the beautiful surroundings of Kew, a 10-minute walk from the Underground and Overground stations, The National Archives boasts a collegial working environment and an excellent Civil Service benefits package. This includes flexible working, an on-site gym, and an opportunity to join the Civil Service Alpha Pension Scheme. Putting you at the forefront of our organisation, we are committed to supporting professional development and training for all of our colleagues.

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.

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.

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 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.

Job Description

Role and Responsibilities

Data Analysis:

• Develop scripts and tools to help automate data processing, including data cleansing, standardisation, enrichment and enhancement.
• Develop and implement tools and approaches for data validation, error checking, migration and transformation.

Programming to prepare and load data:

• Lead the development of workflows for use by archivists to receive data from a variety of sources, process, enrich and make data available to TNA systems and external data portals.
• Create scripts, programs and applications to validate and manipulate datasets.

Technical consultancy:

• Develop relationships with, support, and influence archivists, subject specialists and senior staff responsible for data standards and schemas and archival data policies, across the UK and the international community.

Ways of working:

• Work in the open, contributing to reviewing code, producing relevant documentation and sharing code internally and externally as appropriate.
• Share your work internally and externally through blog posts, papers and presentations.
• Carry out any other reasonable duties as required to support The National Archives’ research and the the business objectives of the Research, Grants and Academic Engagement Department.

Working Conditions

• Normal office environment
• Display Screen Equipment user
• Hybrid working pattern
• Possible exposure to distressing archival content

Person Specification

Essential:

• Data technologies: excellent skills in pattern analysis with a broad knowledge and experience of relevant technologies for encoding, cleansing, manipulating and analysing complex structured and unstructured data. For example, data encoded in EAD or other XML, CSV and JSON.
• ETL processes: knowledge of how to extract data from various sources, including databases, APIs, and flat files and programmatic techniques in XPath, XSLT and Python or other modern programming languages. Demonstrable ability to clean, format, and transform data to meet the requirements of the target system. Skills in loading transformed data into target destinations or data models and vocabularies.
• Problem-solving: ability to identify and resolve issues that arise during the ETL and data migration processes. Experience in debugging and optimising ETL workflows for better performance, demonstrating a proactive and solutions focused approach to problems.
• Data governance: understanding of data governance practices, including data quality; reference and master data; data interoperability.  
• 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.
• Approach to work: exceptional accuracy and attention to detail. Strong organisational skills, motivated to work both independently and as a project team member. Demonstrable ability to prioritise tasks and deliver high quality work to agreed deadlines.
   

Desirable:

• A strong focus on meeting user needs.
• Experience or awareness of Agile methodologies.
• Ability to manage projects (such as data transformation projects), including planning, execution, and monitoring progress.
• Good understanding of the value of records and archives.

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)