International Programmes Coordinator

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: £39,567 per annum

Contract type: Fixed Term Appointment until 31/12/2027

Band: F

Closing date: Tuesday 6th January 2026 at midnight

The National Archives (TNA) is seeking an International Programmes Coordinator to lead the operational delivery of two international research programmes.

PASSAGE (Partnership for Atlantic Slavery Scholarship, Archiving and Global Exchange) is a three-year research partnership led by The National Archives and funded by the Lloyd's Register Foundation. It aims to increase, support and promote research into transatlantic slavery through scholarship, archiving and global engagement. The programme includes an international research mobility programme that will centre and support research on transatlantic slavery by scholars from West Africa and the Caribbean.

The UK-Saudi Arabia Cultural Fellowships Programme is a forthcoming research initiative developed by The National Archives (UK), the Ministry of Culture of Saudi Arabia, and Effat University in Jeddah. It will fund four Saudi and two UK scholars for a year-long fellowship of historical and cultural research centred on the history of Saudi Arabia and the Arabian Peninsula, using The National Archives'. Fellows will spend a ten-week period in London, and the fellowship will conclude with a symposium held in Saudi Arabia.

The postholder will be responsible for internal and external communications and stakeholder liaison, working across cultures to ensure impactful, efficient and compliant delivery of each partnership programme in line with funders' expectations.

The postholder will sit within The National Archives' Research, Grants and Academic Engagement department, the central locus for our:

• Research strategy and delivery
• Research impact, culture and engagement
• Grant fundraising, including in our capacity as an Independent Research Organisation
• Management and assurance of external funding
• Grant-making to the archives and GLAM sectors

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

The role is a fixed-term appointment until 31 December 2027, subject to extension if further funding is available.

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.

• Interview: Interviews will be held on-site at The National Archives in Kew in January 2026.
• 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.

Sponsorship
We are unable to offer sponsorship for this role.

Job Description
Role and Responsibilities
International stakeholder liaison

• Lead the development of the programme participants' visits to The National Archives. Including organising inductions, training, workshops, visits to other collections and research institutions, and cultural visits, in liaison with institutional partners.
• Coordinate all operational elements of the fellowship and international research mobility schemes, including booking and coordinating international travel and accommodation, providing visa support where necessary, and managing the travel and logistics of programme participants' stays in the UK.
• Act as the main point of contact for researchers and fellows, providing high-quality support and guidance as needed, including particularly when programme participants are based in the UK.
• Liaise regularly with high-level contacts at each programme's funder, providing regular reports on progress and ensuring continuing stakeholder buy-in.
• Build and maintain strong working relationships with international partners, promoting and supporting understanding and collaboration between TNA and portfolio stakeholders from different cultural backgrounds.

Grant management

• Lead on the drafting of reports to the programme's funders, monitoring delivery against agreed key performance indicators and ensuring adherence to grant terms and conditions.
• Act with autonomy in the management and financial oversight of project budgets, each of over £1 million GBP.
• Oversee each programmes' financial processing, including raising purchase orders, categorising expenditure accurately according to cost centre and project code; arranging invoices for payment; and raising invoices to grant funders.
• In the UK-Saudi Arabia Cultural Fellowships Scheme, manage relationships with two UK institutions, organising payments and ensuring compliance to the terms of their sub-contract.

Project Coordination

• Develop and maintain project schedules/delivery plans, ensuring that project milestones are monitored, and delivered on time and within budget.
• Actively monitor project risks, identifying issues if they arise and take action to ensure these are effectively resolved.
• Provide guidance to applicants on each programme's application, assessment and monitoring procedures.
• Support the scheduling, minuting and business of the scientific committees and advisory board of each scheme, supporting the selection of fellows / programme participants through a competitive application process.
• Assist with the planning and delivery of project conferences, including budgeting, payments and bookings.
• Promote each programme within the UK, advertising UK-based fellowship opportunities via the web, social media, in print media or at events / conferences, as suits the needs of each programme.

Working Conditions

• The post holder must be able to travel within the UK, with occasional associated overnight stays.
• International travel may be required, to Saudi Arabia, West Africa or the Caribbean.
• Normal office environment
• Display Screen Equipment user

Person Specification
Essential Criteria

• Experience of working internationally, with a strong understanding of the logistical, cultural and institutional considerations involved.
• Experience of providing high-quality customer or stakeholder support.
• Strong financial literacy, including the ability to create accurate financial reports and manage complex budgets.
• Experience of managing projects or programmes, with multiple priorities and complex requirements.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to communicate complex, technical, or financial information to varied audiences.
• Experience in stakeholder management, with the ability to build and develop excellent working relationships.
• Strong time management, with ability to prioritise tasks and manage conflicting demands within a complex, multi-stakeholder environment.
• Ability to work both independently and within a team, with sound judgement in choosing when to operate on own authority and when to refer matters onward.

Desirable Criteria

• Experience of grant management and/or reporting to external funders.
• Experience of international research or cultural programmes.

Other Requirements

• A combination of onsite and home working is available – our expectation is that 60% of our staff time is spent in the office or working offsite (e.g. on visits), with 40% being from home. Applicants should be able to regularly travel to our Kew site.
• Occasional overnight stays may be required.

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  (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 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:

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: If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from the Department, you can contact the Civil Service Commission at (opens in new window)