Principal Records Specialist

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**: £38,322 - £45,000 per annum

Contract type: Permanent

Band: F / Senior Executive Officer

Closing date: Wednesday 12th February 2025 at midnight
- Military mapping
- Maps as evidence for environmental and ecological histories
- Maps in the context of the British Empire and global majority histories

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.

How to apply:
**Job Purpose**:
In the Collections Expertise and Engagement (CEE) department, we are passionate about using our expert knowledge of our collections to inspire audiences and make them think differently about archives.
- Military mapping
- Maps as evidence for environmental and ecological histories
- Maps in the context of the British Empire and global majority histories

The post holder will grow and maintain their expert knowledge of The National Archives’ maps and records related to maps, enabling them to confidently work with the full scope of these collections. They will proactively share their expertise with a wide range of audiences, including members of the public, community groups, academic researchers, and government, as well as internal audiences.

The post holder will use their expert knowledge of our map collections to contribute to our public advice service, giving research advice about records onsite and online, and sharing knowledge and expertise internally and externally.

Through collaboration with colleagues across the organisation they will develop and deliver our ambitious public engagement, education, and academic programmes, focusing on activities relating to the maps and mapping. They will also be expected to develop and manage cataloguing projects aimed at widening access to our map collections, potentially recruiting and training volunteers to work on such projects.

The post holder will develop and undertake innovative, interdisciplinary, and collaborative research, and will have the ability and drive to make an impact within the wider community of map researchers and archivists, and related disciplines. They will be expected to contribute to, and in time to direct, the preparation of bids for external research funding. The post holder will be expected to engage with developments in digital archiving and digital humanities research methods.

The Principal Map Specialist is based within the supportive Visual Collections team but is currently the only specialist in The National Archives’ extensive and complex map collections. The post holder must therefore be a self-starter with their own ideas for innovative and engaging projects, and the ability to develop and drive such projects.

CEE operates a public advice service answering wide-ranging queries online and in person. For most members of the department this makes up part of their daily activity. The postholder will be given training to help them develop a general knowledge of The National Archives’ records and will use this knowledge to participate fully in the advice service.

**Role and Responsibilities**:
**Access to collections**
- Share knowledge of your specialist area through the creation and delivery of innovative research guidance, talks, and training aimed at researchers, academics and staff
- Respond to public enquiries onsite and online through our public information services, proactively working with colleagues to develop and improve these services
- Work on improving access to records in your specialist area through managing projects that increase the quantity and quality of our catalogue descriptions, where possible securing external resources to deliver the project work
- Contribute knowledge and expertise internally as required (for example input to digitisation projects, commercial product delivery, service delivery enhancements, press events and media interviews, VIP tours, educational products)
- Promote user participation in opening up the collection including supervising and managing volunteer projects, student placements and co-curation
- Support government stakeholders, answering their enquiries a