Senior PA to Chief Information and Digital Officer

As the living, growing home of our national story, The National Archives is a special place to work. We’re an institution nearly 200 years old with a collection spanning 1,000 years of history.

We’ve 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: £33,000 - £38,000 per annum
Contract type: Permanent
Band: E / Higher Executive Officer
Closing date: Friday 30th October 2026 at midnight

The National Archives is looking for a Senior Personal Assistant to provide a full range of professional executive support services to the Chief Digital and Information Officer, an Executive Director at The National Archives.

The Personal Assistant will work proactively to manage the Director’s time, to maximise their ability for focus on leadership and strategic activity. They will use their discretion to manage Director’s diaries, monitoring and respond appropriately to email inboxes, organising meetings and appointments, as well as controlling demands on Director’s time.

We are looking for an exceptionally organised, adaptive and confident communicator, ready to handle all kinds of situations with sound judgment and discretion.

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.


Application Process

• Interview: Interviews will be held on-site, ideally week commencing 16th November.

• 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 6 ‘essential’ requirements in the job description (below) so please ensure that your application demonstrates in detail how you meet these requirements. You may find it helpful to use each criteria as a sub-heading. We also recommend use of the STAR method:
https://nationalcareers.service.gov.uk/careers-advice/interview-advice/the-star-method

If we receive a large number of applications candidates will initially be assessed on one criteria only: "Sound judgement, reputation for discretion, trusted and able to maintain confidentiality. Knowing when and who to communicate sensitive information to."

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

Department             CEO’s Office

Reports to                 Chief Digital and Information Officer

Line manages          None

Band                           Band E

Location                    Kew

 

Job Purpose

Provide a full range of professional executive support services to the Chief Digital and Information Officer, an Executive Director at The National Archives.

 

The Personal Assistant will work proactively to manage the Director’s time, to maximise their ability for focus on leadership and strategic activity. They will use their discretion to manage Director’s diaries, monitoring and respond appropriately to email inboxes, organising meetings and appointments, as well as controlling demands on Director’s time.

 

Role and Responsibilities

Manage the Director's diary – liaising with other PAs, managers and meeting requestors (internally and externally) to ensure timings and workload are realistic, ensuring the Director does not become over committed using discretion to decline, and prioritize appointments and advise in response to requests for director input and involvement, so that they can manage their time effectively.

 

Making travel arrangements – provide options for travel, making required travel arrangements and compiling the necessary travel packs of supporting information.

Prioritising and managing commitments – taking the initiative, ensure that the Director is able to attend to important actions, tasks and meet deadlines, enabling them to deliver these through good diary management and planning. And, where unexpected events require urgent director attention, reacting quickly, reorganizing plans and communicating changes promptly and diplomatically.

 

Minute taking – accurately minute meetings, including regular decision making meetings that help to ensure The National Archives’ compliance with its information rights obligations. This involves making sure both decisions and the reasons for the decisions are minuted at the right level of detail, so there is a proper record in case of complaints or subsequent legal challenge. The issues involved can be complex and nuanced, so comprehension of the issues and clarity of prose are required.

 

Act as meeting secretary and minute taker at the following:

• Discovery Board (a sub committee of ET)
• AI Steering Committee
• Digital and Technology Directorate Leadership Team meetings
• Digital Archiving Infrastructure Programme Steering Cttee meetings

Meeting and event room bookings – ensure timely and appropriate booking of rooms, spaces and associated domestics for meetings and events organised on behalf of the Director.  Negotiate with Venue Management colleagues, or external providers, stakeholders to secure suitable space.

 

Meeting support - Plan ahead, ensuring that background papers for meetings are prepared and shared in a timely and appropriate fashion, taking into account confidentiality and sensitivity issues (particularly on HR related matters). Organize agendas, record meetings.

 

Liaising with authors to ensure supporting papers are received on time, thinking ahead to ensure the Director has all the information they require, and they are fully prepared.

 

Research and collate information requested by the Director and use initiative to investigate the background to issues/problems on their behalf to enable them to add value and reach informed decisions quickly.

 

Secretarial/Office Support

• Carry out general office administration duties.
• Manage the Director’s records in The National Archives' electronic records management system
• Creating and amending documents using Microsoft Office applications.
• Re-draft/format drafts of formal presentations, preparing slides for PowerPoint presentations, ensuring the style and layout are appropriate to the content, purpose and intended audience.

 

Email inbox management and managing incoming correspondence and telephone calls - Monitor the Director’s email inbox, bringing important and urgent matters to their attention, as well as dealing with routine emails, including external marketing.  In the Director’s absence, respond to or forward enquiries as appropriate. Monitor progress of requests sent by the Director to colleagues in TNA and externally and chasing up to ensure deadlines are met.  Produce routine replies as required.

 

Managing requests for approvals and comments – liaising with requesters to ensure clear description, assurance and deadlines are provided.

 

Directorate support

Providing a central and trusted point of information and communication for the Digital and Technology directorate. Provide support to departments within the directorate on an ad hoc basis.

 

Be a point of contact for staff, both within the Directorate and across the organisation, representing the Director when they are unavailable (screening calls as necessary). Using judgment in handling sensitive or urgent matters.

 

Develop and maintain good working relationships with the Director’s Heads of Department and direct reports communicating on the Director’s behalf to ensure HODs are kept up to date appropriately.

Take the lead on "progress chasing" on the Director’s behalf with HODs and direct reports to ensure deadlines are met and where current issues require urgent or immediate attention.

 

Develop personal networks across the Directorate to gather information and aid understanding of issues and developments in order to provide more informed support to the Director.

 

Organising and supporting the following:

• Digital Directorate weekly open stand-ups
• Internal show and tells for the digital teams
• External show and tells with stakeholders/partners across government
• Directorate all-staff quarterly meetings
• Heads of Department 1:1s and weekly meetings and Senior Leadership Team fortnightly cascades from the Director
• Meeting and greeting visitors at all levels of seniority

Other duties

• Manage their own workload to ensure support to the Director is balanced within individual’s requirements and needs.
• Act as Information Asset Manager (IAM) for the Director.
• Arrange and lead tours for the Director’s visitors and introduce new team members.
• Arrange the Moderation meeting schedule for end of year reviews for the directorate.
• Liaise with senior external contacts on behalf of the Director.
• Arrange visits on behalf of the Director, setting up programmes, liaising with staff across the organisation, booking rooms, displays, catering etc.

 

Working Conditions

• Normal office environment
• Display Screen Equipment user

 

Person Specification

Essential

• Strong and confident communication skills – accuracy, attractive phrasing and the ability to adjust tone in both speech and writing to deal with different kinds of people.
• Sound judgement, reputation for discretion, trusted and able to maintain confidentiality. Knowing when and who to communicate sensitive information to.
• Minute taking - the ability to take accurate minutes of meetings, comprehending complex issues including around compliance, ensuring there is a proper record that reflects decisions that have been made and the reasons for decisions, using clear and unambiguous prose.
• Evidenced Organisational skills - demonstrable ability to keep calm, juggle competing demands and adhere to tight deadlines
• Adaptability – readiness to deal with new situations and to persevere in seeking a solution, no matter how challenging circumstances may be, maintaining focus and good humour.
• Record keeping experience – paperwork, filing, keeping diaries and dealing with incoming mail to make sure everything goes to the right place, and can be found quickly.

Desirable

• Demonstrable experience and success in a similar role
• Experience of collecting information and producing briefing notes
• A positive ‘can do’ attitude with the ability to act and work on own initiative
• The ability to think ahead and pro-actively anticipate Director’s requirements
• The ability to recognise sensitive issues and act accordingly with tact and diplomacy

 

Other Requirements

• A combination of onsite and home working is available and applicants should be able to regularly travel to our Kew site.

 

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 [email protected] 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: [email protected] 

 

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: [email protected] 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)