Head of Technology Strategy

Join The National Archives-the official archive and publisher for the UK Government and custodian of over 1,000 years of records-and lead the technology strategy that underpins how we preserve, protect and share the nation's story.

We're at the beginning of a three-year funded programme to renew our technology, The goals are to build organisational resilience, improve productivity, provide a world class digital experience for users, and to seize the opportunities presented by artificial intelligence. All that-whilst keeping essential public services running every day.

What you'll do

• Own, develop and evolve The National Archives' Technology Strategy and Architecture, aligning services to user needs and organisational outcomes.
• Lead technology governance and assurance in line with the Digital Functional Standard, Cyber Security Standard, and Technology Code of Practice.
• Drive an incremental approach to displacing legacy systems-breaking down monoliths and guiding delivery teams, putting in place a transitional architecture.
• Oversee cyber security and resilience as strategic priorities, ensuring Security by Design and operating effective second line of defence controls.
• Lead cross organisation AI strategy, governance, and adoption enabling innovation whilst managing risks.
• Champion open standards, open source, and cloud-native approaches, improving sustainability, whilst mitigating the risks of vendor lock-in.

What we're looking for You're a technology leader with enterprise-scale experience (ideally in a complex public-sector or regulated environment). You can set a clear strategic direction, influence senior stakeholders, and help multidisciplinary teams deliver secure, resilient, user-centred services.

Based at Kew, with hybrid working available (60% on site). If you're excited by modernising national infrastructure, strengthening cyber security, and making responsible use of AI-while safeguarding records for generations-apply now., Archives are the homes for our collective memories, past and future. The National Archives is the official archive and publisher for the UK Government, archives sector lead, and one of the world's leading national archives. We are the custodians of over 1,000 years of records of the British State.

Information technology is vital to the work of the archive. It underpins the operation of the physical archive, as well as the fast-growing digital archive. Technology enables the digital services we provide to the public, researchers, and to users across all three branches of the State.

Our corporate strategy commits the organisation to renew its technology. Our ambition is to eliminate reliance on legacy technology. We plan to renew our digital infrastructure and transform services to the public. We need to minimise our exposure to cyber threats, improve our resilience, and seize the opportunities of artificial intelligence.

The Head of Technology Strategy is the senior officer accountable for technology at The National Archives. That means being responsible for The National Archives' Technology Strategy and Architecture.

This is a key leadership role. The post holder is a senior leader in the organisation and part of the senior leadership team in the Digital and Technology Directorate. They will work closely with the Heads of Department and Service Owners, to ensure the organisation meets the requirements of the Digital Functional Standard. This sets expectations for the management of digital, data and technology in government, and applies to the planning, development, delivery and management of services.

In developing its Technology Strategy The National Archives is setting out to displace, rather than replace, its legacy technology. This is not about "big bang" replacement projects. We need to be able to continue to deliver services whilst at the same time working to supplant outdated technology. That means breaking monolithic legacy systems into smaller parts, which can individually be displaced, with a transitional architecture to guide the way. Progress will be incremental, each milestone necessarily just a small step.

The post holder will ensure that governance and management frameworks for technology are proportionate and appropriate to the work and the level of prevailing risk; services are built around user needs and business outcomes; services are delivered by multi-disciplinary teams, and that; services are managed to avoid and actively reduce the proliferation of legacy systems and outdated technology.

Improving cyber security and resilience are strategic corporate priorities, that the Head of Technology leads. The post holder will lead and oversee the cyber security programme, ensuring The National Archives is Security by Design. They will have management responsibility for the teams assuring cyber security.

This needs to be delivered against a background of accelerating technological change, including the impact and opportunities of Artificial Intelligence. Artificial Intelligence is a transformative technology, creating new opportunities we must seize, and new risks we need to mitigate. The post holder will be the corporate lead on AI strategy, AI adoption and use, AI governance and AI policy.

As an archive The National Archives has special requirements. That is because the use of technology is both necessary for the archive, and simultaneously a key source of risk to the records the archive is preserving. It is a risk that any technology strategy must seek to mitigate, including through digital preservation planning and actions. The archive we must consider both current and future users' needs. In preserving records, we must contemplate and serve the needs of users today and those who will be benefitting from our work many years hence. Many of our services are information services, where the boundaries of the service are ambiguous. The business needs in each domain must be met. The needs of service users will often trump technological convenience.

In taking forward this objectives, the post holder will follow the principles set out in the Technology Code of Practice, ensuring The National Archives' technology solutions are resilient and secure, meet user needs, use cloud first, are open using open source software where possible, use and adhere to relevant open standards, minimise supplier lock-in or over dependency on any one technology provider, and are environmentally sustainable.

You will:

• Be the senior officer accountable for technology at The National Archives, defining and owning the Technology Strategy, overall Technology Architecture and catalogue, ensuring the organisation adheres to the requirements of the Digital Functional Standard, Technology Code of Practice and the Service Manual.
• Work with Service Owners to align individual service roadmaps and strategies with the corporate Technology Strategy and Architecture. Provide second line of defence assurance of individual services' technology priorities and plans.
• Define and operate the governance framework for technology at The National Archives, ensuring the requirements of the Technology Code of Practice are met, including through the Digital and Technology Spend Control process.
• Represent TNA in cross-government technology forums and communities of practice. Develop and maintain relationships with technology leaders from peer organisations, both in the UK and internationally, sharing knowledge and experience.
• Advise service owners and strategic decision makers (the Keeper, Executive Team and Board) on technology issues, informing and shaping decisions on investment, risk, and innovation.
• Lead and oversee the cyber security programme, ensuring The National Archives is Security by Design. This involves management responsibility for the teams assuring cyber security. Ensuring corporate compliance with Cyber Essentials Plus, GovAssure and ISO 270001.
• Lead the AI strategy and implementation, fostering and supporting effective AI adoption and use. Advise on AI governance and AI policy issues.
• Develop and maintain strategic relationships with The National Archives key technology partners, ensuring we maintain a broad base of suppliers for technology services, encouraging effective competition, promoting the use of open standards and open source tools wherever possible, to reduce the risk of vendor lock in.
• Communicate effectively, reporting on progress, issues, opportunities, and risks to relevant internal stakeholders including the Executive Team, Audit and Risk Committee, ministers (where appropriate), Board, as well as the wider organisation.
• Build and nurture relationships, including between departments to develop a 'one team' ethos that encourages collaboration across the Digital and Technology teams.

1. Demonstrate enterprise-scale technology leadership, with strong knowledge of government digital standards and the ability to set technology strategy across service delivery, cloud adoption and cybersecurity.
2. Lead and inspire high-performing teams through clear strategic direction, strong stakeholder engagement and a culture that celebrates success while learning quickly to drive innovation.
3. Evidence the ability to deliver and continuously improve transformation at scale, leading end-to-end planning and coordinating cross-service dependencies in complex environments.
4. Maintain momentum and deliver outcomes under pressure by managing stakeholder expectations, resolving complex risks and dependencies, and applying innovative ways of working to remove barriers
5. Make sound, evidence-based decisions by leading multidisciplinary expertise, using complex data to identify trends and opportunities, and managing budgets to ensure efficient, high-quality delivery and value for money
6. Provide a user-centred, high-quality service by applying strategic thinking and coaching teams in Agile and Lean approaches, selecting and adapting methods across the delivery lifecycle
7. Demonstrate strategic awareness by anticipating issues, clearly articulating service challenges, and aligning delivery with project objectives and the wider organisational context., * You have a proven track record of technology leadership at enterprise scale, ideally in a complex public-sector or regulated environment.

• You are an expert practitioner in the Government's Technology Code of Practice, Service Standard and Service Manual.
• You have deep expertise in technology strategy, service delivery, and transformation, including cloud-first approaches and cybersecurity.

People Leadership

• You have strong stakeholder engagement and communications skills and are comfortable networking throughout all levels of the business, constructively challenging and influencing decision making when required
• You are a dynamic and self-starting individual who is comfortable setting the strategic direction for your team and spotting opportunities to deliver genuine technology transformation; and will be able to inspire and empower your team to do the same
• You will be able to demonstrate an ability to set a culture that celebrates success whilst also embraces a willingness to 'learn fast' thus supporting innovation

Changing and improving

• You have a proven track record of developing, delivering, scaling and optimising a transformational service within a governmental organisation (or an analogous environment)
• You are able to lead a continual planning process in a complex environment, planning beyond product delivery
• You can identify dependencies in plans across services and co-ordinate delivery accordingly

Delivering at pace

• You can manage stakeholder expectations and develop solutions in a high risk and complex environment, even within constrained timescales
• You can maintain delivery momentum and actively address the most complicated risks, issues, and dependencies even when ownership exists outside your team or may be unclear
• You think of new and innovative ways of working to break down barriers and achieve the right outcomes

Making effective decisions

• You are able to effectively lead expert multi-disciplinary teams, bringing together technical, compliance, customer service, and operational viewpoints to inform decision making
• You have highly-developed skills in manipulating and analysing large and complex data sets, identifying trends, issues, and opportunities to inform decision making
• You know how to set and manage budgets in a changing environment; ensuring high quality and efficient service delivery, ensuring value for taxpayers' money

Managing a quality service

• You have a strong user focus and can demonstrate experience in meeting the needs of users across a variety of channels
• You apply strategic thinking to provide the best service for the end user
• You are able to coach and lead teams in Agile and Lean practices, determining the right approach for the team to take and evaluating this throughout the cycle of service delivery

Seeing the big picture

• You can anticipate problems and defend against them at the right time
• You are able to articulate any strategic challenges facing the service and help others to do so
• You are able to understand project objectives, the wider strategic organisational context, and how to manage the relationship between the two

The following skills are desirable for the role:

• Professional certifications (e.g., ITIL, Agile, CISSP, cloud technologies).
• Experience in leading digital innovation and data-driven services.

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 30 days per calendar year 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)

Selection process details

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

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 Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals from the EU, EEA or Switzerland with settled or pre-settled status or who apply for either status by the deadline of the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in new window)
• relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals working in the Civil Service
• relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals who have built up the right to work in the Civil Service
• certain family members of the relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals

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)

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 .