Defence Business Services (DBS) - DIT KIB Digital Archive Manager

Job summary

Are you a dedicated person who is passionate about making a difference?

Would you like to work for the Ministry of Defence?

Defence Business Services (DBS) is one of the largest shared service organisations in Europe that provides a wide range of corporate services, to over 1.2 million end users, including serving and past military and families, as well as MoD civil servants and industry. DBS delivers large scale administration and smaller specialist services to enable the wider MOD to focus on its core aims, maintaining the UK’s Defence and Security. Services include Human Resources, Pay, Veterans, Finance and Procurement.

• Our Vision - To support UK defence customers with outstanding service every time.
• Our Mission – Together we will proudly support Defence, continuously improving and delivering flexible, timely, sustainable and value for money services that underpin the whole force and enhance operational capability.

DBS is committed to creating a great place to work for all our colleagues. We are building an inclusive culture and respectful environment that reflects the diversity of the society.

We want to maximise the potential of everyone who chooses to work for us through opportunities to develop your skills and experience. We also offer a range of flexible working patterns and support to make a fulfilling career accessible to you and offer a Civil Service pension with an average employer contribution of 28.97%. Where your role permits, we support a blended working approach alternatively known as hybrid working.

Come and join the DBS community today!

Job description

The Records Review Team sits within the c.400 staff Digital, Information and Technology (DIT) area of DBS. The team consists of experts in specific subject areas providing advice to colleagues across MOD as well as reviewing documents and making decisions to retain, release or dispose of records. It is an operational delivery service with review targets and key performance indicators. Additionally, they supervise a group of volunteer reviewers and provide ad-hoc outreach services to MOD sites and units requiring advice and guidance about the disposal of found archives.

This is an exciting time for the Records Review Team as we transition from the review of paper records to digitally born records in a variety of formats, some considered obsolete. In addition, the nature of some of these records mean that they are constantly required to support ongoing MOD business, sensitive case work and public inquiries. We are looking for a Digital Archive Manager to initiate and manage a project to digitise historic paper records into an easily accessible format to enable MOD Staff to access information within popular record sets held by the Records Review Team.

The nature of the work and the material handled means that this is a site-based role in HM Naval Base, Portsmouth but there will be a requirement for travel to other MOD sites to investigate digital solutions to support the project. This is a challenging role, and you will need to be a keen learner, with the ability to consider both the immediate needs of MOD customers and the ‘big picture” of ensuring our vast record holdings are easily accessible to support ongoing MOD requirements.

Fixed term appointment

This is a Fixed Term Appointment for a period of three years beginning on the date of appointment into the role. Therefore, you should be aware that when your Fixed Term Appointment at MOD ends, you may become at risk of redundancy and be given priority mover status, unless:

• the contract end date is met and honoured, for external employees.
• an extension to your Fixed Term Appointment has been agreed.
• a conversion of the Fixed Term Appointment to a permanent role has been agreed.
• you are successfully redeployed into a suitable alternative position.
• you secure another Civil Service position through a recruitment process.

Current permanent Civil Servants joining the Ministry of Defence (MOD) on a Fixed Term Appointment:

If you accept a Fixed Term Appointment with MOD, the preferred option is for you to transfer from your home department on a loan basis to ensure you can return to your home department at the end of the Fixed Term Appointment. Exceptionally, if a transfer on a loan basis cannot be agreed by your home department, you would transfer and become a permanent employee at MOD but on a fixed-term basis. This will not affect your continuity of employment. If you face a redundancy situation at the end of the Fixed Term Appointment you will be treated as a permanent civil servant for redundancy and priority mover purposes only. You must have two years’ service to be eligible for redundancy benefits under the Civil Service Compensation Scheme.

Your responsibilities will include:

• The management of a digitisation project for paper records held within the MOD Sensitive Archive required for litigation casework and inquiries.
• The management of a fully searchable digital resource for records held within by the MOD Records Review Team.
• The management of record/document indexing.
• Implement and maintain digital preservation strategies, including backup systems and business continuity plans.
• Proactively develop innovative new services to ensure that users have access to information from mixed media and obsolete formats to effectively support casework and inquiries in a rapidly evolving digital world.
• Working with across MOD with technical services and Records Managers to assist in the delivery of services.
• Creating supporting documentation for any developed processes.
• In accordance with MOD Security and Information Management policies, manage the storage and transfer of obsolete formats to MOD networks and any subsequent transfer of records for permanent preservation at The National Archives.
• Ensure digital continuity of all records retained by MOD in accordance with its Public Records Act obligations.
• Implement comprehensive backup and disaster recovery plans for legacy records.
• Delivery of associated KPIs and PIs.
• Leadership, management and development of staff.
• Informing future Digital Records Management policy and the provision of advice and assistance on digital records management to business units across the MOD.
• Representing DBS and the records function to external organisations and customers.
• Taking opportunities to learn from within and outside the team in order to become a records subject matter expert in the long term.

Person specification

You should be an experienced Information Manager ideally with knowledge of electronic file management and document archiving systems.
Experience of transferring historic records and mixed media into an enduring digital format for onward preservation and searches.
You will need knowledge of records management and applicable statutory framework with the ability to communicate that knowledge with authority in order to influence and guide others.

You should have experience of leading teams to deliver operational targets.

As the sole DBS unit within Portsmouth Naval Base you should be comfortable operating with a degree of autonomy whilst also liaising effectively with colleagues at main DBS sites (Bristol, London, Gosport and the North West).

Desirable

• Knowledge of historic MOD, military operations and political issues.
• Knowledge of legal and regulatory frameworks governing record keeping in a public sector environment, for example the Public Records Act, Data Protection
• legislation (DPA2018) and the Freedom of Information Act.
• The ability to be highly collaborative and flexible within a team to ensure that a range of diverse tasks are completed to a high standard.
• Project management experience.
• Experience of being organised with well-developed planning skills, strong attention to detail, and the ability to co-ordinate several activities in the same timeframe to tight deadlines.
• The ability to be highly collaborative and flexible within a team to ensure that a range of diverse tasks are completed to a high standard.
• Experience of working with other teams and groups of key stakeholders, to align best practice in Records Management.
  

Behaviours

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Leadership
• Seeing the Big Picture
• Managing a Quality Service
• Making Effective Decisions
• Working Together

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £46,040, Ministry of Defence contributes £13,337 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

• An environment with flexible working options Monday-Friday
• 25 days paid annual leave rising (1 day per year) to 30 days upon completion of 5 years' service (pro rata). In addition to 8 public holidays per year, you will also receive leave for the King's birthday
• An opportunity to be considered for Reward & Recognition.
• Family friendly policies including parental leave and adoption leave
• Learning and development tailored to your role
• Professional and personal development of skills
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
• Minimum of 15 days special leave in a rolling 12 month period for volunteer reserve commitments
• Special paid leave to volunteer up to 6 days per year
• A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%

Allowances

The post does not offer relocation expenses.

Please be advised that the Department is conducting a review of all pay related allowances which could impact on those allowances that the post currently being advertised attracts.

External recruits who join the MOD who are new to the Civil Service will be subject to a six-month probation period.

Employment Hours

This position is advertised at 37 hours per week.

Things you need to know

Artificial intelligence

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 see our candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours and Experience.

Please ensure that at the application and interview stages of the campaign you review the Success Profiles Framework to assist you in the demonstration of your skills and experience.

Your suitability for the role will be assessed using the Success Profile elements that have been chosen for this campaign. Each element will be scored accordingly, and the successful candidate will be appointed on merit.

Applications will be sifted on all Success Profile elements, but in the event of a high number of applications, a sift will be conducted on the following success profile elements: Primary: Career - Personal Statement, Secondary: Career - Job History.

At sift, you will be assessed against the following:

Behaviours

• Leadership
• Seeing the Big Picture
• Managing a Quality Service
• Making Effective Decisions
• Working Together

Experience

• Candidates will be required to provide CV details to include job history and previous skills and experience.
• Candidates will be required to provide a Personal Statement in no more than 750 words.

At interview, you will be assessed against the above Behaviours:

In the rare case where individuals have exact matching scores, the order of merit will be determined based on the behaviour scores at interview in the following order:

1. Behaviour - Leadership
2. Behaviour - Seeing the Big Picture
3. Behaviour - Managing a Quality Service
4. Behaviour - Making Effective Decisions
5. Behaviour - Working Together

If candidate scores are still exact, the merit order will then be determined on the sift score in the following order:

1. Career - Personal Statement
2. Career - Job History
3. Behaviour - Leadership
4. Behaviour - Seeing the Big Picture
5. Behaviour - Managing a Quality Service
6. Behaviour - Making Effective Decisions
7. Behaviour - Working Together
8. Career - Qualification Details
9. Career - Previous Skills

We want to offer opportunities to all who are successful at interview for our roles, but this isn’t always possible, so we do hold candidates on an active reserve list for 12 months.

Application sifting to take place week commencing: 25 Jan 2026

Interviews are currently taking place Face top Face and Interviews will be conducted Mid February 2026

A minimum of 2 full working days’ notice will be provided for interviews. We endeavour to stick to these dates, but these are subject to change around business needs.

The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equality of opportunity. There is a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria. If you need to advise us that you need additional help or reasonable adjustments for the recruitment process, please contact: DBS-EnhancedRecruitmentTeam@mod.gov.uk.

The Ministry of Defence requires all candidates who are successful at interview to declare any outside interests. These declarations will be discussed with successful candidates following the interview process and before a formal offer of employment is made, as some outside interests may not be compatible with MOD civilian roles. This will not, in the majority of cases, prevent employment in MOD, but it is a measure that must be taken to ensure that appropriate mitigations can be put in place to manage any potential, perceived or actual conflicts of interest from the first day of employment.

The Ministry of Defence adopts a zero-tolerance approach to unacceptable behaviours, which includes bullying, harassment, sexual harassment, discrimination, and victimisation. You will not be eligible and will not be considered for this post if you have been dismissed from a role for such unacceptable behaviours within the last five years. This will also apply if you resign or otherwise leave a role but, because of an adverse decision, would have been dismissed for gross misconduct had you continued in that employment. Pre-employment checks will be carried out.

As a result of the changes to the UK immigration rules which came into effect on 1 January 2021, the Ministry of Defence will only offer sponsorship for a skilled worker visa under the points-based system, where a role has been deemed to be business critical.

The role currently being advertised has not been assessed as business critical and is therefore NOT open to applications from those who will require sponsorship under the points-based system. Should you apply for this role and be found to require sponsorship, your application will be rejected, and any provisional offer of employment withdrawn.

MOD Recruitment Satisfaction Survey – we may contact you regarding your experience to help us improve our customer satisfaction. The survey is voluntary and anonymous. You may however be given the opportunity to provide additional information to help us improve our service which includes the collection of some personal data as defined by the United Kingdom General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR). The MOD Privacy Notice sets out how we will use your personal data and your rights.

To assist with your application please find attached -

DBS Candidate Information Guide - Working for Defence Business Services - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

(26) UK Ministry of Defence: Life , LinkedIn

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is developed vetting (opens in a new window).

See our vetting charter (opens in a new window).People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

Open to UK nationals only.

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code (opens in a 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 a 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.

Diversity and Inclusion

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see theCivil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).

Apply and further information

This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative.Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Contact point for applicants

Job contact :

• Name : Louise Baverstock
• Email : louise.baverstock959@mod.gov.uk
• Telephone : 03033724833

Recruitment team

• Email : DBS-EnhancedRecruitmentTeam@mod.gov.uk

Further information

Appointment to the Civil Service is governed by the Civil Service Commission’s Recruitment Principles. If you feel a department has breached the requirement of the Recruitment Principles and would like to raise this, please contact DBS-EnhancedRecruitmentTeam@MOD.gov.uk in the first instance. If the role has been advertised externally (outside of the Civil Service) and you are not satisfied with the response, you may bring your complaint to the Commission. For further information on bringing a complaint to the Civil Service Commission please visit their web pages: http://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk/civil-service-recruitm…

Attachments

Defence Civil Servant Offer 2024 Opens in new window (pdf, 1562kB)