Infrastructure Engineer

Job summary

Build and run the infrastructure behind the UK’s digital record

We’re growing our Infrastructure team and looking for two engineers to join us as we expand.

At The National Archives, infrastructure underpins how the UK’s digital record is preserved and accessed. This is a hands-on role supporting the platforms behind digital archiving and public services — with a clear focus on reliability, security and service recovery.

You’ll be joining a well-established team, including Senior Engineers with deep experience, who actively support and share knowledge as the team grows.

Job description

• Build, support and improve infrastructure across cloud and on-prem environments
• Work across Azure, AWS, Microsoft 365 and core network and platform services
• Act as a 2nd/3rd line escalation point for incidents and problems
• Improve service reliability, performance and recovery
• Contribute to change, delivery and continuous improvement
• Infrastructure that supports long-term access and trust, not just short-term uptime
• A strong focus on service resilience and recovery
• A team environment where knowledge sharing and learning is expected
• Space to develop your capability over time as the team grows

Person specification

• An engineer ready to step into a broader, more complex environment
• Someone who wants to learn from experienced engineers and build depth over time
• Someone moving from reactive support into more ownership and improvement work
• Someone motivated by working on services that matter beyond the organisation

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.

During the 1-year probation period, onsite presence is encouraged and advantageous (a minimum of 4 days in the office is required during the probation period).

You will work a shared Saturday rota. This will equate to approximately one Saturday duty every month and this will be paid over-time.

SC clearance/willingness to obtain SC clearance will be required for this role. This requires candidates to have been resident in the UK for at least the past three years. Please do not apply if you have been resident in the UK for less than three years as your application will be rejected.

We are unable to offer sponsorship for this role.

Application process

As part of your application, you will be asked to provide a summary of your relevant work history (what you have done and how you have developed your skills) and respond to a scenario-based question (how you think and approach problems)

Your work history can include:

• Formal roles in IT or infrastructure
• Self-taught experience, home labs or personal projects
• Training courses, certifications or evening study
• Transferable experience from other roles where you have developed relevant technical or problem-solving skills

We are interested in how you have built your capability, not just job titles.

Important: Please be as clear as possible about what you have actually worked on or learned.

Both elements of your application will be assessed against the essential criteria below:

Essential criteria:

• Demonstrate a background and hands-on experience in building, configuring, administering, supporting and developing infrastructure solutions and services in a complex enterprise environment, including computing, storage, networking, physical infrastructure, software, commercial-off-the-shelf software (COTS), virtual and cloud computing and open-source packages and solutions.
• Proven track-record of developing infrastructure services and delivering projects to time and budget using structured project management techniques and methodologies to deliver high-quality, innovative, value for money services and systems
• Familiarity and competence with Microsoft technologies (On-premises and cloud) including Windows OS (client and server), Active Directory, Group Policy, Configuration Manager, Entra ID and Intune
• A good working knowledge of information security processes and government security policy and practice and of implementing security controls such as IPS, firewall, proxy and management and monitoring services to mitigate security threats
• Critical thinking and problem-solving skills and the ability to troubleshoot and solve problems logically and independently using techniques to identify root cause
• Demonstrate awareness of the scripting tools and software that are available to support the deployment and management of IT infrastructure components
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills: proven ability to communicate technical issues clearly and concisely to both technical and non-expert audiences and providing technical assurance to projects and developments; able to produce clear and accurate documentation

Interviews will be held on-site on Thursday 30th and Friday 31st July.

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.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £40,000, The National Archives contributes £11,588 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides (opens in a new window).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.

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;

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

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 “Assistance required” section in the “Additional requirements” page 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 undergo a criminal record check.Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check (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

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 a new window)

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 : The Talent Acquisition Team
• Email : careers@nationalarchives.gov.uk
• Telephone : 02083925313

Recruitment team

• Email : careers@nationalarchives.gov.uk

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: careers@nationalarchives.gov.uk If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from the Department, you can contact the Civil Service Commission at http://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk/civil-service-recruitm…

https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/