Data Engineer
The National Archives · London, United Kingdom ·
- Work mode
- Hybrid
- Employment
- Contract
- Category
- Data engineering
- Visa sponsorship
- No
- Salary
- GBP 45,000 / year
The National Archives · London, United Kingdom ·
nationalarchives · Kew
Navy Command · Portsmouth, Hampshire
HMRC · Bristol, United Kingdom
HMRC · Leeds, United Kingdom
Data Engineer in The National Archives' Digital Archiving team, designing ETL/ELT pipelines, automating data cleansing/enrichment, and modelling archival data for public discovery. Tech stack includes Python, SQL, Shell, XSLT, XML/CSV/JSON/RDF and RDBMS, NoSQL, and graph databases; hybrid role based at Kew (60% on-site).
Salary: £45,000 per annum (£43,367 salary + £1633 market supplement)
Contract type: Permanent
Band: E / Higher Executive Officer
Closing date: Wednesday 14th October 2026 at midnight
At The National Archives, we are more than custodians of the past – we are pioneers in digital archiving, ensuring the UK’s public records are robust, connected, and accessible for generations to come. As a Data Engineer in our small, dynamic Digital Archiving team, you’ll help transform how archival data is managed, structured, and enriched, unlocking its value for public use and discovery.
If you’ve been working in an entry‑level data role and are ready to take the next step, this is an ideal opportunity to grow your skills and responsibilities. We welcome those who are passionate about data, eager to learn, and keen to make a real impact. Data skills are highly valued at The National Archives, and you’ll be part of an active internal data community where specialists from across the organisation share knowledge, collaborate, and solve problems together.
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.
Applicants invited to interview will be assessed against ALL of the essential criteria (see job description below).
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 five years. Please do not apply if you have been resident in the UK for less than five years as your application will be rejected.
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.
Department Digital Archiving Reports to Lead Data Engineer Band Band E – (Civil Service Equivalent – HEO) Location Kew (Hybrid working available) Line manages Junior staff, suppliers and contractors as required
Job purpose Archives are the homes of our collective memory, past and future. The National Archives is the archive of UK government, and one of the world’s leading digital archives. As the scale and complexity of our digital collections continue to grow, we ensure our data is robust, connected, and accessible. We are looking for a Data Engineer who thrives on solving complex problems, working at scale, and creating the pipelines and models that power access to the nation’s records. You will play a key role in transforming how archival data is managed, structured, and enriched, helping to unlock its value for public use and discovery. This role is ideal for someone who enjoys designing and building efficient data workflows, developing tools to automate data processing, and collaborating with product teams and specialists to understand data needs and deliver practical solutions. You will bring strong programming skills and a good understanding of data modelling, transformation, and integration across a variety of formats and technologies. You will work in a supportive, forward‑looking team that values transparency, curiosity, and collaboration. You’ll have opportunities to develop your skills in existing and emerging technologies that enhance public access to archives and promote the re‑use of data in meaningful ways.
This role falls under the GDD (formerly DDaT) Data Engineer and Data Analyst roles with elements of the Data Scientist role.
Essential skills and experience:
Desirable knowledge and experience:
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.
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 Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
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)
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 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 TheCivil 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'srecruitment 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 theGreat Place to Work for Veteransinitiative. (opens in new window)
Name: The National Archives Recruitment Team Email: [email protected]
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