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Archive Assistant

On-site in Hmnb·Full-time·Added today (last checked 7 Nov)

Our summary

Salary
£27,866 a year

About £1,970 a month after tax.

Work mode
On-site, Hmnb
Contract
Full-time
Closing date
Apply by Sunday 3 January 2027
Holiday
25 days holiday
Pension
28.97% employer pension

Skills

Requirements

What we're looking for

The successful candidate will:

  • Have an understanding of Record Management principles and practices including Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), the Public Records Act (PRA) and Data Protection Act (DPA)
  • Be highly organised and able to work flexibly to meet changing requirements.
  • Have proficient IT skills including Microsoft Office (MS Teams)

Nice to have

  • Hold a UK Driving License (Desirable)

Pay & benefits

What you'll get

£27,866

A Civil Service Pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%

Alongside your salary of £27,866, Ministry of Defence contributes £8,072 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).

  • 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
  • Hybrid working, where role permits
  • 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%

The post does not offer relocation expenses.

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

Please Note: Expenses incurred for travel to interviews will not be reimbursed.

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.

Any move to MOD 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/.

Visa & relocation

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. This role does not meet that category, and we will not sponsor a visa. It 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.

Open to UK nationals only.

The role

The Defence Business Services (DBS) Records Review Team, part of the National Armaments Director Group, is a specialist team of records management and sensitivity review professionals responsible for ensuring the Ministry of Defence (MOD) meets its obligations under the Public Records Act and government information management policy. The team reviews historically significant records to determine whether they should be permanently preserved, transferred to The National Archives or other approved places of deposit, or disposed of in accordance with approved retention schedules. Through this work, the team safeguards the corporate memory of Defence, supports transparency and accountability, and helps preserve the nation's military, operational and policy history for future generations. This is an exciting opportunity to join a highly skilled team responsible for preserving, protecting and reviewing some of Defence's most significant records, contributing directly to the stewardship of MOD's historical record while ensuring compliance with statutory obligations.

What you'll do

  • Following reviewer instruction, redact sensitive information of all classifications from records. Using knowledge of the FOIA, PRA and DPA identify and resolve any discrepancies to prevent the potential release of sensitive information which would have significant negative implications for MOD.
  • Draft and submit applications for sensitive information withheld under Retention Instruments. Liaise with reviewers to amend any discrepancies on sensitivity notes. Action approved schedules from the Advisory Council by updating the archive and supporting database.
  • Prepare retained and closed files to The National Archives (TNA) standard.
  • Assist in the delivery of files to TNA by boxing the files to their standards and escorting transportation.
  • Maintain and update the archive database to reflect the status of holdings.
  • Support searches of the archive by performing searches of the archive database using provided keywords, then retrieve relevant information.
  • Post archival material in adherence with its classification either DCS or Royal Mail. Liaise with DCS regarding the collection of material and to order their postal products. Action the accession of material including investigating any discrepancies with receipts.
  • Supervise visitors who are accessing requested documents.
  • Conduct regular audits of the archival holdings, confirming locations and details are correct and resolve any discrepancies in accordance with security policy.
  • Investigate and resolve enquiries on the status of retained information. Provide the review team with the required files and action any changes.
  • When destroying or supervising the destruction of records ensure they are destroyed in accordance with MOD and Government Policy.

How you'll work

Fixed term

23 Months

Flexible working, Full-time

This role is advertised as 37 hours per week.

Due to the nature of the work, this role is site based only.

This is a Fixed-term Appointment as an Archive Manager in the Defence Business Services Records Review Team. Your responsibilities will be as described in this job advert. This post will therefore begin on your appointment and end 23 months after that date. You should be aware that when your Fixed-term Appointment at MOD comes to an end, arrangements will be made in line with the FTA policy.

If you are a permanent MoD civil servant and are found successful for an advertised Fixed-term Appointment (FTA) you should move into the post under a Temporary Transfer (for up to a maximum of 23 months). At the end of the posting you will return to your previous MoD Business area. If this posting is at a higher grade, your promotion will be temporary, and you will return to your substantive grade at the end of the Temporary Transfer. If a Temporary Transfer cannot be agreed between all parties then a transfer on an FTA contract is possible, read the FTA and Change of Work Location in the UK policy for further information.

If you are transferring to MoD from another government department (OGD) you should join the MoD on an inward loan. At the end of the loan you will return to your home (OGD) department. If a loan cannot be agreed between all parties then a transfer on an FTA contract is possible, read the FTA policy for further information.

Reference number

489508

Job grade

Administrative Officer

Number of jobs available

1

Location

Portsmouth - HMNB, PO1 3NJ

Job summary

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

Would you like to work for the Ministry of Defence?

Job contact

  • Name : Amy McIntyre
  • Email : Amy.Mcintyre110@mod.gov.uk

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Hiring process

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

  • Working Together
  • Communicating and Influencing
  • Managing a Quality Service
  • Making Effective Decisions

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

Completing your application :

Behaviour examples requires more than just information about what you did, it requires you to explain. There are many different approaches you could take to writing behaviours, such as the STAR, or the CAR method. As to which one you chose to use, it's all down to your personal style of writing. Within the Civil Service, the most common approach is: The STAR method.

Using the STAR method, allows you to set the scene, show what and how you did and the overall outcome. The job holder (and later the interviewer) will use this method to gather all the relevant information about a specific capability that the job requires.

Situation - Describe the situation you found yourself in. You must describe a specific event or situation. Be sure to give enough detail for the job holder to understand.

  • Where are you?
  • Who was there with you?
  • What had happened?

Task - The job holder will want to understand what you tried to achieve from the situation you found yourself in.

  • What was the task that you had to complete and why?
  • What did you have to achieve?

Actions - What did you do? The job holder will be looking for information of what you did, how you did it and why. Keep the focus on you. What specific steps did you take and what was your contribution? Remember to include how you did it, and the behaviours you used. Try to use "I" rather than "we" to explain your actions that lead to the result. Be careful not to take credit of something that you did not do.

Results - Don't be shy about taking credit for your behaviour. Quote specific facts and figures easily understandable.

  • What results did the actions produce?
  • What did you achieve through your actions and did you meet your goals?
  • Was it a successful outcome? If not what did you learn from the experience?

Keep the situation and task parts brief. Concentrate on the action and the result. If the result was not entirely successful describe what you learned from this and what you would do differently next time. Make sure you focus on your strengths.

Remember- if you are a school leaver or out of employment, and feel that you don't have the experience to apply for this role then do this-

Make a list of your skills, strength and experience

Focus on your education/day-to-day life/extra-curricular activities such as team sports

Highlight anything that would help you perform in the job that you are applying for

For more information on applying for Civil Service jobs and completing your application please visit-

The STAR method, National Careers Service

Success Profiles - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Working for the Civil Service - Civil Service - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Candidates will be required to provide a Personal Statement of up to 500 words.

At sift, candidates will be assessed against the Personal Statement and the following Behaviours:

  • Working Together

Applications will be sifted on all Success Profile elements, but in the event of a high number of applications, the sift will be conducted on the following success profile elements:

Primary: Behaviour - Working Together

At interview, candidates will be assessed against the following Behaviours:

  • Working Together

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 - Working Together
2 - Behaviour - Communicating and Influencing
3 - Behaviour - Managing a Quality Service
4 - Behaviour - Making Effective Decisions

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

1 - Behaviour - Working Together
2 - Behaviour - Communicating and Influencing
3 - Behaviour - Managing a Quality Service
4 - Behaviour - Making Effective Decisions
5 - Career - Personal Statement

Sift start date: Early January
Interviews are currently taking place via the following method: Face to face
Interview start date: Mid January

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

About Ministry of Defence (MOD)

Industry
Government Administration

In their own words

About the company & team

MOD - National Armaments Directorate - DBS

Knowledge and Information Management

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.

Vision - To be the best shared service centre in Government

Mission - Proudly delivering excellence in shared services, through customer centric solutions to enable Defence outcomes

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!

DBS is part of The National Armaments Directorate (NAD) Group which is at the heart of delivering and sustaining the UK's defence capability. Bringing together organisations responsible for developing, procuring, supporting and modernising Defence equipment, infrastructure and services, the Directorate works closely with industry, international partners and academia to ensure the Armed Forces have the capabilities they need to deter threats, protect the nation and succeed on operations. NAD drives innovation, operational readiness and value for money while supporting economic growth and strengthening the UK's defence industrial base.

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

Additional information

Apply before 11:55 pm on Sunday 3rd January 2027

https://youtu.be/gUw0ToaRGgk

The Ministry of Defence is committed to providing a safe and healthy working environment for its staff which includes educating them on the benefits of not smoking, protecting them from the harmful effects of second-hand smoke and supporting those who want to give up smoking. Under the Smoke-Free Working Environment policy, Smoking and the use of all tobacco products (including combustible and chewing tobacco products) will not be permitted anywhere in the Defence working environment however some exemptions are in place, please refer to local guidance. The policy is Whole Force and includes all Defence personnel, contractors, visitors and other non-MOD personnel. All applicants seeking, considering, or accepting employment with the Ministry of Defence should be aware of this policy and that it is already in place at a number of Defence Establishments.

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 Policy Notice sets out how we will use your personal data and your rights.

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.

Further information:

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 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.

Successful candidates must undergo a basic (or equivalent) 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.

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 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.

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 (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).

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.

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-recruitment/complaints/

All open roles at Ministry of Defence (MOD)

Location

Ministry of Defence (MOD) · PO1 3NJ

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