London - We are passionate about Smarter Working and believe that a combination of flexible working practices, digital technology and modern workspaces will give you the opportunity to enjoy a healthy work-life balance, while ensuing you deliver your outcomes effectively and efficiently we expect you to know where to be to have the most impact, balancing your individual needs with that of your team and the organisation.  However, recognising the benefits of face to face working, especially for new joiners, there is an expectation that you would be in the office at least 60% of the time (3 days a week). Please note that for the first 12 months of this appointment successful applicants will need to be prepared to attend the office five days a week. This is because the role requires specific face to face training that cannot be conducted remotely.

The Ministry of Defence employs over 50,000 Civil Servants. Within that, the Army employs around 7,000 MOD Civil Servants located at over 300 locations. Ours is a diverse workforce, with roles ranging from trainers, human resources, teachers, and psychologists to storekeepers, financiers, project and programme managers, and policy secretariat staff. There are many different functions and professions delivering key outputs for the Army. 

Army Historical Branch (HBA) is based in the MODs London Main Building, Whitehall. HBA delivers quality historical research and analysis to the MOD & Services across a range of defence activities. It plays an important role in the creation, organisation and exploitation of MOD information.

This is a specialist post and as a Senior Researcher you will be responsible for the management and output of other specialist researchers, as well as maintaining effective relationships with customers. The role, when directed, is expected to plan and deliver quality products to meet business needs. 

This is a fantastic opportunity to work in a unique area of research, alongside colleagues who are authorities in their field. As an organization we receive all kinds of requests for information about our military history. Its our job to search our extensive archive of paper-based and digital records for relevant facts and figures. 

In this post, every day will bring different challenges. One day you could be briefing senior officers on a historical topic; the next, researching the latest records that the Army has sent back from operational theatres.

This unique opportunity is aimed at people with a passion for military history and research to put their skills to use in support of current operations and a variety of other MOD business. Successful candidates will receive an extensive in-house specialist training package to further develop their existing knowledge base. They will also benefit from continuing opportunities for professional development. 

This position is advertised at 37 hours per week. The Army is operating a hybrid working balance which states at least 60% (3 days a week) of time in the London MOD Main Building to meet business requirements.  Please note that for the first 12 months of this appointment successful applicants will need to be prepared to attend the office five days a week.

This post is aimed at applicants who already have research experience and want to develop their talents to the next level. In this role you will be responsible for producing quality outputs primarily based on the official records generated by the Army during its history, as well as leading colleagues on team-based projects. The branch is a service provider and is required to respond to demand as set out by its customers. The role therefore requires flexible researchers who can work across a range of historical subject areas. 

As the post holder will be responsible for leading other researchers, applicants must be able to demonstrate a strong and credible understanding of current and historical Army structures and functions, as well as an interest in broader defence issues. The branch covers a broad span of work that encompasses the entire history of the British Army. Candidates therefore must be able to show their familiarity with the organisation and activities of the British Army from 20th Century onwards.

The successful candidate will need to demonstrate enthusiasm and capability to continually develop their specialist knowledge, with a particular focus on British Army heritage, ceremonial traditions, honours and distinctions in order to support current practice and policy.

You will be required to develop a detailed understanding of historic army records and record keeping practices to support the timely identification of relevant information and regulations. The post holder will also support the maintenance and execution of an electronic collection plan in order to preserve key Army records for the long term and ensure they remain available to support the Branch in its delivery of Army history into the future.

Additionally, the role will involve work on legal disclosure cases to support a range of individual claims and broader group action legal inquiries; applicants must therefore be able to independently plan and construct detailed and comprehensive statements which show how the disclosure research was conducted, including methodology and span of activity.

The historical branch exploits a wide range of official source material from paper records to contemporary digital files and the Senior Researcher must therefore be able to work across this range of different historical archives. A strong knowledge of IT and Microsoft Office applications is an essential requirement for the post. Ideal candidates will also have previous experience in digital historical research.

The Senior Researcher role will:
   Conduct on demand research on historical topics to produce quality assured outputs to Army and Defence Customers.
   Correctly identify and examine large numbers of documents in a timely manner, in order to provide clear and evidence-based information.
   Act as the branch focus on the wider history of the British Army and its heritage and traditions.
   Lead other specialist researchers in projects to produce quality outputs.
   Provide clear and accurate statements to demonstrate how research has been conducted to support legal casework.
   Continually develop professional knowledge and expertise.
   Build working relationships with Army and Defence Customers and provide tailored product to meet customer requirements.

Essential Skills: 

A postgraduate degree in history or a related subject
High level of existing knowledge of the British Army, its history and structures and functions.
A consistent track record of quality assured research into the British Army over and above work undertaken during a degree
A good knowledge of using IT for research and Microsoft Office skills

Desirable:

Demonstrable previous experience of research into British Army Heritage (such as unit lineages, unit/formation badges, battle honours etc)

A postgraduate degree in history or a related subject

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

• Delivering at Pace
• Leadership
• Making Effective Decisions
• Managing a Quality Service

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

• Historians 6.1 - How to Establish Customer Requirements for Historical Analysis
• Historians 6.2 - How to gather Knowledge from and Evaluate Information Sources
• Historians 6.3 - How to conduct Historical Analysis
• Historians 6.4 - How to present and Deliver Historical Information

Alongside your salary of £36,530, Ministry of Defence contributes £10,582 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

The Army prides itself on being a supportive employer and where possible encourages flexible working, helping you to maintain a great work/life balance.

Other benefits for Army civil servants include:

 - 25 days paid annual leave rising (1 day per year) to 30 days upon completion of 5 years service
 - Highly competitive pension scheme
 - Personal and professional development of skills
 - Alternative working patterns for many roles
 - Access to the Employee Assistance Programme (EAP), a free service that assists you with achieving a productive, healthy environment that is conducive to a healthy lifestyle.
 - Enhanced parental and adoption leave
 - 6 days special leave per year which can be used for volunteering activities
 - Learning and Development
 - Onsite Gym facilities
 - Onsite Nursery

Discover my benefits - outlines the range of benefits available to MOD Civil Servants.
 
Please be advised:
 · The post does not offer relocation expenses.
 · Expenses incurred for travel to interviews will not be reimbursed. 
· 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. 

If you are successful, any opportunities for hybrid working will be discussed with you prior to you taking up your post. Successful candidates can discuss their development options with their manager when in post.

A Great Place for Veterans to Work scheme which was introduced by the Government in 2020 under the Veterans Strategy Action Plan which included the commitment of making the Civil Service a great Place to Work for Veterans. 

To be eligible for this scheme in the Civil Service, candidates must meet the minimum standard for the role being applied for and: 
· Have served for at least one year in His Majestys Armed Forces (as a Regular or Reserve); this includes time spent training 
· Be in transition from, or ceased to be a member of, HM Armed Forces 
· Not already be a civil servant, or be employed by a Civil Service Commission accredited public body
· There is no maximum time limit from when you left HM Armed Forces to be eligible for this initiative.

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/.

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.

Open to UK nationals only.

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.

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Job contact :

• Name : Jo Bandy
• Email : [email protected]

Recruitment team

• Email : [email protected]