Historical Records Officer 3 Air Historical Branch (RAF)

The Air Historical Branch (RAF) is a small in-house team which supports the work of Ministers, the MoD, RAF, Air Staff and Air Headquarters among others. As well as being the official historians of the RAF, the Branch maintains the RAF’s central physical and digital archive and photographic collections, ranging from 1912 to the present day. Alongside providing advice and information to the RAF and MoD on historical and heritage matters, consulting with Other Government Departments and Non-Government Organisations, and producing the Official Histories, the Branch also delivers a public enquiry service.

The Branch receives about 1,600 enquiries annually. Around 300 of these are Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests – a five-fold increase since 2020. AHB (RAF) is now the sixth most productive FOIA cell in the MoD.

The Historical Records Officer is central to the output and public face of the Air Historical Branch (RAF). They undertake a range of tasks which are central to Branch business. The post holder must be hard working and well-motivated. They must be able to analyse evidence effectively to produce accurate and concise pieces of work. The post holder must be capable of effective communications, both orally and in writing, to respond to customers drawn from within and beyond defence.

The postholder must display a willingness to work with and assist other members of the Main Office and the Branch, when necessary, particularly in responding to FOIA requests and answering public enquiries. Further details are in the Job Summary.

Where business needs allow, the role may be suitable for a combination of office and home-based working. This is a non-contractual arrangement where all office-based employees are expected to spend a minimum of 60% of their working time in the office, subject to capacity and any required workplace adjustments. Requirements to attend other locations for official business or to work in another MoD site, will also count towards this level of attendance.

This position is advertised at 37 hours per week.

This post will be based in the Main Office, at the heart of the Branch, and will have a leading role in enquiry work, working closely with the Branch’s Research and Information Manager (RIM) and Senior Researcher.

Answering historical enquiries often requires analysis and examination of diverse sources to produce a cogent response within 20 working days. The postholder will ensure that replies maintain professional standards and are compliant with MOD and government policy.

More complex enquiries will include the requests for clarification of Record of Service documents for RAF personnel, analysing each document to provide clarification and address the queries of each enquirer. This interpretation work involves using a range of finding aids to provide as accurate information as possible.

The important requirement to draft responses for FOIA requests will involve gaining a familiarity with the Act, an understanding of digital redaction techniques and displaying an ability to work within the 20 working days statutory response time mandated by the Act.

The postholder will also work with the Branch Document Archivist on quality checking Form 540 (Operations Record Books) submissions from RAF units. On occasions, this will involve the postholder drafting recommendations for the Head of Branch to issue to units.

There will be the opportunity for the postholder to participate in some RAF casualty identification work and to assess often detailed and extensive evidence to arrive at a recommendation for the Senior Researcher.

There may be occasional outreach activities to represent the Branch and provide advice to stakeholders.

In due course, the postholder may have Line Management responsibilities for a Branch Assistant Knowledge Officer.

A degree in History or a related discipline.

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)

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

Candidates will be required to provide CV details to include job history; qualification details and previous skills and experience.

At sift, candidates will be assessed against their CV and the following:

• Making Effective Decisions
• Communicating and Influencing
• Working Together
• Delivering at Pace

At interview, candidates will be assessed against the following:

• Making Effective Decisions
• Communicating and Influencing
• Working Together
• Delivering at Pace

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.

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.

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.

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