Job Details:

Salary range: £44,331 - £50,778 per annum. Salary negotiable depending upon experience 
Work location: Archives Centre, 10 St. Ann's Street, London SW1P 2DE
Hours per week: 36
Contract type: Fixed term until 31 December 2027
Vetting requirements: Enhanced DBS Check
Closing date: 8 November 2026
Interview date: 23 and 24 November 2026
Contact details for informal discussion: Amanda House, Senior Archivist, via email: AHOUSE@WESTMINSTER.GOV.UK

About Us:

THE EXTRAORDINARY STORY OF KAKOLI’S PASSION AND DRIVE

Children’s Services in Westminster City Council is a world of extraordinary stories. Where inspirational people like Kakoli are dedicated to encouraging everyone they work with to be the very best they can be.

Ever since she was a child, Kakoli has believed that children are the ones who’ll change the world for the better. Who’ll create the future we all wish for. And she always knew her calling was to get on the front line and help those who might not be as fortunate as herself.

Driven and passionate about making a difference, she first joined Westminster as a Social Work Assistant, and her managers immediately saw she had huge potential, so they encouraged her to apply to study for a degree in social work. She passed with flying colours, and over the next fourteen years worked as a frontline Social Worker, a Senior Social Worker, a Deputy Service Manager and is now one of our Service Managers.

Kakoli’s vision is as clear now as it was all those years ago – to encourage and support children, and help them grow in safe, vibrant communities. Her achievements are many, but she’s most proud of the fact that these days Westminster doesn’t ‘do things for families’ but ‘does things with families’. And she believes this huge but subtle difference to the way we work has allowed thousands of children in Westminster to fulfil their potential and live their dreams.

The Role:

As a Senior Archivist providing Maternity Cover at Westminster City Archives you can make your own powerful contribution to our success. Responsible for the management, care and development of our extensive collections, you’ll ensure we meet sector standards while delivering an inclusive, engaging and high-quality service that empowers our communities to read, learn and connect. Leading and supporting the Westminster City Archives team, and participating in a people leaders forum, you’ll also manage the acquisition of new collections and the provision of expert advice.

Your day-to-day tasks will include reviewing our collection and customer service related policies, improving the archive’s service performance and resource monitoring, and working with neighbourhood groups and local communities to build effective networks and attract new collections. Other vital tasks will include leading on the access, acquisition and management of collections, encouraging customer engagement through our website, social media and other platforms, and helping to ensure that the correct systems provide the environmental conditions necessary for the collection’s care and preservation.

You’ll also identify ways in which we can further utilise the collections, with support from the Archives Manager develop new income streams and apply for external funding, and be responsible for the efficient running of the public search room and enquiry service. Representing our organisation across the archive sector, nurturing an inclusive culture within your team, and helping them to respond positively to new challenges, we’ll also expect you to be responsible for ensuring business continuity and a safe working environment. Committed to delivering an inclusive, high-quality customer focused service, you’ll be a strong advocate for placing the archive at the heart of its community, and identify opportunities to provide a more collaborative and holistic offer.

Please refer to the Job Description for more information.

About You:

To be a success in this important role you should have well developed experience of engaging communities with heritage collections, be capable of leading and managing a committed team of specialist professionals, and be ready to take responsibility for guiding them through change. With practical knowledge of performance management and the ability to build trust and provide constructive feedback as you encourage and develop your team, your empathetic communication and listening skills will enable you to interact with a diverse range of colleagues, stakeholders and audiences.

It’s important that you have a thorough understanding of income generation and financial processes in public service and cultural organisations, good working knowledge of relevant legislation, government guidance and professional standards, and an awareness of the purpose of annual business planning and how to motivate other people. Enthusiastic and approachable, and with a genuine passion for the role of public libraries and archives, you should also have a strong awareness of the importance of health and safety and the maintenance of a safe environment for your colleagues and customers.

You must have a recognised qualification in archives or a related information management discipline, plenty of post-qualification, hands-on experience with collections, and well developed knowledge of relevant legislation such as GDPR, FOI and Copyright. Capable of prioritising and managing competing workloads in a busy, customer facing role, and ready to use insights and feedback to continuously develop our service, you should have a good understanding of council priorities, the nature of working in a political environment, and ability to build partnerships within a large organisation. With this in mind, we’ll expect you to have a strong commitment to the principles of equity, diversity and inclusion, be skilled at setting clear expectations and direction, and be capable of holding people to account for delivery.

Westminster City Council is committed to supporting Care Leavers into the workplace. Care Leavers seeking their first job and who wish to be considered under our scheme, will automatically be invited to interview should they meet the essential criteria for the role.

What We Offer:

Westminster is an amazing place. We are home to more than 200,000 residents from all backgrounds, and over 50,000 vibrant and vital businesses and three-quarters-of-a-million people work in our borough. Westminster City Council is one in which our communities are at the heart of our decision-making and help to determine the city’s future. By working directly with our communities and other partners, we can build a more inclusive city that celebrates our diversity, and where residents, workers and visitors from all backgrounds feel welcome and safe.

At Westminster City Council, we pride ourselves on being an inclusive workplace and employer of choice. We encourage and welcome applications from people from all backgrounds and aim to have a workforce that, at all levels, represents the communities we serve. We champion equality, diversity, inclusion and wellbeing and aim to create a workplace where everyone feels valued, has a sense of belonging and is empowered to be their best, that is Our Westminster Way. To find out more about how we do this visit https://www.westminster.gov.uk/health-and-social-care/

As a forward thinking Council we appreciate that people work in different ways, therefore our staff benefit from working a range of flexible working patterns as well as Agile working.

The Council is a Disability Confident Employer. If you have declared a disability in your application , we guarantee an interview if you meet the essential criteria of the job. If you are invited for interview, you will be asked if you need any reasonable adjustments in order to attend, and we will make these wherever possible.

We reserve the right to extend or close this vacancy early without warning subject to the volume of suitable applicants.