Senior Frontend Developer – Digital Archiving Access Team

National Museums; London Borough of Richmond upon Thames; Remote; GBP 57,000 - 60,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid working

Job summary

The National Archives’ Digital Archiving Access Team is seeking a Senior Frontend Developer to own and deliver frontend features for AYR and FCL. You will set technical direction, write high quality code, and collaborate with external suppliers as needed.

You will also operate production services, monitor and improve system resilience, mentor a junior colleague, and advocate for secure engineering, code reviews, and quality practices while staying active in the wider digital preservation

Qualifications

• Strong experience delivering server side rendered accessible interfaces (WCAG 2.2 AA).
• Strong web fundamentals (HTML, CSS/SASS, JavaScript) with an open by default mindset.
• Comprehensive approach to testing features and bug fixes in an AGILE team.
• Good knowledge of frontend security vulnerabilities and mitigations.
• Experience operating live services and explaining complex systems clearly.

Responsibilities

• Own and deliver frontend features across AYR and FCL—set technical direction, write high quality code, and collaborate with external suppliers when needed.
• Operate production services—monitor, troubleshoot, and improve resilience, robustness and stability.
• Coach and mentor developers; line manage a junior colleague.
• Champion secure engineering and consistent standards; contribute to code reviews and quality practices.
• Stay curious and share—engage with the wider dev community, evaluate new technologies, and help colleagues keep up with digital preservation developments.

Skills

HTML

CSS/SASS

JavaScript

WCAG 2.2 AA

AGILE

Security awareness

Production services

Tools

Design systems

Job description

Details

Contract type: Permanent

Location: Kew, Richmond

Category: Digital

Salary: £60,000 per annum (£57,354 plus £2,646 market supplement)

Hours: Full time

Telephone: [phone]

Senior Frontend Developer – Digital Archiving Access Team

Help people find the evidence they need.

Join The National Archives’ Digital Archiving team to build and run services that open government and court records for everyone. Our Access to Digital Records products increase transparency and support open justice, while setting best practice for access to digital records.

What you’ll work on

• Access Your Records (AYR) – secure, self service access for government departments to born digital records transferred to The National Archives (currently in private Beta).


• Find Case Law (FCL) – the public site for judgments and tribunal decisions, including data feeds under an innovative licensing approach—an important step towards open justice.

What you’ll do

• Own and deliver frontend features across AYR and FCL—set technical direction, write high quality code, and work with external suppliers when needed.


• Operate production services—monitor, troubleshoot, and improve resilience, robustness and stability.


• Coach and mentor developers; line manage a junior colleague.


• Champion secure engineering and consistent standards; contribute to code reviews and quality practices.


• Stay curious and share—engage with the wider dev community, evaluate new technologies, and help colleagues keep up with digital preservation developments.

What you’ll bring

• Strong experience delivering server side rendered accessible interfaces (WCAG 2.2 AA)


• Strong web fundamentals (HTML, CSS/SASS, JavaScript) with an “open by default” mindset that makes reuse easy through components, design systems etc.


• Comprehensive approach to testing new features and bug fixes and delivering in an AGILE team


• Good knowledge of common frontend security vulnerabilities and how to mitigate them.


• Experience operating live services and explaining complex systems clearly to others.

Nice to have

• Working to the Government Digital Service Standard.


• Understanding of python web frameworks such as Django and Flask

Working here

• Hybrid working: We typically ask colleagues to be on site around 60% of the time—especially early on—so you can meet users and teammates.


• Security: SC clearance (or willingness to obtain) is required. This requires candidates to have been resident in the UK for at least the past three years. (Please do not apply if you have been resident in the UK for less than three years as your application will be rejected).


• Inclusive culture: We’re committed to improving the diversity of our workforce and warmly encourage applications from under represented groups

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.