Steve Miller is to become the next director of the National Army Museum in London, leaving Norfolk Museums Service after more than thirteen years at its head. He will take up the role early next year, moving from one of England's largest regional museum services to a national institution devoted to the history of the British Army.

Miller has led Norfolk Museums Service since 2013, overseeing a group of museums and historic sites across the county that includes Norwich Castle. He is also the current president of the Museums Association, the sector's professional body, a role that has put him at the centre of debates about funding, workforce and the future of museums in England.

The National Army Museum, based in Chelsea, holds a collection that spans the history of the British Army from the seventeenth century to the present day, and it has been working to broaden its audience and its interpretation of military history. The museum reopened in 2017 after a major redevelopment, and Miller's appointment brings a director with deep experience of running museums for a broad public, rather than a background in military history.

The move is one of the more significant museum appointments of the year, linking a regional service known for its community work with a national museum that is rethinking how it tells the story of war and the armed forces. Further details of the handover in Norfolk are expected in the coming weeks.