Nawrocki never held a top government post. He came into the public eye in Poland in 2017, when he was appointed director of the Museum of the Second World War in Gdańsk.

He caused controversy by introducing changes to the museum's exhibition, with some experts accusing him of "political interference" in its portrayal of prominent historical figures. These included Polish resistance leader Witold Pilecki and the Catholic priest Maksymilian Kolbe.

In July 2021, the Polish parliament appointed Nawrocki to be president of the Institute of National Remembrance. The body was set up in 1998 to investigate crimes committed in Poland from 1917 to 1990, spanning both the Nazi and Soviet eras.

He is the author and editor of seven books and dozens of scientific and journalistic articles in the field of contemporary Polish history.

The independent Russian website Mediazone stated that the IPN president has fallen foul of the Kremlin and was wanted by the Russian Federation on criminal charges due to his role in the removal of monuments commemorating the presence of the Red Army on Polish territory. Many were erected post-WWII to honor the Soviet forces’ role in the war. They were constructed in line with Soviet-aligned Polish People’s Republic, symbolizing Polish-Soviet friendship.