Senior Archivist (Digital Development and Data Curation)
About us:
Archives matter. Without records, we could not hold government to account, carry out pioneering research or learn from the past. The National Archives is the archive of UK Government and the courts. Our business strategy, Archives for Everyone, describes our vision to become an inclusive, entrepreneurial, and disruptive archive that harnesses emerging technology to reaffirm and transform our historic mission for the digital age.
The Cataloguing, Taxonomy and Data department’s role is to deliver the control, quality, currency and ongoing development of our catalogue records and the systems in which they reside. We specialise in manipulating and enhancing at scale the metadata which lies at the heart of activities across the organisation.
We are based in the beautiful surroundings of Kew, easily accessible by public transport, car and bike. Staff benefits include admission to a range of exhibitions at national museums and galleries; access to nearby Kew Gardens; on-site gym, therapists and wellbeing resources; restaurant, shop and staff bar. Our excellent Civil Service benefits package includes the opportunity to join the defined-benefit Civil Service Alpha Pension Scheme.
About the role:
This Senior Archivist leads our State of the Catalogue programme to address legacies of our transition from paper finding aids to digital catalogues. You will also be closely involved in other aspects of our cataloguing activities.
In the coming years, the infrastructure and methods for managing and presenting the content of our catalogue will change significantly as we update our technology and handle ever-increasing amounts of data about our physical and digital collections. You will contribute significantly to this ongoing work and collaborate with colleagues across The National Archives.
About you
You are a qualified or experienced archivist seeking to develop your career in a world-leading institution. You are enthusiastic, organised, and have an eye for detail. As an expert cataloguer, you enjoy working with data and thinking creatively to solve problems. You are also a skilled communicator, able to discuss technical or complex issues with colleagues from a range of professional backgrounds.
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. A combination of onsite and home working is available. You should expect to spend at least 60% of your time working at our Kew site.
The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan and the Civil Service D&I Strategy.
How to apply:
If you are an internal applicant: please do not use the link on this page. Please apply via your employee Workday account.
If you are an external applicant: to submit your application please click the link at the bottom of this advert.
You will be asked to provide details of your work experience and write a personal statement. In your personal statement please explain, using examples, how you meet the essential criteria given below. You may draw on knowledge, skills, abilities, experience gained from paid work, domestic responsibilities, education, leisure interests and voluntary activities. Please note selection for interview will largely be based on the information you provide in this section.
Essential criteria:
1. Professional qualification in archives and records management (or a related subject) or equivalent experience, with a passion and enthusiasm for archival practice, metadata and the application of digital technologies to archival resources.
2. Demonstrable experience of managing or leading cataloguing projects and of cataloguing a variety of types of records from different time periods.
3. Excellent understanding of descriptive standards and presentational requirements for both digital and analogue archives.
4. Experience of analysing and manipulating substantial datasets, including expertise in using Microsoft Excel and familiarity with Encoded Archival Description (EAD) or another XML schema.
5. Strong problem-solving skills coupled with the ability to work to a high degree of accuracy, demonstrating a proactive and solutions-focused approach.
6. Excellent interpersonal and influencing skills with the ability to explain and communicate complex or technical issues and archival concepts to non-specialists and external stakeholders.
7. Ability to take tasks and projects to completion and manage competing priorities, together with strong professional motivation and a commitment to personal development.
National Museum Directors' Council, Tate Britain, Millbank, London SW1P 4RG.
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