Digital Engagement Officer – The University of Sheffield
Join the University of Sheffield as a Digital Engagement Officer and play a pivotal role in enhancing cultural engagement and accessibility to the National Fairground and Circus Archive (NFCA). In this position you will leverage digital technologies and outreach initiatives to expand access to the unique collection for researchers and wider communities, engaging new audiences and driving positive change.
Main Duties And Responsibilities
* Enhance the visibility of key materials within the NFCA collection by delivering digital projects and exploring opportunities to use AI, handwritten text recognition (HTR), and other technologies to create valuable data sets for the research community.
* Coordinate and undertake digitisation projects, ensuring adherence to standards, and manage the upload of data to relevant systems, creating necessary metadata.
* Gather feedback and evaluate the impact of online and in‑person activities, including social media, collecting statistics to assess effectiveness in engaging target audiences.
* Oversee and develop the use of social media, online platforms, publications, and mainstream media to increase awareness and promote the NFCA collection.
* Curate accessible digital content for outreach and exhibitions.
* Explore the potential for new projects, such as crowdsourcing initiatives, to enhance the NFCA collection.
* Assist in planning and hosting captivating outreach events both in person and online, focusing on schools, the local community, and special interest groups, including occasional evening and weekend work.
* Provide guidance and supervision to student placements and volunteers.
* Carry out other duties commensurate with the grade and remit of the post.
Qualifications
* Demonstrated knowledge of digitisation methods following established standards and recommended approaches.
* Excellent ICT skills and a high level of digital literacy.
* Experience of paid or voluntary work with collections in the GLAM sector, and familiarity with principles of cataloguing and metadata.
* Hands‑on experience of organising engagement activities.
* Awareness of intellectual property and data protection legislation as it applies to archive collections and users.
* Strong written and verbal communication skills, enabling effective engagement and relationship building with individuals both within and outside the organisation.
* Strong organisational abilities, with the capacity to assess and manage resources, prioritise tasks, and successfully implement projects.
* Proven analytical and problem‑solving skills, coupled with the ability to work independently and take initiative.
* Knowledge of gathering feedback and evaluating the impact of projects.
* Practical experience of digitisation projects using IIIF standards.
* Desirable: Knowledge of OCR and HTR technologies in the context of archive collections.
Details
* Grade: 6
* Salary: £32,080 – £36,636
* Work arrangement: Full‑time
* Duration: 1‑year fixed term
* Line manager: Senior Archivist
* Direct reports: Volunteers and student placements
* Location: Sheffield
Benefits
* Minimum 38 days annual leave, including bank holidays, with the ability to purchase additional days.
* Flexible working opportunities, including hybrid arrangements.
* Generous pension scheme.
* Wide range of retail discounts and rewards for shopping, eating out, and travel.
* Access to staff networks providing social interaction, peer support, and personal development opportunities.
* Recognition awards for staff who go above and beyond in their roles.
* Commitment to development through courses, mentoring, and learning schemes.
* Family‑friendly policies, including paid time off for parenting and caring emergencies, support for menopause, fertility treatment, and more.
* Disability Confident Employer: If you have a disability and meet the essential criteria for this job, you will be invited to take part in the next stage of the selection process.
Contact: Arantza Barrutia Ezenarro, Senior Archivist, National Fairground and Circus Archive – a.barrutia-wood@sheffield.ac.uk
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