Archives Officer (Searchroom)

Tyne & Wear Archives, based at the Discovery Museum in Newcastle are seeking an enthusiastic and engaged archive professional for a full time, fixed term role as an Archives Officer with responsibility for Searchroom delivery.

The post is for an initial one-year fixed-term contract, with the potential for an extension upon completion of the fixed term.

This role will deliver a wide range of professional archive duties, including managing our searchroom and productions teams. The postholder will be responsible for the efficient running of our public searchroom, as well as the delivery of our enquiry, paid research, and reprographics services. Further duties will include reviewing and developing new processes, events, programming, outreach activities, and producing social media content.

The successful candidate will have demonstrable experience of working in an archive environment, strong team-working skills, experience of supervising staff and volunteers, and excellent communication abilities. This role offers an ideal opportunity to develop as an archive professional in a varied, challenging, and busy working environment.

We wish to appoint a professional archivist for an initial one-year fixed-term contract, with the potential for an extension upon completion of the fixed term. The role will deliver a programme of renewal and improvement of our public searchroom space and staff working areas. Their work will include line management and supervisory responsibilities for our team of Archive Service Assistants, who deliver searchroom and public-facing services, and our Curatorial Assistants, who manage archive productions. They will also be responsible for reviewing the efficiency of our searchroom processes, developing events and outreach opportunities, and promoting the service through social media.

This is an exciting opportunity to join the team at Tyne & Wear Archives. We are based at the Discovery Museum in Newcastle, one of the largest free museums in the north of England. Our collections comprise a typical mix of public authority and private material from across the five districts of the former Tyne & Wear. We hold Place of Deposit status for Public Records and have particular strengths in industrial heritage, with our shipbuilding collections designated as of national and international significance. We hold Accredited Archive status and are involved in a number of innovative projects while running a busy searchroom service. We are a small, friendly team within the larger North East Museums organisation, which provides exciting opportunities to collaborate on shared projects with museum colleagues.

Tyne and Wear Archives are the local authority archive service caring for the records of Newcastle, Gateshead, Sunderland and North and South Tyneside. The documents range from the 12th to 21st centuries and include building plans, school, hospital and church records as well as business records, especially those of important local industries such as shipbuilding and mining.

We offer a competitive salary and pension, a generous annual leave allowance and professional development opportunities. There is more information about what to expect from the recruitment process and working for us here:https://www.northeastmuseums.org.uk/about/jobs.

Additional Information:

The job role will usually require some lifting and carrying e.g. moving and unpacking large volumes, pushing trolleys etc.

The job role will require occasional evening and weekend working.

The job role will require occasional travel between venues and sites

For further information or for an informal discussion about the role please contact Lizzy Baker by emailing:

lizzy.baker@northeastmuseums.org.uk

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