Project Archivist
Oxford University Museum of Natural History is seeking to appoint a Project Archivist to work on the Phillips Archive and assist with the running of the Archive for 20 months. Nephew of celebrated geologist William ‘Strata’ Smith, John Phillips (1800-1874) was Reader in Geology at Oxford University and the first keeper of OUMNH. The Phillips Archive consists of correspondence, geological papers, lecture notes, notebooks, watercolours, prints, sections, and more.
Reporting to the Librarian and Archivist, the post-holder will be responsible for arranging, cataloguing and repackaging the Phillips Archive. This will include creating an ISAD(G) compliant catalogue, supervising volunteers, participating in displays, and communicating your work both internally to the museum and externally to members of the public and other stakeholders. The post-holder will also spend one day a week contributing to the day-to-day running of the Archive including facilitating visits to the collection, answering enquiries, and cataloguing the backlog.
This is a full-time, fixed-term post for 20 months.
The successful candidate will be required to undertake a satisfactory basic Disclosure and Barring Service check, due to access to Museum collections.
About You
- You will have a recognised qualification in archive administration, or equivalent training and experience.
- Proven experience of cataloguing large archive collections to ISAD(G) standard including developing cataloguing structures is also essential.
- You will have excellent attention to detail, and proven time management and organisational ability.
Experience of using Axiell EMu Collections Management System is desirable.
As an employer, the University of Oxford genuinely cares about employees’ wellbeing and this is reflected in the range of benefits that they offer including:
- An excellent contributory pension scheme
- 38 days of annual leave
- A comprehensive range of childcare services
- Family leave schemes
- Cycle loan scheme
- Discounted bus travel and Season Ticket travel loans
More information is available at https://hr.admin.ox.ac.uk/staff-benefits
Diversity
The University of Oxford’s staff and students come from all over the world, and they proudly promote a friendly and inclusive culture. Diversity is positively encouraged, through diverse groups and champions, as well as a number of family-friendly policies, such as the right to apply for flexible working and support for staff returning from periods of extended absence, for example, shared parental leave.
How to apply
You will be required to upload your CV and a supporting statement as part of your online application. Your supporting statement should list each of the essential and desirable selection criteria, as listed in the job description, and explain how you meet each one. CVs alone will not be considered.
The Chair of this recruitment panel will be Danielle Czerkaszyn, Librarian and Archivist, who can be contacted with enquiries relating to the role (Danielle.czerkaszyn@oum.ox.ac.uk ). General queries about the recruitment and application process should be directed to the Recruitment team within the Human Resources department (recruitment@glam.ox.ac.uk).
Please discuss secondments with your line manager in the first instance, as you must have their agreement that you can be released for a secondment before you submit an application. For more information please go to: https://hr.admin.ox.ac.uk/secondments
For further details on the Museum please see our website www.oumnh.ox.ac.uk
Only applications received online by 12.00 midday (BST/GMT) on Monday 6 January 2025 can be considered. Interviews are expected to take place on Friday 17 January 2025.
