Communication and Archive Specialist

Position Summary

The Archivist leads the development, preservation, and accessibility of physical and digital archival collections. This role establishes archival standards, builds sustainable digital preservation workflows, and collaborates with internal teams and external partners to document organizational initiatives, programs, and community impact. The Archivist balances hands-on archival processing with strategic planning, policy development, and staff training.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain collection development policies, appraisal criteria, retention schedules, and ethical guidelines.
• Establish archival policies and workflows aligned with professional standards (e.g., DACS, EAD, Dublin Core, PREMIS/METS).
• Appraise, arrange, and describe physical and born-digital collections; create finding aids and metadata to support discovery and access.
• Implement and manage a sustainable digital repository and preservation program, including digitization standards, storage strategy, fixity, and disaster recovery planning.
• Oversee digitization projects, including prioritization, quality control, and long-term preservation practices.
• Design exhibits and digital storytelling experiences that highlight organizational programs and community voices.
• Lead oral history initiatives, including consent, interviewing standards, transcription, and long-term access.
• Partner with operations and legal teams on records management, retention, and disposition workflows.
• Train staff on records hygiene, naming conventions, and transfer procedures; serve as the primary contact for research requests.
• Track usage metrics, manage vendors and contractors, and contribute to grant writing and reporting efforts.

Required Qualifications

• Master’s degree in Library & Information Science (ALA-accredited) with an archives concentration, or a related field with significant archival training.
• 2–5+ years of professional archival experience, including processing, metadata creation, and digital preservation.
• Demonstrated knowledge of archival standards and best practices.
• Experience with archival management and digital preservation systems (e.g., ArchivesSpace, Preservica, Archivematica, DSpace, Omeka, CONTENTdm).
• Experience planning and executing digitization projects for images and audiovisual materials.
• Strong understanding of copyright, privacy, and ethical considerations in archives.
• Excellent project management, communication, and collaboration skills.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience establishing or expanding an archival program within a small or mid-sized organization.
• Oral history program experience and familiarity with web or social media archiving.
• Grant writing or budget management experience related to archival or digital access initiatives.
• Basic scripting or automation skills for metadata or batch processing are a plus.