Independent Archivist Consultant – programme lead

Independent Archivist Consultant – programme lead

A unique global business is establishing a corporate historian function within Public Affairs, to centralize the archiving and maintenance of historic records and preserve the Company’s history. This department will also help with the Company’s narrative development and support reputation management.

As an Independent Archivist Consultant you will oversee the development of a fully functioning archives service that will support the Corporate Communications Department (CCD).

Your work will be supplemented by the research conducted in partnership with a specialized heritage consultancy who will perform an audit of all assets and formalize recommendations for the set-up and rollout of this function.

You will be expected to lead in hiring this consultancy and working with them to establish the corporate historian function. Together you will implement ways to manage the Company’s growing assets and help other departments build a corporate narrative based on them.

You will be responsible for the delivery of the suggested structure, processes and tools, as well as planning for how the Company archives will be managed and maintained in line with international best practice. You will also be expected to build key relationships in the Company to ensure stakeholders are updating and contributing to the archives.  Your day-to-day work will be supported by the consultancy that you recruit and dedicated personnel from CCD, and together you will identify key assets that can support the journey in telling the Company’s story.

Responsibilities:

• Onboard quickly, work with the Company to hire the right consultancy and establish the function, ensuring archives are set up to be accessible for all relevant stakeholders and can be leveraged effectively for Communications.
• Have an unrelenting focus and effort on ensuring that all efforts are connected into the Company’s story of the progress towards achieving its business strategies and desired culture.
• Be a creative and innovative leader who creates access needed to leverage the Company’s wide ranging assets, and work with CCD to build a wealth of stories and ideas.
• Partner and collaborate with the heritage consultancy and other departments to develop strategies, programs and tactics that align with the Company’s business direction.
• Be an advocate for the relevancy and benefits of having such a developed corporate history function and how it supports Corporate Communications Department.

Requirements:

• Forward-thinking and proactive
• Must be available for a two year engagement on site in the Middle East
• Recognised leader with experience in relevant organisations and projects
• Balance in professional archive capabilities and communications experience, to obtain maximum value from the Company’s archives
• Knowledge of digital record keeping including scanning, filing, storing, organizing
• Knowledge of digital preservation issues, strategies, and standards
• Knowledge of digital archival standards such as OAIS and Trusted Digital Repositories
• Knowledge of accessioning, arranging, and describing archival material
• Demonstrated knowledge of international archival standards – ISAD(G)
• Knowledge of Archives Management Systems such as AToM, ArchivesSpace, Axiell/Adlib, etc.
• Knowledge of digital preservation tools such as ArchiveIT, Archivematica, Preservica, etc.
• Highly proficient with desktop applications such as Adobe Acrobat Professional, MS Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint), and an ability to learn new IT systems
• Familiarity with web archiving tools and methods
• Experience working with digital asset management software applications
• Understanding of the application of emulation technologies for digital preservation strategies
• Over ten years archiving, with demonstrable experience in business archives
• Experience in digital preservation, metadata curation, digital libraries, and/or digital repositories
• Hands-on experience in using digital preservation systems in large scale digitization projects
• Experience handling materials produced in different languages (relevant Arabic language skills are not vital but desirable)
• Membership of the ARA is preferable