Job ad: Archivist

ARCHIVES OF THE CATHOLIC ARCHDIOCESE OF BIRMINGHAM

APPOINTMENT OF A FIXED TERM/PART TIME ARCHIVIST

 £25,000 – £27,000 per annum/pro-rata

The Archive of the Catholic Archdiocese of Birmingham was established in the 1950s, and was one of the first Catholic collections to be listed by the National Register of Archives. Since then it has been developed by successive archivists, and now has an electronic catalogue using the CALM system. The archives are housed in St Chad’s Cathedral House, Queensway, Birmingham.

The primary responsibility of the archivist is to support the administration of the Archdiocese of Birmingham and its departments and agencies, through effective management and care of historic records. There will also be the requirement to deal with research enquiries, and potentially, scope to develop or encourage outreach and educational support.

A part-time Archivist (20 hours per week) with appropriate postgraduate qualifications, and professional experience is sought for this role. The successful candidate will be capable of working on his/her own, and will have appropriate language skills, including some knowledge of Latin and French. Enhancement of language skills, along with any other requirements, will become part of the archivist’s continuing professional development, for which provision will be made.

It is anticipated that the appointee will have an active interest in post-Reformation Catholic history, and be willing to develop a greater knowledge and understanding of Catholic archives through engagement with other professional and related bodies, and with individuals in comparable posts.

The Diocesan Archives is an independent department within the Diocesan Curia, the appointee will, however, from time-to-time find it necessary to work collaboratively with other departments within the Curia, including planning, finance etc. The appointee will be answerable directly to the Diocesan Trustees, through an individual member of the trustees, who will be appointed as line manager. In addition, there will be an advisory group (including the archivist’s line manager) appointed to oversee, support and mentor the work of this role, which will meet with the archivist 3-4 times a year.

The initial period of appointment will be for two years, with the possibility of extension, or a permanent appointment thereafter.

For an informal discussion about this role please contact Judith Champ, telephone 0121 321 5014, email: j.champ@oscott.org.

Application should be made, by submitting a full Curriculum Vitae (CV) and accompanying letter, which should set out relevant experience and why you are interested in this role. Your application for this role should be emailed to Gerry Dryden, Human Resources Director, at gerry.dryden@rc-birmingham.org by no later than noon on Friday 29^th September, 2017. Interviews for this role have been scheduled for Monday 16^th October, 2017.