Contract Archivist
Heritage Professionals

Location: National Capital Region
Compensation: $32-$40 hr.

Heritage Professionals (HP) is a heritage consulting firm situated in Toronto. It was established in early 2012 and specializes in a variety of different heritage services in the areas of archives, information management and curatorial work. For more details, please consult the corporate website below.

Description and Duties    

Heritage Professionals is seeking two archivists to take part in a project for our Ottawa-based client, the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW). This initiative represents phase II of a two-year project.

The first phase involved archiving 90 linear metres of records housed in CUPW's archival room in the HQ building. The materials that were deemed archival were arranged, preserved, and described according to archival standards, captured within the Union's InMagic database, and moved to their new state-of-the-art, purpose-built archival facility in Nepean.

This initiative will involve appraising, selecting, arranging, processing, preserving, and describing approximately 120 linear metres of records - in a variety of media and formats - recently transferred from HQ and some of their regional offices. The work will be carried out in a professional manner and in accordance with archival standards.

The archivists will report to the HP President and project manager, Ellen Scheinberg, who will be available to provide guidance to staff, oversee quality control, and ensure that the project is progressing according to the timeline. A senior archivist will be on site to provide expertise and answer any archival questions that arise. Our special advisor, Iona McCraith, will be involved in providing her expertise when it comes to preservation and conservation issues. The project will be conducted from March to November 2023 at CUPW's archival facility, located on Colonnade Road in Nepean. The contract is full-time and will run for approximately eight to nine months.

Successful applicants may be relied on for future initiatives undertaken by Heritage Professionals. The client has also expressed a commitment to creating a permanent position after the project ends. The archivists involved would be considered first for this opportunity.


Qualifications

The preferred candidates will have a completed master's degree in Archival Studies, Information Studies, or the equivalent in regard to background, training and experience in the field. The individuals will also have a minimum of three to ten years of practical archival experience.

Some of the required qualifications, skills, and characteristics that the successful candidates should possess include:

• Familiarity with and expertise in the areas of archival appraisal, selection, preservation, arrangement, and description;
• Experience working with textual and graphic materials. Some exposure to AV materials and artefacts would be an asset;
• Knowledge of the Rules for Archival Description (RAD) and experience arranging and describing records at all levels (fonds to item) according to RAD;  
• Proven expertise working with Microsoft Suite software and experience with archival databases such as DB Textworks would be beneficial;
• Ability to lift boxes and items up to 30 lbs;
• Strong communication - both oral and written -- and time management skills;
• Be detail oriented and have a commitment to accuracy;
• Comfort working with a team as well as the ability to take and respond effectively to feedback and direction from above;
• Facility to conduct work in an independent fashion and take initiative when required;
• Proven capacity to resolve problems effectively and manage multiple tasks at once.

Compensation

The salary base for the successful candidates will range from $32 to $40 an hour and will be commensurate with their credentials and experience.

Health & Safety Provisions

Staff are expected to always act in a safe manner and ensure that those around them do not put themselves or others at risk. Safety is everyone's responsibility. This includes protocols around the coronavirus virus - vaccinations, personal spacing, masking and isolation when ill -- depending on external mandates.

How to Apply

Please submit a cover letter and resume with a minimum of three references via email by 5 pm (EST), 28 February 2023.

Heritage Professionals
Attention: Ellen Scheinberg, President/Principal
heritageprofessionals@yahoo.ca
Website: http://www.heritageprofessionals.net
Only those applicants selected for an interview will be contacted.
Application Deadline: February 28, 2023

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