VACANCY: Project archivist

BACKGROUND

The South African History Archive (SAHA) is an independent human rights archive committed to documenting and raising awareness of past struggles against apartheid, as well as ongoing struggles in the making of democracy in South Africa.

For more about the South African History Archive, refer to www.saha.org.za.

JOB DESCRIPTION

SAHA is seeking a project archivist to work with the archival team at SAHA on an archival project in the first half of 2013. This is a grant-funded, temporary position at the SAHA offices at Constitution Hill in Braamfontein, Johannesburg.

Responsibilities include:

• Surveying, appraising, and accessioning the records of the Constitution Hill Trust, identifying preservation issues and needs, and producing recommendations for digitisation;
• Following standards and best practices for archival description, processing and arranging archival holdings and generate encoded finding aids;
• Conducting research to identify related archival materials and collections, resulting in the production of an archival audit report;

QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

 Required:

• Qualification in library, information and / or heritage management;
• Demonstrable understanding of archival principles and practices;
• Familiarity with database management and library / archive management systems.

 Preferred:

• Experience in processing archival collections;
• Demonstrable interest in human rights advocacy and constitutional issues;
• Experience working in an NGO / civil society context.

SKILLS

• Ability to plan, prioritize work, and meet deadlines
• Ability to work independently
• Strong attention to detail
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills
• Strong written communication skills
• Competency with Microsoft Office software
• General fitness for lifting archive boxes and moving loaded carts

APPLY

To apply, please send letter of motivation, CV (no longer than 3 pages) and contact details for at least 2 professional referees by email to info@saha.org.za by 25 January 2013. Please reference the position “Project Archivist” in the subject line of your e-mail. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.