Stories That Made Us Project Archives Assistant

Reference Number: CCT063

Closing Date: 2nd April 2025

Location: Herbert Art Gallery & Museum

Hours: 20 per week Fixed Term for 11 Months

Rate of Pay: £23,240.08 Per Annum Pro Rata

About the role:

We are looking for an Archives Assistant to support the development and installation of new displays in the Stories That Made Us: Roots, Resilience, Representation exhibition, which celebrates and preserves the rich heritage of South Asian and British South Asian communities in Coventry.

The role includes selecting archival objects for display and creating interpretation material. We would also like the role to work with the wider Stories That Made Us project team to help develop and then lead a team of archive volunteers to organise, catalogue and review The Virk Collection at Coventry Archives.

Role and Responsibilities:

1. To support the development and installation of archival object displays within the Stories That Made Us exhibition. This involves developing interpretation, installing archival objects in displays, carrying out condition checks, ensuring proper packing and unpacking of objects.
2. To support the recruitment and development of a new team of archive volunteers to work on the Stories That Made Us project.
3. To support the Stories That Made Us project team and the archive volunteers in advising good practice for cataloguing archives in line with archives standards.
4. To supervise the safe handling and movement of objects within and between the Stories That Made Us archive and Culture Coventry sites providing training and advice for trainees and volunteers to ensure safe working practices and appropriate installation.
5. To oversee the operation of computers, microfilm readers, photocopiers to support archive volunteers.
6. To assist the Stories That Made Us project team in the collection and monitoring of performance indicators and statistics for the service, which relate to the Stories That Made Us project and exhibition. 
7. To work with marketing staff to promote the Stories That Made Us project and exhibition through a range of media, locally and at a national level, where appropriate.

Working Pattern Tuesday to Friday. There can be some flexibility in working pattern to be discussed at interview stage.

Job Description

Responsible for: Volunteers and trainees

Scope

Culture Coventry Trust and Coventry Sports Foundation are operating as CV Life, so that the scope of this Job Description as a CV Life document extends to cover the employment contracts held with either Culture Coventry Trust or Coventry Sports Foundation.

Overall purpose and objective of the role

• To support the delivery of the Stories That Made Us project and exhibition.
• To support the development and installation of new displays in the Stories That Made Us exhibition, including selecting archival objects for display and creating interpretation.
• To work with the wider Stories that Made Us project team to help develop and then led a volunteer led archival team to organise, catalogue and review the Hardish Virk collection.

Main duties of the role:

1. To support the development and installation of archival object displays within the Stories that Made Us exhibition. This involves developing interpretation, installing archival objects in displays, carrying out condition checks, ensuring proper packing and unpacking of objects.
2. To support the recruitment and development of a new group of volunteer archivists to work on the Stories that Made us project.
3. To support the Stories that Made us project team and the volunteer archival group in advising good practice for cataloguing archives in line with archives standards.
4. To supervise the safe handling and movement of objects within and between the Stories that Made us archive and the Culture Coventry sites providing training and advice for trainees and volunteers to ensure safe working practices and appropriate installation.
5. To oversee the operation of computers, microfilm readers, photocopiers to support volunteer archivist team.
6. To assist the Stories that Made us project team in the collection and monitoring of performance indicators and statistics for the service, which relate to the Stories that Made us project and exhibition. 
7. To work with marketing staff to promote the Stories that Made us project and exhibition through a range of media, locally and at a national level, where appropriate.
8. As appropriate, to carry out research, network opportunities and training to develop knowledge and good practice around working with archives.
9. To supervise trainees, apprentices, volunteers and work placements as necessary.
10. To be involved in digitisation work in the collection to create available resources for public users.
11. Any other duties that fall within the scope and spirit of the post.

This job description is neither exhaustive nor exclusive and may be reviewed and updated depending upon operational requirements and staffing levels.

Responsibilities for all employees

• To embrace and lead by example on the Company’s key values of PRIDE, PASSION and PERFORMANCE or those that might at any time be subsequently re-defined.
• To undertake all duties and fully comply with all of the Company’s general standards and those relating to the specific requirements of the role.
• To carry out tasks at a range of sites that are either operated or managed by the Companies / Trusts or where services are delivered by the Companies / Trusts 
• To be involved in any aspects or opportunities for sharing of good practice, expertise and responsibilities within the Companies / Trusts. To generally help promote the work and public image of the Companies / Trusts, always maintaining high standards of customer service and personal appearance. 
• To attend and fully engage with all internal training and development requirements and opportunities, and maintain such qualifications as required by the demands of the role.
• To interact positively with customers adopting a friendly and professional approach at all times.
• To support the Company’s commitment to providing a safe environment for children, young people ad vulnerable adults, ensuring awareness of the Company’s Safeguarding Policy, Procedures and Practice Guidance, and to be vigilant, reporting any safeguarding concerns without delay. 
• To comply with the General Data Protection Regulations when dealing with, maintaining, sharing and storing information.
• To undertake other duties as specified, which are appropriate to the qualifications, experience and general level of the post.
• To co-operate with managers and colleagues to ensure environmental responsibilities are complied with.

Person Specification

Essential Personal Attributes

• A friendly professional manner.
• Well organised, methodical and accurate skills.
• Readiness to work with people and ability to respond to differing needs, e.g. disabilities, children, diverse cultures and differing levels of understanding.
• Customer focused with the passion and ability to identify customer audiences, understand their specific requirements.
• A flexible approach to work with the willingness and ability to work outside standard hours on occasion.

Essential Knowledge and Experience

• A team player with an approachable manner.
• Experience of working in a heritage-related environment.
• Knowledge and understanding of issues and standards concerning archive care and management.
• Awareness of duties involved in working in a record office/archives environment.
• Understanding of the ways in which libraries and archives serve communities.

Essential Special Skills

• Good IT skills and proficiency in Microsoft Office applications.
• Ability to consider commercial opportunities.
• Good manual handling skills.
• Good communication skills both face to face and in writing.
• Ability to use initiatives, decide upon priorities and organise and manage your time effectively.

If you have any enquires, please contact our Human Resources Team by emailing recruitment@cvlife.co.uk