Archivist

UL Standards & Engagement • Northbrook, IL

1d • $67,319 - $92,564 • Onsite

About The Position

We have an exciting opportunity for an Archivist at UL Research Institutes and UL Standards & Engagement, based in our Northbrook, Illinois, office. The Archivist is essential to the preservation and activation of the 132-year history of UL Research Institutes (ULRI) and UL Standards and Engagement (ULSE) – two organizations which evolved from Underwriters Laboratories (UL) founded in 1894. This individual will execute archival processing, collection management, reference, research, and outreach services drawing upon the breadth of the UL Archives’ physical and digital holdings. The Archivist will possess a deep working knowledge of standards and best practices in archival appraisal and selection, accessioning, arrangement and description, collection management, and preservation of various physical and digital records and other historical materials.

Requirements

• Demonstrated experience managing archival collections through appraisal, accessioning, arrangement, description, preservation, and access activities in accordance with established archival standards and best practices.
• Familiarity with national and international standards of archival description (DACS/ISAD-G) and best practices in archival management.
• Demonstrated experience with social media to promote the archives to internal and external audiences.
• Demonstrated ability to work independently and collaboratively in small team environments.
• Strong project management skills for individual and small group projects.
• Ability to develop work plans with measurable results and achievable deadlines.
• High degree of curiosity to learn about the organization’s mission and history.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to communicate historical and archival information to diverse audiences.
• Strong advocacy for the organization’s history and value of archival services.
• Master’s degree in library and information science (MLS/MLIS) from an ALA-accredited program with a concentration in archives, or a master’s degree in history/public history with significant archival experience, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Minimum of 2 years of archival processing experience.
• Significant experience with archival collection management software (i.e. ArchivEra, ArchiveSpace), Microsoft 365 products (e.g. Excel, SharePoint, OneDrive, Teams), Adobe Acrobat, Adobe Photoshop.

Nice To Haves

• Experience with digital preservation repository platforms (i.e. Preservica) preferred.
• Certified Archivist designation by the Academy of Certified Archivists preferred.
• Certificate or significant coursework in digital archives preferred.

Responsibilities

• Appraise, select, accession, arrange and describe archival collections and materials in all analog and digital formats according to best practices and national/international standards.
• Support the continued development and maintenance of the digital archival repository by adding digitized and born-digital records for long-term preservation and access.
• Collaborate with colleagues on communications, public relations, social media, community engagement, brand, and other teams on projects and initiatives that involve the organizations’ history.
• Collaboratively assess and prioritize the physical and digital archival processing backlog.
• Collaboratively assess archival collection storage space, recommend improvements, and reorganize materials to best utilize available space.
• Respond to reference questions from internal and external stakeholders covering a variety of complex subjects in a timely and organized manner.
• Conduct oral histories with long-standing employees and retirees regarding their work experience and promote donation of their papers and materials to the archives.
• Speak to small groups and lead tours of the archives for employee and external audiences.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Benefits

• bonus compensation
• medical insurance
• dental insurance
• vision insurance
• life insurance
• 401k matching structure of up to 5% of eligible pay
• additional 4% into retirement saving fund after your first year of continuous employment
• paid time off, including vacation, holiday, sick, and volunteer days

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level