Historian

IEEE • Piscataway, NJ

1d • Onsite

About The Position

The Historian is part of IEEE's professional History and Heritage team, whose mission is to preserve and share the history of IEEE, its members, their industries and professions, and the related technologies. The position reports to the Director of Heritage Programs and works under minimal supervision, balancing program management, content development, and stakeholder engagement. The postholder will take ownership of Heritage projects and programs determined by management during the annual goal-setting process. Proactively managing these areas of responsibility, they will drive continuous improvement by leveraging IEEE Conferences, Events and Experiences (CEE) and broader IEEE resources, identifying innovations, and proposing ideas to management to elevate the team's overall remit. The Historian will research and develop historical content within special projects as assigned or to fulfil approved engagements. They will seek opportunities to translate historical content into accessible and engaging formats, partnering creatively and cross-functionally with History & Heritage and CEE staff in outreach to public and IEEE audiences. In addition to these core responsibilities, the Historian advances IEEE History and Heritage programs by cultivating relationships within IEEE and among the historical community, supporting leadership in these efforts.

Requirements

• Master's or other advanced degree in history, education, public history/museology, archival science, or related field required
• 4-7 years postgraduate experience in a related field required
• Broad expertise in the history of technology, history of science, public history or closely related fields
• Self-motivation, discipline, and ability to work under minimal supervision
• Strong organizational skills and ability to manage multiple competing priorities simultaneously to meet deadlines.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, and the ability to present engagingly in front of small- to medium-sized audiences
• Ability to translate complex historical and technical content into accessible content for multiple audiences.
• Ability to recognize the potential of new information technologies for reference, research, education and public outreach, and ability to translate them into practical solutions that enhance outcomes or improve capacity
• Proficiency in core Microsoft Office and Google Suite products, such as databases and spreadsheets
• Ability to fit into a collegial, optimistic team environment aligned with the core values of IEEE
• Be an effective, nimble partner and teammate with a customer-centered mentality
• Sensitivity to domestic and international cultural protocols
• Individuals currently serving on an IEEE board or committee are not eligible to apply.

Nice To Haves

• Ph.D. in history, education, public history/museology, archival science, or related field preferred
• 7-10 years postgraduate experience in a related field preferred
• Specific knowledge/training experience in museum curation and exhibits (helpful)
• Specific knowledge/training/experience in K-12 education (helpful)
• Understanding of not-for-profit organizations and working with volunteers (helpful)
• Creative ability to identify potential improvements in workflows and to implement new methods to achieve program or project goals
• Proficiency in communications and media software (helpful)

Responsibilities

• Independently researching and developing historical content, on special projects as assigned, in order to: facilitate the outreach efforts of IEEE as assigned by management; enable and advance the creation of activations commissioned, or the organization of events & experiences, by the CEE Content Transformation team or other CEE teams; engage academic, professional, public or IEEE audiences through published research or popular articles, or by giving presentations or lectures at conferences and events as authorized and encouraged by management.
• Assuming day-to-day ownership of Heritage programs, if determined by Heritage Director during the goal-setting process: the Oral History Program, scheduling and conducting oral history interviews, producing and editing transcripts, and identifying and managing oral history vendors; the IEEE Global Museum program, designing, curating, and circulating exhibits, and identifying and managing exhibit development vendors; new Heritage program(s) as they are piloted; assist the Director of Heritage programs in developing improved processes, methodologies and metrics for assigned Heritage programs.
• Advancing IEEE History and Heritage by: sourcing and editing articles, from peer-reviewed research papers to blog posts, as assigned by management; assisting in publicizing programs and special projects in the Historian’s remit through reports or articles for the IEEE History newsletter and other channels; cultivating relationships with the broader historical community, including academic historians, public historians, avocational historians and collectors; maintaining stakeholder relationships among staff, volunteers, IEEE members, vendors, and with the IEEE History Committee; assisting with fundraising activities on behalf of IEEE History and Heritage, as requested by management.

What This Job Offers

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