Job description
Join our Seattle-based team as an Archival Specialist at Northbridge Digital Archives. You will safeguard, organize, and provide access to a diverse range of historical and contemporary records, ensuring long-term preservation and discoverability.
In this role, you will design and implement archival policies, appraise and arrange collections, describe holdings, and oversee digitization projects that convert physical materials into high-quality digital assets. You will collaborate with curators, IT staff, and external partners to ensure robust metadata, preservation actions, and compliant access for researchers and the public.
We value initiative, collaboration, and a dedication to information stewardship in a fast-paced, innovation-driven environment.
Responsibility
- Develop and implement archival policies and retention schedules to govern physical and digital collections.
- Appraise, arrange, and describe holdings using standard metadata practices to support discovery and access.
- Oversee digitization workflows, quality control, and long-term digital preservation of assets.
- Manage metadata creation and normalization using standards such as Dublin Core, MARC, and PREMIS.
- Maintain and update finding aids, catalogs, and digital repositories to ensure accuracy and currency.
- Collaborate with curators, researchers, and vendors to prioritize processing and digitization projects.
- Ensure compliance with legal, ethical, and privacy considerations related to handling sensitive materials.
- Provide reference support and training to staff and external users on archival resources and discovery tools.
Qualification
- Bachelor's degree in Library Science, Archives Management, History, or a related field; advanced degree preferred.
- 2+ years of professional archival experience in a museum, library, or corporate archive.
- Strong knowledge of archival standards and metadata models (Dublin Core, EAD, MARC) and conservation best practices.
- Experience with archival management systems (ArchivesSpace, Archivematica, Preservica) and digital asset management workflows.
- Proficiency with digitization technologies, OCR workflows, and quality control procedures.
- Excellent organizational and project management skills with attention to detail and accuracy.
- Effective written and verbal communication, with ability to collaborate across teams and with external partners.
- Commitment to information governance, data privacy, and ethical stewardship of cultural assets.