Archivist (Project-Based)

Prospect Park Alliance, Inc; Canada; On-site; CAD 80,000 - 100,000; Part time

Job summary

A community-focused non-profit organization is seeking a detail-oriented Project-Based Processing Archivist to organize records of its founding administrator. The role requires strong archival skills and at least seven years of experience managing historical records. The archivist will work under supervision to produce a finding aid for public access. This project-based position offers compensation of $30-$35 per hour, with an expected work schedule of 3-5 days per week for 20-30 days overall.

Qualifications

• Minimum of seven years' experience managing historical records.
• Demonstrated experience processing archival collections.
• Possesses strong knowledge of archival principles.

Responsibilities

• Arrange and describe archival materials according to national standards.
• Create a comprehensive finding aid including various notes.
• Make recommendations for basic preservation tasks.

Skills

Archival principles

Project management

Communication skills

Analytical skills

Education

Accredited degree in Archival Studies or related field

Master’s degree preferred

Bachelor’s degree required

Job description

Description

About us

Prospect Park Alliance is the non‑profit organization that sustains “Brooklyn’s Backyard,” working in partnership with the City of New York. The Alliance was founded in 1987 to help restore the park after a long period of deterioration and decline. Today, the Alliance provides critical staff and resources that keep the park green and vibrant for the diverse communities that call Brooklyn home. The Alliance cares for the woodlands and natural areas, restores the park’s buildings and landscapes, creates innovative park destinations, and provides free or low‑cost volunteer, education and recreation programs.

In 1997, Prospect Park Alliance established an archive because primary source research was crucial to an accurate and successful rehabilitation of the Olmsted & Vaux masterpiece. The Prospect Park Archives collects, preserves, and makes available materials that document the history and design of this historic landscape, fostering an understanding of the ongoing restoration work of the Prospect Park Alliance. Resources include books, maps, landscape and architecture drawings, oral history recordings, and thousands of images that shed light on the park’s singular place in Brooklyn history from the 1850s to the present.

Job overview

We are seeking a detail‑oriented and motivated Project‑Based Processing Archivist to organize and make accessible the records of the founding administrator of Prospect Park, who also served as the first president of the Prospect Park Alliance. This project is crucial for preserving our unique history and ensuring that these materials are available for researchers and the public. The processing archivist will work under the supervision of the archives director to arrange and describe the records, and will produce a comprehensive finding aid to submit the finding aid to platforms such as the Empire Archival Discovery Cooperative (Empire ADC).

Current condition of the collection

The collection is composed of paper‑based records in file folders and is housed in 30 record cartons. Access is through carton‑level inventory lists.

Requirements

Essential job functions / key job outcomes

• Arrange and describe archival materials in accordance with national standards.
• Create a comprehensive finding aid that includes an abstract, arrangement note, biographical/historical note, and scope and content note.
• Make recommendations for any needed basic preservation and conservation tasks.
• Performs other job‑related duties and functions as assigned.

Required education + experience

• Accredited degree in Archival Studies, Library Science, or related field with an archival concentration.
• Master’s degree preferred, bachelor’s degree required.
• A minimum of seven (7) years’ experience managing historical records for an institution/organization and fulfilling a diverse range of project initiatives.
• Demonstrated experience processing archival collections in an archival environment.
• Possesses strong knowledge of archival principles, best practices, and national descriptive standards (i.e., DACS, EAD, MARC, Dublin Core, etc.).
• Strong analytical and problem‑solving skills with close attention to detail.
• Exceptional organization and project management skills.
• Ability to manage time effectively and meet deadlines.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.

Competencies (knowledge, skills & personal attributes)

• Ethics & Integrity: Earns the trust and respect of others through a consistent commitment to integrity, honesty and professionalism in all interactions.
• Archival Principles & Practices: Advanced knowledge of collection storage techniques; research tools and methods; inventory and finding aid production; basic records management; general history relevant to the archival materials. Archival database management, analysis of historical value, production of written interpretation or summaries, and archival cataloguing.
• Project Management: Makes effective decisions about department priorities. Proposes defensible project budgets and works to control expenditures. Ensures appropriate resources are available to meet the capability and capacity required by objectives. Ensures policies, procedures and measures are in place to support the achievement of project goals.
• Communication Skills: Superior written and oral communication skills, including public speaking and the ability to convey complex information in a clear, culturally competent, effective and understandable manner to multiple stakeholders. Demonstrates effective listening skills and openness to other people’s ideas and suggestions.

Compensation

• This is a project‑based position that is needed temporarily.
• Compensation (salary/hourly rate): $30‑35 per hour.
• Expected work scheduled: 3‑5 days per week; 9 AM‑5 PM.
• Expected project duration: 20‑30 days.

Working conditions & physical demands

• Work is normally performed in a typical interior office setting, which does not subject the employee to any hazardous or unusual elements.
• Requires the use of a desktop, laptop, or video display terminal and identifying and distinguishing colors and shades of color.
• Requires routine physical movements with limited physical exertion.
• Requires communicating information with co‑workers, stakeholders and/or the public; reading correspondence, instructions and/or technical documents; writing correspondence and/or reports and filling in forms.

Diversity makes us stronger together: Prospect Park Alliance serves park users of all socio‑economic and cultural backgrounds and strives to reflect this diversity throughout our operations and in our leadership, staff, stakeholders and supporters. We know that by creating an equitable and inclusive workplace built on mutual respect and the appreciation of difference, our employees will feel safe to express themselves, voice their opinions and work together to find common ground and solutions. Integral to this vision is our longstanding commitment to provide equal employment opportunities for all employees and applicants for employment.