Archivist General Public Archives
International Committee of the Red Cross
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Job summary
The International Committee of the Red Cross is seeking an Archivist General Public Archives to oversee and develop the General Public Archives, covering 1863-1975. The role supports research, provides guidance on collections, and acts as ambassador for archival holdings.
You will collaborate with librarians and archivists, manage access policies, contribute to digitization efforts, and help ensure long-term preservation and utilization of ICRC archival heritage.
Qualifications
- University degree in archival science, history or other relevant fields
- Minimum 6 to 9 years of professional experience including in managing archives
- Knowledge of ISAD/G and RiC norms for archival description
- Knowledge of practices and trends in archival management and preservation
- Knowledge of archival management systems
- Good knowledge of the history of the ICRC and humanitarian action
- Knowledge of digital humanities an asset
Responsibilities
- Oversees and develops the fonds and repositories of the General Public Archives, covering the period 1863-1975.
- Ensures structure and coherence in the organization of files and series in the fonds of the General Public Archives.
- Ensures that every loan made to the General Public Archives is recorded and can be traced.
- Contributes to the strategic orientation and development of the General Public Archives services.
- Analyses the content of the General Public Archives and creates detailed inventories in accordance with ISAD(G) and RiC rules and standards as well as respective metadata structures and content.
- Supports and substitutes the archivist in charge of conservation and preservation to ensure the physical upkeep and longevity of the General Public Archives.
- Contributes to discussions and participates in working groups relating to the role, services, needs and plans relating to the General Public Archives as well as the other archives and library services.
- Generates statistics and provides qualitative analyses on the use of the General Public Archives.
- Supports the preparation of the next opening of classified archives (period covering 1976-1985).
- Handles research queries and provides advice and methodological guidance on the structure, content, context and functioning of the General Public Archives to internal and external users.
- Receives researchers and visitors based on the rules governing access to the archives
- Collaborates with colleagues in charge of the other archival holdings and repositories (Tracing Archives, Audiovisual Archives, Classified Archives, Library) and research services of the ICRC.
- Contributes towards the development and critical reflection on methodological issues pertaining to the constitution and valorization of the General Public Archives and other archival holdings for scientific and other purposes.
- Contributes to the promotion / valorization of the General Public Archives, including through the participation in the Valorization Committee and drafting of blog posts.
- Represents and promotes the General Public Archives internally and externally (through presentations, briefings etc.).
- Overviews the finding aids/research tools, in particular by publishing newly described items and reporting issues to the colleague responsible for the Archives Management System.
- Identifies series to be digitized in accordance with the prioritization grid: decides which collections are sent for digitization and in what order.
- Produces verification files (fichier de récolement) for the most complex series and supervises the production of simpler ones: in particular, ensures that files are named correctly
- Carries out regular follow-up with the digitization operators and participates in the technical committee.
- Helps organize the transport and return of series sent for digitization.
- Responds to queries from colleagues carrying out quality control.
- Coordinates reader requests by updating the table of series sent to digitization and indicating available alternative resources (microfilms, references digitized elsewhere, etc.).
- Identifies series to be processed by OCR/HTR technology to render digitized files machine‑readable and, depending on the types of documents, contributes to the drafting of annotation rules and the annotation itself.
Skills
Education
Job description
Since 1863, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has worked to preserve human dignity and relieve suffering caused by war and armed violence.
In collaboration with our Red Cross and Red Crescent partners around the world, we do everything we can to deliver life-saving aid, reconnect families and locate missing people – helping those who need it most, regardless of who they are and what side of the front line they are on.
We engage with authorities and armed forces on all sides, often confidentially, pressing for access to detainees to improve their living conditions and urging compliance with international humanitarian law to protect non-combatants, including from digital threats.
The Division of Archives, Library and Outreach valorizes ICRC heritage, knowledge and thought leadership through archives, library, the International Review of the Red Cross and law and policy outreach.
The archives and library preserve and valorize institutional information for long‑term use and access, contributing to the ICRC’s business continuity, accountability, and transparency. They form the memory of the organization and of individuals and their families affected by armed conflict and other situations of violence and contribute to the development of knowledge on ICRC’s past actions and on the development of international humanitarian law (IHL).
Through its different components, the division valorizes ICRC’s past actions and thinking to inform current and future decision‑making and promotes the ICRC’s present thinking, legal and policy positions internally and externally. Offering an academic publishing platform for multidisciplinary analysis, it promotes critical and forward‑looking research on humanitarian law, policy and action in armed conflict and other situations of collective armed violence.
The Archivist General Public Archives oversees the ICRC’s General Public Archives. They have been made available publicly according to the rules governing access to the archives. They support research and provides methodological guidance on collections and access to those archives. They serve as ambassador for the ICRC’s archival collections and repositories.
The Archivist plays a significant role in the preparation and tracking of general archives to be digitized as part of ICRC’s ongoing project to publish millions of digitized archival records online.
The Archivist General Public Archives reports to the head of the Library and Public Archives unit and works in close collaboration with division staff, in particular archivists in charge of classified archives and librarians.
Managing the General Public Archives
- Oversees and develops the fonds and repositories of the General Public Archives, covering the period 1863-1975.
- Ensures structure and coherence in the organization of files and series in the fonds of the General Public Archives.
- Ensures that every loan made to the General Public Archives is recorded and can be traced.
- Contributes to the strategic orientation and development of the General Public Archives services.
- Analyses the content of the General Public Archives and creates detailed inventories in accordance with ISAD(G) and RiC rules and standards as well as respective metadata structures and content.
- Supports and substitutes the archivist in charge of conservation and preservation to ensure the physical upkeep and longevity of the General Public Archives.
- Contributes to discussions and participates in working groups relating to the role, services, needs and plans relating to the General Public Archives as well as the other archives and library services.
- Generates statistics and provides qualitative analyses on the use of the General Public Archives.
- Supports the preparation of the next opening of classified archives (period covering 1976-1985).
Access/valorization of ICRC’s General Public Archives
- Handles research queries and provides advice and methodological guidance on the structure, content, context and functioning of the General Public Archives to internal and external users.
- Receives researchers and visitors based on the rules governing access to the archives
- Collaborates with colleagues in charge of the other archival holdings and repositories (Tracing Archives, Audiovisual Archives, Classified Archives, Library) and research services of the ICRC.
- Contributes towards the development and critical reflection on methodological issues pertaining to the constitution and valorization of the General Public Archives and other archival holdings for scientific and other purposes.
- Contributes to the promotion / valorization of the General Public Archives, including through the participation in the Valorization Committee and drafting of blog posts.
- Represents and promotes the General Public Archives internally and externally (through presentations, briefings etc.).
- Overviews the finding aids/research tools, in particular by publishing newly described items and reporting issues to the colleague responsible for the Archives Management System.
Contribution to the digitization project
- Identifies series to be digitized in accordance with the prioritization grid: decides which collections are sent for digitization and in what order.
- Produces verification files (fichier de récolement) for the most complex series and supervises the production of simpler ones: in particular, ensures that files are named correctly
- Carries out regular follow-up with the digitization operators and participates in the technical committee.
- Helps organize the transport and return of series sent for digitization.
- Responds to queries from colleagues carrying out quality control.
- Coordinates reader requests by updating the table of series sent to digitization and indicating available alternative resources (microfilms, references digitized elsewhere, etc.).
- Identifies series to be processed by OCR/HTR technology to render digitized files machine‑readable and, depending on the types of documents, contributes to the drafting of annotation rules and the annotation itself.
- University degree in archival science, history or other relevant fields
- Minimum 6 to 9 years of professional experience including in managing archives
- Knowledge of ISAD/G and RiC norms for archival description
- Knowledge of practices and trends in archival management and preservation
- Knowledge of archival management systems
- Good knowledge of the history of the ICRC and humanitarian action
- Knowledge of digital humanities an asset
- Fluency in oral and written French and English. Other languages an asset
- Ability to work as part of a team in a multicultural environment
- Sense of initiative and ability to work autonomously
- Rigor and organisational skills
- At ease with communicating with a broad range of audiences
- Good analytical and drafting skills
- Sense of client‑service
- Sense of initiative
- Sensitivity to the historical and heritage value of archival documents
- Intellectual curiosity and open mindedness
- Activity rate: 100%
- Type of contract: Open-ended
- Start date: January 2027
Please note that this position:
requires regular presence in the office and is not suited for regular teleworking.
involves significant physical work (lifting and transport of archival boxes)
The ICRC values diversity and is committed to creating an inclusive working environment, we welcome applications from all qualified candidates.
- At the ICRC, we value impact, collaboration, respect, and compassion. We seek candidates who demonstrate behaviors based on these shared values. For more information on the ICRC values, please visit this page.
The ICRC values diversity and is committed to creating an inclusive working environment. We welcome applications from all qualified candidates.
Job Family: Communications / Information Management / Information Technologiesﾠ
Contract Type: Open-ended contract
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