Project Archivist - Access

Southbank Centre; Greater London; On-site; GBP 25,000 - 35,000; Part time

Benefits offered by this job

Min 5% employer’s pension contribution

28 days annual leave plus bank holidays

Enhanced family leave benefits

Discounts at onsite vendors

Staff ticket offers for events

Free entry to Hayward Gallery

Free staff yoga

Confidential Employee Assistance Programme

Cycle to work scheme

Job summary

A prominent arts charity in London is seeking a Project Archivist (Access) for a part-time role to lead community engagement through workshops. The ideal candidate will possess a strong understanding of archival work, experience in managing volunteers, and proficiency in archival software. This position offers competitive benefits including a pension scheme and generous leave. Applications from diverse backgrounds are encouraged.

Qualifications

• General understanding of archival work, such as repackaging and digitizing material.
• Experience in creative public engagement or training programmes.
• Demonstrable IT literacy.

Responsibilities

• Lead delivery of biweekly volunteering sessions.
• Develop engaging sessions from Creative Engagement priorities.
• Conduct in-depth archival research to assist users.

Skills

Understanding of archival work

Experience in managing volunteers

Proficiency in archival management software

Accredited qualification in Archives and Records Management

Education

Accredited qualification in Archives and Records Management

Tools

Access to Memory

Job description

Overview

Project Archivist - Access role at Southbank Centre. 4 day part-time fixed term contract. The Project Archivist (Access) will lead the development and delivery of the participatory collections management scheme for January 2026 – March 2026, working with the public, the archive team and wider creative engagement teams to develop and run workshops aligned with the collection priorities of the archive.

Responsibilities

• Work with the archivist and wider Creative Engagement team to lead delivery of biweekly volunteering sessions, centered in the Archive Studio in the Royal Festival Hall.
• Develop engaging and informative sessions from Creative Engagement and collection priorities, including skills training, promoting wellbeing, collection care and building collections information.
• Provide a responsive point of contact for the archive research and enquiry service, in-person, via phone and through email contact.
• Conduct in-depth archival research to assist users in locating specific documents or information in support of their query.

Qualifications and skills

• A general understanding of the requirements of archival work, such as repackaging, describing, digitising and arranging archive material.
• Experience in managing volunteers and delivering creative public engagement or training programmes.
• Proficiency in using archival management software, ideally Access to Memory, and demonstrable IT literacy.
• An accredited qualification in Archives and Records Management, equivalent experience or a demonstrable interest in archives and heritage.

Notes for Applicants

Please download the Job Description from our Career Page for a full overview of the role’s responsibilities.

We welcome applications from people from a Black, Asian or Ethnically Diverse background or those who are D/deaf or disabled. If you wish to discuss reasonable adjustments such as a BSL interpreter for your interview please indicate this on your application form. Interviews will take place at The Southbank Centre. If you would like to speak to someone about any adjustments or concerns you can also email [e-mail] and we will be in touch with you to make the necessary arrangements.

By attracting people to work for us from a broad range of backgrounds with diverse attitudes, opinions and beliefs we can continue to look at the world with fresh eyes and find new ways of doing things. The Southbank Centre is a warm and welcoming place to work, with great aspirations and ambitions to create great and accessible work for all. We pride ourselves in building a supportive environment to enable the development of our staff.

If you feel you have just some of the required skills and experience but meet the person specification, we would still encourage you to apply; we are very open to continuing the training and development of individuals who are self motivated to acquire new skills and knowledge relevant to the role.

About Southbank Centre

The Southbank Centre is Europe’s largest arts centre and one of the UK’s top five visitor attractions, occupying an 11-acre site on the South Bank of the Thames. It is a charity dedicated to diversity, inclusion and innovation, with a commitment to creating welcoming spaces and wonderful experiences together.

Benefits and culture

• Min 5% employer’s pension contribution (rising to 9% depending on employee contribution) from day 1
• 28 days annual leave, plus bank holidays (pro-rata for part-time employees)
• Enhanced family leave benefits
• Discounts at onsite retail, food and beverage vendors (up to 30%)
• Staff ticket offers for Southbank Centre events
• Free entry to Hayward Gallery
• Free/discounted entry with reciprocal organisations
• Free staff yoga
• Confidential Employee Assistance Programme (24/7)
• Season ticket loan
• Cycle to work scheme

The deadline for applications is 23:59 on the closing date for the job posting.