Project archivist - access

Hachette UK; London; Hybrid; GBP 26,000; Part time

Job summary

A prominent arts organization in London seeks a project archivist (access) on a part-time, fixed-term contract. The role involves leading volunteer sessions and developing engaging workshops focused on collections management. Candidates should possess an accredited qualification in Archives and Records management and experience in public engagement. Benefits include a pension contribution, annual leave, and a hybrid working model.

Benefits

5% employer pension contribution

28 days annual leave

Hybrid working model

Enhanced sick pay

Discounts at onsite vendors

Free access to Hayward Gallery

Free staff yoga

Qualifications

• General understanding of archival work, including repackaging, describing, and digitising materials.
• Experience managing volunteers and delivering engagement programs.
• Proficiency in archival software and IT literacy.

Responsibilities

• Lead biweekly volunteering sessions with the creative engagement team.
• Develop and deliver engaging sessions around collection priorities.
• Assist with archive research and provide a responsive point of contact.

Skills

Archival work understanding

Volunteer management

Creative public engagement

IT literacy

Education

Accredited qualification in Archives and Records management

Tools

Access to Memory

Job description

Closing date for applications: 12 September 2025

Salary: £25,600 per annum (based on FTE of £32,000)

Contract: Part time (four days a week), 7.5 month fixed term

Help connect the public with the Southbank Centre's iconic archive through creative engagement programmes and volunteer sessions.

The Southbank Centre is Europe’s largest arts centre and one of the UK’s top five visitor attractions, occupying an 11-acre site that sits in the midst of London’s most vibrant cultural quarter on the South Bank of the Thames. Its impact and reach are significant and it is respected internationally as a convener of great artists and diverse audiences and for being entrepreneurial and innovative in response to a volatile and changing financial landscape. The Southbank Centre is a charity that is determined to demonstrate its ambition to remain innovative, disruptive and experimental in what it does and to be highly relevant to the artists it wants to work with and to the audiences it wants to attract.

We are currently looking for a project archivist (access) to join on a four-day part time, fixed-term contract. The project archivist (access) role will take the lead in developing and delivering our celebrated participatory collections management scheme for the period January 2026 - March 2026. Working closely with the public archive team and wider creative engagement teams, you’ll develop and run workshops focused on the collection priorities of the archive.


Responsibilities

• Work with the archivist and wider creative engagement team to lead delivery of biweekly volunteering sessions, centred 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

Knowledge, skills and experience

• 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

Please download the job description from our career page via the 'Apply' button for a full overview of the role's responsibilities.


Benefits and perks

As well as working at one of London's most popular and exciting sites, the successful candidate will also benefit from the following:

• A minimum 5% employer’s pension contribution (rising to 9% depending on your employee contribution), from day 1 of employment
• 28 days annual leave, plus bank holidays (pro-rata for part time employees)
• Hybrid working model
• Enhanced sick pay
• Enhanced family leave benefits
• Up to 30% discounts at onsite retail, food and beverage vendors
• Staff ticket offers for Southbank Centre events
• Free entry to Hayward Gallery
• Free/discounted entry with other reciprocal organisations
• Free staff yoga
• Free access to emotional support from a confidential specialist Employee Assistance Programme available 24/7
• Season ticket loan
• Cycle to work scheme

Additional information

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 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.

Please state in your application that you found this role through Creative Access.