Archives Project Assistant — Student Research & Processing

American University; Washington (Washington County); On-site; USD 21,000 - 30,000; Part time

Job summary

American University Archives & Special Collections in Washington, DC, is seeking a part-time Archives Student Project Assistant to process archival collections donated by the USAID Alumni Association. Working under the Associate Archivist, you will follow a processing plan, research the collection and creator, and develop a finding aid.

The role supports access, discovery, and basic preservation of materials.

Qualifications

• High school diploma or its equivalent.
• Excellent organization, analytical, research, and problem-solving skills. Strong attention to detail.
• Excellent interpersonal skills, the ability to work collegially with others and independently, and the ability to communicate verbally and in writing.
• The ability to learn and adapt to new workflows, tools, and technologies.
• Reliable and responsive to communication and feedback in a timely manner.
• Ability to lift items up to 40 pounds and retrieve materials from shelves that are seven feet high.

Responsibilities

• Organize, arrange, and describe new and legacy collections using provided tools, systems, and workflows.
• Handle all archival collections materials with care and perform basic preservation measures as instructed.
• Adhere to provided archival arrangement, description, and preservation standards.
• Track and document project progress using provided tools and project plans such as MS Excel, Word, and Teams, etc. in order to meet deadlines.
• Assist office staff with routine administrative functions such as welcoming visitors to Archives.
• Assist with reference requests by retrieving collections materials and staffing the reading room, as needed.

Skills

Strong organization

Analytical thinking

Research skills

Attention to detail

Interpersonal skills

Verbal and written communication

Learning new workflows

Reliability and responsiveness

Capacity to lift up to 40 pounds

Education

High school diploma or equivalent

Tools

MS Excel

MS Word

MS Teams

Job description

American University Archives & Special Collections in Washington, DC, is seeking a part-time Archives Student Project Assistant to process archival collections donated by the USAID Alumni Association. Working under the Associate Archivist, you will follow a processing plan, research the collection and creator, and develop a finding aid.

The role supports access, discovery, and basic preservation of materials.