The Gates archives is looking for a Contract Assistant Archivist (term position). See information below.

Position: Contract Assistant Archivist (term position) 

Description: Gates Archive, a private archive located in the greater Seattle area, is the trusted custodian of the philanthropic and personal archival collections of the Gates family. The Archive is currently seeking candidates for an Assistant Archivist. This is a full-time, contract position for 2019 (subject to renewal) requiring a robust background investigation. 

The Assistant Archivist will report to the Manager of Archive Services. Under direction of the Lead, Access and Outreach the candidate will contribute to the execution of the following activities: 

• Acknowledge and fulfill access requests 

• Support access and processing-related projects and initiatives 

• Arrange and describe personal papers and organizational records in both analog and born-digital formats in accordance with Gates Archive processing policies 

• Conduct basic preservation and conservation procedures to stabilize analog and digital materials 

• Maintain statistics, reports, and other metrics 

• Review and update policies and documentation 

• Fulfill other organizational duties as assigned 

Required skills: To perform the above duties, the candidate will possess 

• A demonstrated understanding of modern archival and/or information science theory, standards, and practices and their implementation 

• Familiarity and/or experience with performing accessioning, access/reference, processing and preservation services in an archive, library, special collections, or museum setting 

• Strong customer service skills; ability to respond promptly to requests electronically, by phone, and in-person 

• Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively and productively in a rapidly changing environment 

• Proven ability to prioritize work, set goals and milestones, and meet multiple deadlines 

• Demonstrated ability to communicate effectively, both verbally and in writing 

Preferred skills: 

• Experience performing acquisitions, processing, preservation, and access/reference services including born- digital, digitized, and physical materials in a variety of formats 

• Knowledge of information technologies appropriate to special collections and archives, including digital forensics software, digital preservation and collections management systems, and access and discovery tools. Familiarity with database management, word processing, spreadsheet software, and web-based applications and technologies used in an archives environment 

• Experience creating archival descriptive resources and interpreting and applying restrictions for access to and/or use of archival materials 

Education: 

• A Master’s Degree of Archival Studies, or Library & Information Science, or equivalent combination of education and professional experience 

Interested candidates should submit their resume and a short cover letter to Sarah Safley, sarah@wimmersolutions.com