Job Description

Details of a current vacancy in the House of Lords. To apply for this post, please
ensure you complete all sections of our online application form found at
http://www.parliament.uk/about/working/jobs/

Job Description
Job title Reference number
Archivist 1864
Office Grade
Parliamentary Archives HL6
Starting Salary
£34,300 per annum
Term
This post is fixed term until 31 March 2024, with the possibility of extension
and/ or permanency. We will consider secondments to a successful applicant
coming from PDS, and temporary promotion will be considered for internal
candidates who are successful at interview.

Scope of the job

Background
We’re looking for an experienced, enthusiastic, self-motivated and organised
individual to join our team. The Parliamentary Archives are a shared service of
both Houses of Parliament, based in the House of Lords but jointly funded by
the House of Lords and House of Commons. We provide innovative and expert
information management, preservation, access, and outreach services that
enable anyone in the world to use Parliament’s records, both now and in the
future.

We hold over 13km of physical records dating from 1497 to the present day,
including many of the most important constitutional records in the UK, such as
the Bill of Rights, the 1832 Great Reform Act and the Death Warrant of Charles
I. We also have a rapidly growing born-digital collection.

This role is based within the Preservation and Access team, one of four teams
in the Parliamentary Archives. This team is made up of a diverse group of
professionals and manages the collection management work of the
Parliamentary Archives, digital preservation, photography and digitisation, and
preservation and conservation of the collections. Additionally, Preservation and
Access is responsible for the Parliamentary Archives website and the systems
used by the department, including Calm and Preservica.

This is a particularly exciting time to join the Parliamentary Archives. The

Restoration & Renewal and Archives Relocation Programmes are changing work
and priorities across Parliament, and our new Information and Data Strategy
demonstrates a commitment that all information will be valued, managed,
protected, and used, whether it be paper and parchment or the latest digital

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formats.

Main objective
Based in the Preservation and Access Team and reporting to the Senior
Archivist, this role is responsible for overseeing the day-to-day collection
management work of the Parliamentary Archives. This includes planning and
managing accessioning and cataloguing work, as well as liaising with the
Prepare and Move Team and other projects within the Archives Relocation
Programme.

Key internal and external relationships

• All Parliamentary Archives’ teams
• The Prepare and Move Team
• The Archives Relocation Programme Team
• Parliamentary Digital Services
• Specialist external suppliers (Axiell and Orangeleaf)
• Other Archives, Museums, Libraries

Main responsibilities
Line management and budgetary responsibilities
The post line manages the Archives Secretary, and matrix manages the
Archives Assistant (Graduate Trainee). There are no budgetary responsibilities.

Other responsibilities of the post

• Manage the accessioning and cataloguing process
• Undertake a share of backlog cataloguing and catalogue enhancement work,
including digital
• Manage Parliamentary Archives guidance relating to collection management
• Lead catalogue review of non-inclusive terms
• Work closely with the Digital Preservation Team and the Information and
Records Management Service to ensure consistency across the teams e.g. in
relation to hybrid collections
• Provide key expertise and support to colleagues, advising on collection
management issues such as transfer, appraisal, and standards
• Act as Parliamentary Archives lead for Calm
• Contribute to the relocation of the collections from the Parliamentary Archives
• Answer internal and external enquiries

Person specification
The qualifications required for the post are:
A recognised postgraduate qualification in Archives & Records Management or
a related discipline (or working towards this), and/or equivalent work
experience within an archive.

The knowledge, skills and experience required for the post are outlined below.

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Each element will be assessed in the examples you provide in your application
form. Should you be shortlisted these areas will be assessed in more depth at
interview and, if appropriate, in a test.

Competencies:

Essential
 Experience of archival cataloguing, including a sound understanding of
archival cataloguing standards and methodologies

 Excellent all-round IT skills, with a particular knowledge of IT within an

archive environment and experience in using Calm (or similar archive
management software)

 Experience of planning and managing small projects

 Outstanding communication skills, including the ability to explain

specialist issues in a way that is understandable and meaningful to a
range of audiences

 Proven influencing, persuasion and negotiating skills with the ability to

form and foster strong relationships with people from a wide variety of
backgrounds

 Ability to work under pressure to achieve targets, and to manage

competing requirements of multiple stakeholders (both internal and
external), managing expectations and prioritising appropriately.
Desirable
 Experience of undertaking administrative tasks in Calm, such as
running scripts and making mass changes.

 Experience of managing staff and/or volunteers

Terms and conditions

Salary and allowances

The post is paid in accordance with House of Lords grade HL6 (£34,300 per
annum). Pay increases usually depend on performance as assessed in annual
performance reviews, up to the current band maximum of £40,295.
Salary is paid monthly by bank transfer.

Probation
There is a probationary period of six months.

Term and hours

The post is fixed term and is for 36 hours per week (excluding break-time).

Consideration will be given to candidates expressing a wish to perform the role

on a flexible working arrangement such as those set out below:

 Job-share
 Compressed hours Y/N
 Home working (1-2 days a week) Y/N

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If you are selected for interview please inform the panel of the days/hours you
are available to work.

Benefits
As a colleague of the House, you will be entitled to our benefits such as a season
ticket loan, a Parliamentary Health and Wellbeing Service, including access to a
dedicated Employee Assistance Programme and many more. Full details can be
found on our Employee Benefits page.

Pension
The House of Lords participates in the Civil Service Pension Schemes. As an
employee of the House, you will be entitled to join one of these highly
competitive pension scheme arrangements.

Annual leave
Annual leave entitlement is 30 days (increasing to 35 days after one year's
service) plus public and bank holidays. In most offices annual leave may be
taken only during periods when the House is in recess and must always be
agreed in advance with the line manager and Head of Office.

Inclusion and Diversity

The House of Lords Administration is committed to increasing diversity and
maintaining an inclusive workplace culture. We welcome applications from all
candidates regardless of their age, caring responsibilities, disability, gender/sex,
gender reassignment/trans status, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and
maternity, race, religion or belief, sexual orientation and socio-economic status
The Administration will also consider flexible working arrangements and
reasonable adjustments.

Pre-appointment checks
For external candidates, appointment depends on satisfactory references, health
and security checks and where necessary proof of qualifications.

Successful candidates’ publicly open social media profiles will also be checked
under this stage of the process and information obtained may be used to review
suitability for the job role.

Baseline Security Standard

The House of Lords (along with all government departments) has to comply with
a Baseline Security Standard. The standard requires that we ascertain the
identity of the applicant, their right to work in the UK, their employment or
academic history over the last three years, and their address history over the
last three years.

Successful candidates will be required to complete pre-employment checks. This

includes security vetting to Counter Terrorist Check (CTC) level unless otherwise
specified. All successful candidates are required to pass these checks before an
offer can be confirmed.

Applicants should be aware that if they have resided outside of the UK for a total
of more than three of the last five years they may not eligible for vetting.
Please see the National Security Vetting booklet for further information.
In addition, applicants are required to give a reasonable account of any
significant recent periods of time (more than six months) spent abroad.
Applicants who have been unemployed or self-employed for over six months in

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the last three years (whose last three years’ employment/academic history are
not covered by references) will be asked to provide further documentation to
prove their history.

Returning your completed application

Please complete your online application by 23.55 on 8th March.

If you require any reasonable adjustments during the application process, please
contact HLHumanresources@parliament.uk or call 020 7219 3185.

Telephone enquiries

If you wish to find out more information about this post please contact Natalie
Walters on WALTERSN@parliament.uk.

No recruitment agencies please.

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