Archives Acquisitions Editor in London

Your Opportunity

We are looking for an Archives Acquisitions Editor to join our newly established Archives Product Management team in the UK. This is an exciting opportunity to play a key role in shaping the future of archival products for the academic research community. Working within a small, highly focused team who will be based in the US, you’ll help define the vision, strategy, and scope of innovative digital archive products. Operating with a start-up mindset, the team values collaboration, intellectual curiosity, and thoughtful decision-making. As the archive programme grows, this role offers the chance to influence long-term product direction and contribute to a developing team culture. This role is based in the United Kingdom and requires flexibility to travel between London and the Home Counties, working on site at the institutions as required by project needs.

What You'll Do

• Source and develop collections for archival products by working closely with supplier institutions to identify suitable materials for digitisation.
• Collaborate with internal colleagues to define the scope, breadth, and academic relevance of published archives.
• Research trends in academic research to inform product development and ensure market relevance.
• Build and maintain relationships with academic societies, advisory boards, and researchers.
• Gather forecasting data from sales teams to support robust business cases.
• Create detailed business cases outlining scope, costs, timelines, and projected revenue.
• Coordinate with internal stakeholders to implement and manage appropriate legal agreements.
• In collaboration with the Content Management team, oversee outsourced scanning and HRT processes.
• Work with relevant teams to ensure metadata quality and user experience meet product standards.
• Commission introductory papers to contextualise published archives.
• Support consultation and engagement with advisory boards and academic partners.

About You

You have a strong interest in academic research, particularly within the arts and humanities, and are passionate about improving access to the world’s scholarly and cultural heritage. You are intellectually curious, commercially aware, and motivated to create products that add genuine value to the academic community while meeting business objectives. You enjoy working collaboratively but are equally comfortable taking initiative and managing tasks independently.

What sets you apart:

• At least 2 years’ experience working with source library institutions (e.g. British Library, The National Archives).
• At least 2 years’ experience sourcing primary source materials for archive publishing.
• Experience handling fragile or rare materials with an understanding of preservation standards.
• Confidence engaging with academics and researchers.
• Experience writing project proposals and business cases.
• Experience working with offshore vendors.
• Understanding of metadata standards and discovery tools.
• General knowledge of Digital Humanities and data mining methodologies.
• Familiarity with open-access Digital Humanities tools and their role in academic research.
• Excellent presentation and communication skills.
• Experience using academic research tools and methodologies.
• Undergraduate degree required; master’s degree preferred.

Additional requirements:

• Ability to work 37.5 hours per week, Monday to Friday.
• Willingness and ability to travel between London and the Home Counties and work at institute’s locations, based on project requirements. You are expected to be working on site at these institutions a minimum of 3 days per week or as the project dictates.
• This role will involve manual handling tasks, such as moving archive materials or boxes and you will need to be able to lift a maximum of 18kgs in weight.
• Appointment may be subject to the successful completion of a DBS check if required by the institution.