Content Researcher in London

We are looking for a Content Researcher 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 scholarly value of EBSCO’s growing Historical Digital Archives. Working within a small, highly focused team who will be based in the US, you’ll help identify, evaluate and shape potential archival collections for digitisation. This role sits at the intersection of research, archives and digital publishing. You will work closely with the Product Management and Content Management teams to assess the scholarly value, scope and practical suitability of physical collections for digitisation for the purposes of academic research.

This role is based in the United Kingdom and is remote, and ideally, you should be located in London with the ability to commute to the British Library and to other London-based locations such as The National Archives at Kew. Although an EBSCO employee, whilst working onsite at the British Library, this position will sit within the British Library Licensing Team under the supervision of the Licensing Manager. You are expected to be working on site at these institutions for a minimum of 3 days per week or more if required.

What You'll Do

• Identify and evaluate archival collections (e.g. manuscripts, personal papers, institutional records, rare printed materials) with strong scholarly and research value across the humanities and social sciences by analysing online catalogues and search engines (such as Discovery at The National Archives), paper catalogues, finding aids and other bibliographic data.
• Utilise internal British Library tools such as ALMA and Primo, as well as the British Library’s own ordering platforms, to research and discover across British Library collections.
• Conduct collection‑level research to understand provenance, intellectual significance, subject coverage, and potential academic audiences.
• Assess collection suitability for digitisation, including: Physical condition and format, Volume and extent (item counts, linear metres, page estimates), Intellectual coherence and completeness, Metadata availability and quality.
• Produce clear internal documentation and reports outlining the size, scope, structure, and research relevance of collections, including recommendations for digitisation priorities.
• Liaise with libraries, archives, and collection holders, including archivists, special collections staff, and scholars, to gather information and contextual insight.
• Collaborate with internal teams (editorial and production) to support collection development decisions and project planning.
• Assist (when needed) with collection preparation for digitisation, such as updating inventories, re-keying catalogues, removing staples or tags, flagging items for exclusion, etc.
• Conduct online research to assess libraries and archives’ holdings to identify and select rare primary sources (manuscripts, newspapers, monographs) to be digitised.
• Assist in refining metadata, such as identifying key figures, locations, and topics to improve search results for researchers.

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:

• Postgraduate qualification (such as MA, MRes, MSt or PGCert) in Historical Research or PhD in History, the Humanities, or a closely related discipline.
• At least 2 years’ or demonstrated experience working with primary source materials in an academic research or teaching context and/or working with archival or special collections, whether in libraries, archives, museums, or academic research settings.
• Ability to evaluate scholarly significance and articulate why collections matter for research and teaching.
• Experience working with finding aids and catalogues at locations such as The National Archives at Kew and the British Library.
• Excellent written communication skills, with the ability to produce clear, structured reports for non‑specialist stakeholders.
• Strong organisational skills and attention to detail.
• Confidence working independently while collaborating across teams.

Additional requirements:

• Ability to work 37.5 hours per week, Monday to Friday.
• Prior experience working with primary source collections at the British Library and/or The National Archives.
• Experience in digital publishing, digitisation projects, or digital humanities initiatives.
• Familiarity with archival standards and metadata schemas.
• Experience liaising directly with external collection holders or cultural heritage institutions.
• Subject expertise in one or more humanities or social science fields.
• 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 18 kg.
• Appointment may be subject to the successful completion of a DBS check if required by the institution.