Archive Project Officer - MOR11958 in Elgin

To lead a time-limited project to review Moray Council’s archive collections and deliver priority, hands-on actions relating to storage, the value and retention of material, and cataloguing/backlogs. Working to recognised archival standards and Moray Council policies, the postholder will undertake practical collections work: surveying and appraising material, cleaning/repacking and improving storage, arranging and cataloguing collections. The postholder will also document decisions and procedures so that improvements can be sustained beyond the life of the project.

Responsibilities

• Review the archive collections according to recognised archival standards and Moray Council policies and establish a clear, deliverable improvement programme (including priorities, milestones and outputs).
• Appraise and process archive material to improve control and preservation, including arrangement, listing and cataloguing to an agreed standard.
• Deliver (or coordinate) digitisation of prioritised physical archive material, in line with established practice.
• Provide day-to-day direction to Grade 3 staff and maintain clear project documentation and handover outputs.
• Follow Moray Council health and safety procedures as it relates to archive collections and storage environments.

The Individual

• Experience of working with archive and/or heritage collections (this may include experience gained through study, placements, volunteering or work), including safe handling and working practices for mixed-format material.
• Experience of arrangement and description and/or cataloguing (or demonstrable understanding through relevant study).
• Experience of working to deadlines and organising workload across competing priorities.
• Experience of following documented procedures and applying standards consistently, maintaining accurate records and data quality.
• Qualified, or working towards a relevant qualification in archives.
• Evidence of ongoing professional development.
• Ability to plan and deliver work to deadlines.
• Good ICT skills, including Microsoft 365, and confidence working with databases/spreadsheets.
• Accuracy and attention to detail, including data quality and consistent application of standards.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team, using initiative and judgement to prioritise tasks.
• Understanding of, and ability to work within, relevant policies and procedures.
• Ability to provide day-to-day directions and support to staff and to contribute to supervision of volunteers, as required.
• Expert knowledge of archival principles and practice, including appraisal, arrangement and description, and preservation basics.
• Ability to catalogue/archive list material to an agreed standard and apply consistent terminology and referencing.
• Effective communication skills (written and verbal), including the ability to explain processes and decisions clearly to a range of audiences.
• Professional approach to internal queries and requests, responding clearly and within agreed timescales.
• Adaptable and resilient, able to respond to changing priorities while maintaining quality standards.
• Able to work safely in storage and repository environments, including moving and shelving moderate weights such as boxes of archive material and working at height (with reasonable adjustments where required).

Normal working hours as agreed; occasional flexibility may be required by prior arrangement to meet project deadlines. You will be expected to travel efficiently and effectively between various work locations within Moray to meet the operational requirements of the Service. Due to the rural nature of Moray, this is normally undertaken by the use of a car.

Temporary appointment for 6 months.

Closing Date: 03 July 2026

Starting Salary: £36,003.50 per annum £19.10 per hour 36.25 Hours per week.

For further information please contact: Scott Reid, Local Heritage Officer on 07929 784921 or Scott.Reid@moray.gov.uk, or David Hayden, Principal Librarian on 07970 833776 or David.Hayden@moray.gov.uk.