Project Manager - National Soils Map Archive in Aberdeen

JOB DESCRIPTION

Job Title: Project Manager – National Soils Map Archive

Grade: Hutton Band 6, £44,434.00 (pro rata) 0.6fte, 15-month fixed term

Group: Professional Services – Library & Information Services

Line Manager: Head of Library & Information Services

Type of Position: Line Manager

Location: Craigiebuckler campus, Aberdeen/Hybrid

Thanks to National Lottery players.

Hutton Unearthed is made possible with The National Lottery Heritage Fund. Thanks to National Lottery players, we will be able to safeguard this unique heritage, making it accessible to all and ensuring that the knowledge and stories behind it are not lost.

Background to Project

Hutton Unearthed will create a new national soil maps archive that will support and enhance public education, research collaborations and innovative digital storytelling. By restoring, curating and archiving the invaluable Soil Survey of Scotland collection – land data collected since 1947 – Hutton will create an Open Science resource for future generations whilst ensuring Scotland’s environmental heritage is preserved and made fit for future policy making decisions and land management strategies.

Main Purpose of Job

The Project Manager will provide strategic leadership for the delivery, governance and long-term sustainability of the Hutton Unearthed programme, a nationally significant initiative to preserve, enhance and transform access to Scotland's soil survey heritage. The programme will establish a world-leading digital archive and data platform, ensuring that unique environmental information collected since 1947 is preserved, discoverable and actively used to support research, education, public engagement and evidence-based policy development.

The postholder and project team will operate with considerable autonomy within the Library & Information Services department of the Hutton. However, the postholder will be ultimately accountable to the Chief Executive who is the project sponsor.

The project manager will be responsible for the successful delivery of all programme objectives, outcomes and benefits, ensuring compliance with funding requirements and alignment with organisational strategy. They will lead the project team and oversee a complex network of internal and external stakeholders, contractors, academic partners, heritage organisations and funders.

The postholder will act as the programme's senior operational lead and ambassador, shaping future development opportunities, influencing national conversations around environmental heritage and digital preservation, and ensuring that the archive becomes a sustainable national resource with international relevance.

The role carries significant responsibility for programme governance, financial management, risk assurance, stakeholder engagement, digital transformation and organisational reputation.

Key Areas of Responsibility

Strategic Leadership and Governance

• Provide strategic direction and leadership for the National Soils Map Archive programme, ensuring delivery of agreed objectives, outcomes and benefits.
• Establish and maintain robust programme governance arrangements, reporting progress, risks and opportunities to senior leadership, funding bodies and governance boards.
• Act as the principal programme lead for internal and external stakeholders, representing the organisation at national forums, conferences and sector networks.
• Ensure programme activities align with organisational strategy, Open Science principles and wider environmental and heritage sector priorities.

Programme and Financial Management

• Hold full accountability for programme delivery, ensuring completion within approved timescales, budgets and quality standards.
• Develop and maintain comprehensive programme plans, financial forecasts, resource plans and performance monitoring frameworks.
• Manage programme budgets and financial reporting, ensuring effective use of public and charitable funding and compliance with audit requirements.
• Oversee procurement exercises, contract negotiations and supplier performance management for specialist services and technology solutions.

Team Leadership and Organisational Development

• Recruit, lead, develop and performance manage the project team.
• Foster a high-performance culture focused on collaboration, innovation and continuous improvement.
• Provide professional leadership and mentorship to project staff while developing organisational capability in digital preservation, collections management and programme delivery.

Digital Transformation and Innovation

• Lead the development of the archive's digital infrastructure and long-term preservation strategy.
• Drive innovation in digitisation methodologies, metadata standards, user access, digital storytelling and public engagement.
• Ensure all digital assets, workflows and systems are scalable, sustainable and compliant with recognised professional standards.
• Champion the use of emerging technologies and best practice in digital heritage and archival management.

Stakeholder and Partnership Management

• Build and maintain strategic relationships with funders, academic institutions, government agencies, heritage organisations, technology partners and community stakeholders.
• Lead the preparation of high-level reports, presentations and business cases for senior executives, advisory groups, funders and external stakeholders.
• Negotiate and manage partnership agreements to maximise programme impact and future opportunities.

Risk, Quality and Compliance

• Establish and maintain programme-wide risk management and assurance frameworks.
• Ensure compliance with grant conditions, legal and regulatory requirements, professional standards and organisational policies.
• Oversee quality assurance across conservation, digitisation, metadata creation, archival management and public access activities.
• Ensure lessons learned, benefits realisation and continuous improvement processes are embedded throughout programme delivery.

Sustainability and Future Development

• Develop and implement strategies to secure future funding, partnerships and programme expansion.
• Identify opportunities for commercialisation, research collaboration and innovation funding.
• Lead the development of long-term sustainability plans to ensure the archive remains an enduring national asset.
• Support the organisation's wider ambitions in digital heritage, open science and environmental data stewardship.

Essential Experience and Skills

• Degree/professional qualification and/or substantial professional experience in Archives, Library and Information Science, Digital Preservation, Conservation, Information Management or a related discipline.
• Significant experience leading complex, multi-stakeholder programmes or projects, ideally within heritage, archives, libraries, research organisations or the public sector.
• Demonstrable success managing budgets, funded programmes and complex reporting requirements.
• Extensive experience of developing digital preservation, digitisation or information management initiatives.
• Strong understanding of archival standards, collections management, digital preservation and records management principles.
• Experience leading teams and managing staff performance and development.
• Proven ability to build strategic partnerships and influence senior stakeholders.
• Experience preparing business cases and high-level governance reports.
• Excellent leadership, negotiation, communication and presentation skills.
• Strong understanding of programme governance, risk management and quality assurance frameworks.

Desirable Criteria

• Postgraduate qualification in a relevant discipline.
• PRINCE2 Practitioner, MSP, PMP or equivalent programme management qualification.
• Experience working with nationally significant collections or archives.
• Knowledge of geospatial, cartographic or environmental datasets.
• Experience influencing policy development or contributing to national strategic initiatives.
• Experience leading digital transformation or organisational change programmes.
• Established professional network within the archives, heritage, library or environmental information sectors.

Additional notes/Requirements

• You must have the right to work in the UK

Interviews are scheduled to be held on the 29th of September.

We will not consider the use of 3rd party recruitment agencies for the sourcing of candidates for this position.

The James Hutton Institute is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.

The James Hutton Institute is a: Stonewall Diversity Champion; Athena SWAN Silver Status Holder; Disability Confident Committed Employer and a Living Wage Employer.

The James Hutton Institute is Happy to Talk Flexible Working.