Summary

We are the public body that looks after England’s historic environment. We champion historic places, helping people understand, value and care for them.

Historic England have a fantastic opportunity for you to join us as our Digital Preservation Assistant.

What you will be doing

We are the nation’s Archive of England’s historic environment.  We are everyone’s archive. We commit to be open, relevant and reflective of all stories so we can better understand the historic environment and how it has shaped our rich and diverse cultural identities.

We curate a dynamic collection that tells the story of the shared memories and lived histories of places in England.

As a member of the Historic England Archive (HEA) you will contribute to the better understanding of our collections of what we hold, its copyright and condition. You will also support through your work the delivery of material for the purpose of income or availability. You will ensure that the content, assets and collections in the Archive are shared in accessible, inspiring and engaging ways with a diverse range of audiences.

You are responsible for ensuring that incoming digital material is appropriately ingested and preserved in the Digital Archive and, with the Digital Preservation Officer, that records remain authentic and accessible for future users. You will undertake QA on digital data within the archive and carry out ongoing data cleaning and preservation tasks. You will facilitate access to the digital archive ensuring that it meets the needs of users for rapid and accurate access.

Who we are looking for

• A degree in a relevant subject or equivalent experience (the experience is the bit that matters the most)

• Experience of handling digital archive material in a wide range of formats

• Systematic and accurate approach to documentation

• Good understanding of digital processes, particularly digital preservation best practice and tools

• Ability to communicate effectively and build good relationships with staff, managers and colleagues throughout Historic England

We are an equal opportunity employer which values diversity and inclusion. If you have a disability or neurodiversity, we would be happy to discuss reasonable adjustments to the job with you. Having just won the Gold Award from MIND, we also recognise the importance of a healthy work-life balance.

We are an inclusive employer and believe that flexible working options are for everyone. We want to make sure our working arrangements don’t prevent anyone from joining us because of their personal circumstances. We also want to provide you with the best balance in your home and work life that we can.

We are open to considering options including job sharing, part-time working, compressed hours working and different working locations, including hybrid working. Please visit our jobs pages or contact us to find out more.

Why work for Historic England

We offer a wide benefits package including a competitive pension scheme starting at 28% contributions, a generous 28 days holiday, corporate discounts, free entry into English Heritage sites across the country and development opportunities to ensure you achieve your goals.

We are committed to promoting equality of opportunity for everyone. Diversity helps us to perform better and attract more people to support our work. We welcome and encourage job applications from people of all backgrounds.

We particularly encourage applications from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic candidates and candidates with disabilities as they are underrepresented within Historic England at this level.

Historic England want all of our candidates to shine in the recruitment process. Please tell us what we can do to make sure you can show us your very best self. You can contact us by email at recruitmentTeam@Historicengland.org.uk if you have any recruitment queries. 

To ensure a fair and inclusive recruitment process for everyone the use of AI or automated tools is not permitted.

Interview dates: Week commencing 8th July 2024 - in person, Swindon

Please follow the link for a full copy of the Job Description –

https://historicengland.org.uk/media/uieb0xkg/digital-preservation-assistant.odt