The Photographers' Gallery is the UK’s leading centre for the presentation and exploration of photography in all its forms and a dedicated home for an international photographic community. Established in London in 1971, the Gallery has been instrumental in reflecting photography’s pivotal role in culture and society and championing its position as a leading art form through a rich programme of exhibitions, talks, events, workshops, courses and other activities.
The principle job objective of the Archivist is to oversee the acquisitions, management, preservation and dissemination of the collections within The Photographers’ Gallery’s Archive. Core duties will include:
- Appraising, prioritising and safeguarding material for preservation and retention;
- Cataloguing and digitising The Photographers’ Gallery’s collections;
- Overseeing and maintaining the Archive’s database system;
- Setting/adhering to, and regularly updating, policy guidelines concerning the Archive (preservation, cataloguing, digitization and public access);
- Supporting funding bids for the Archive and activities related to it;
- Line managing the Archive Assistant, ensuring that their work contributes to a wider framework;
- Overseeing copyright clearance for identified material.
The ideal candidate will be someone with knowledge and experience of 21st century archiving practice within a visual arts organisation. The post holder will be diligent, resilient, flexible, proactive and a good problem solver with a keen eye for detail. Among other criteria, they will have 3 or more years' experience in an equivalent post, a strong commitment to digital preservation and a passion for photography and the visual arts.