Archives Assistant
Salary: £32,061 - £32,597 (Pro Rata)
Hours:22 hours 12 minutes (3 days per week), Wednesdays-Fridays
Location: Cumbria Archive and Local Studies Centre, Whitehaven
Contract: Permanent
About This Opportunity
Cumbria Archive Service is looking for an enthusiastic individual to help us provide access to the written heritage of Cumbria at the Cumbria Archive and Local Studies Centre, Whitehaven. The role involves being part of the team at our Whitehaven Archive Centre which deals with public use of our priceless and unique historical collections. You will help the public engage with the documents in our custody in a number of ways and help support the preservation and management of our collections.
This is an opportunity for a varied and interesting post, working together with colleagues in a small team at Whitehaven and as part of the wider Cumbria Archives team looking after the historical records of Cumbria. The post is offered on a three days per week basis on Wednesdays to Fridays, in line with the opening hours of our Whitehaven Archive Centre.
Key Responsibilities
- Providing advice to the public about our collections.
- Answering enquiries face to face and responding to enquiries received by email and telephone.
- Supervising the public search rooms, including supervising volunteers.
- Collection management activities such as retrieving and returning records to and from the strongrooms, re-boxing, repackaging and moving of collections.
- Cataloguing and indexing of collections under professional supervision.
- Engaging in supporting promotional and outreach activities such as school visits, talks and exhibitions, and social media posting.
Who We’re Looking For
We are looking for an individual who can demonstrate the following:
- An interest in the history of Cumbria and its people and places.
- An ability to deal with the public, with good customer skills.
- Good written communication skills, with an ability to present a response in a clear, concise way.
- Able to work to deadlines and under pressure, and be part of a small team working together
More information?
Further information about our services and our Whitehaven Archive Centre is available on the Cumbria Archives website at https://cumbriaarchives.org.uk/
If you would like an informal chat prior to your application, please contact: Robert.Baxter@cumberland.gov.uk
Who We’re Looking For
We’re looking for individuals who embody our organisation's core values: ambitious,collaborative, compassionate, empowering, and innovative. We believe in the power of these values to drive positive change, deliver excellent public services and shape a better future for our communities.
We’re also about potential over perfection and we can help you grow in the role and thrive in your career.
Be sure to take a look at the post specification (below) for the essential criteria for this role.
Guaranteed Interviews
We offer a guaranteed interview to the following applicants
as long as your application can demonstrate you meet the essential criteria for the role.
- Those who consider themselves disabled as defined by the Equality Act 2010
- Those in care or who have left care and are aged 24 and under
- Those who identify as a member of the British Armed Forces community (service leavers, veterans, their partners or spouses, reservists, cadets).
If you meet one or more of the criteria above, and wish to be considered for this scheme, select 'yes' to the appropriate question during your application. Find out more.
Diversity, Inclusion & Adjustments
We’re dedicated to enhancing the diversity of our workforce and we encourage applications from individuals of all backgrounds. That’s why we’re a proud Disability Confident Leader and also an Age Friendly Employer – to provide opportunities for everyone to thrive.
If you need any reasonable adjustments to participate in the recruitment process, please let either the hiring manager or our Resourcing Team know by emailing
Resourcing@Cumberland.gov.uk. While adjustments aren’t always guaranteed, we’ll always listen and we’ll try our best to accommodate your needs.
Application and Interview information
Easily apply by submitting your CV and answering a few short questions
- Closing date: 4th January 2025
- Interview date:TBC
Please note this role may close early subject to demand. If you’re interested in applying, you should apply well before the advised closing date. We cannot accept applications once the role has closed.
Please Read The Supporting Information:
Please also refer to our Careers site to find out more:
- Our Staff Benefits
- Candidate Support
- About Cumberland Council
