Assistant Curator (Short-Term Contract)

British Online Archives is a digital publisher of primary source collections, drawn from archives across the UK and beyond. Access to these collections is principally licensed to university libraries, for use by academics, researchers, and students.

The Content team, within which this Assistant Curator role will sit, is responsible for developing new collections. This involves identifying relevant archival partners, scoping material to be included, and preparing the material for publication.

We are looking to hire an Assistant Curator on a six-month contract, to lead on the development of a new collection. This is a brilliant opportunity for a current PhD student, or recent doctoral graduate, to learn more about digital publishing, bring important primary source material to a wider audience, and apply their academic expertise in a commercial setting.

Key duties in this role will include:

• research for the development of a new primary source collection, in line with the Assistant Curator’s interests
• on-site scoping of primary source material at archives/repositories for the proposed collection
• developing written material to accompany and market the collection
• research and scoping tasks on other curation projects, as required

This is a part-time post, with working hours to range between 21hrs to 28hrs/week. The exact working pattern will be negotiated on appointment.

It is a six-month contract with a start date in January 2027.

The role requires a combination of remote working and visits to relevant archives/repositories.

Person specification

This role would suit a Humanities researcher with an interest in archives and primary source material. Our ideal candidate would be either a PhD student currently enrolled in their doctoral studies, or a post-doctoral Early Career Researcher (ECR). Applicants who are currently working towards their PhD may wish to undertake this temporary post as a placement.

The successful candidate will be able to demonstrate:

• Creative and lateral thinking in the curation process
• Appropriate knowledge of the research landscape
• Excellent communication skills, both orally and in writing
• The ability to manage workload, across multiple tasks
• Confidence working independently and as part of a team

To apply, please send the following materials in PDF format (by email) via the ‘Apply’ button above (e: careers@britishonlinearchives.com), with the subject line ‘Assistant Curator’, by Monday 9 November at 5pm:

• A CV (maximum two pages)
• A short covering letter setting out your suitability for this role
• A proposal (maximum one page) summarising the collection you would develop if appointed and the primary source materials you would ideally include

We would particularly welcome collection proposals which broaden and diversify BOA’s current offering, adding new strengths and perspectives.

Salary is £25,000/year on a FTE basis.

This role will either be held on a four or three day a week basis. Four days a week = £20,000pa; three days a week = £15,000pa. It is a six-month post.

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