Archive and Records Manager

Archive and Records Manager

EMBL – European Molecular Biology Laboratory

Heidelberg, Germany

Organisation data: Scientific Information Services
Job Number: HD02683
Contract Type: Staff Member
Contract Duration-Length of Time (years/months): 3 years (renewable)
Advertised Grade-Grading: 5; depending on experience and qualifications (monthly salary starting from 3.9k EUR after tax + other paid benefits)
Closing date: 22 September 2024

About the team/job

We are seeking an experienced information professional with expertise in records management and archiving ideally in life sciences research institutions. The post will be based in the EMBL Office for Scientific Information Management, an office with responsibility for the EMBL library, open science support, and EMBL archive and records.

The post will be responsible for EMBL’s archiving and records management activities in support of the EMBL mission. We expect the candidate to provide the necessary coordinated services across the entire records management and archiving workflow. Therefore we seek a flexible professional that is comfortable working across the full document lifecycle.

The scope of the EMBL archives and records management includes administrative and institutional documents as well as scientific records and materials. Therefore close cooperation with the scientific staff, an understanding of and enthusiasm for the working methods and results of the (life) sciences are required.

Your role

A substantial amount of work for the records management part will be in serving the needs of EMBL administration, working on projects within departments such as HR, legal, and finance to ensure that EMBL administrative records are managed in line with professional best practices and in a manner appropriate to EMBL. As EMBL is a research-performing organisation, some records are scientific rather than administrative, held in research groups rather than in central offices.

The EMBL Archive captures, preserves and shares EMBL’s scientific and institutional heritage. This role will focus on the management of the EMBL Archive according to professional best practices and with consideration to EMBL’s institutional culture. Working with key stakeholders across EMBL, your role will be to collect, appraise, and preserve EMBL’s material and documentary heritage for future generations.

As EMBL is an intergovernmental organisation spread across six sites in Europe, this presents a unique context in which to apply your knowledge and expertise.

Duties and responsibilities

• Development of records management policies and implementable guidelines for records management and access within EMBL;
• Manage and monitor the EMBL Archive’s policies, procedures and collection workflows;
• Benchmark EMBL Archive and Records Management against similar research-performing organisation;
• Working with administrative colleagues, advise on document retention schedules and classification schemes;
• Liaise with EMBL scientific and administrative staff to build the Archive collection;
• Liaise with IT staff to identify and deliver/manage appropriate technical solutions to support the guidelines, as required;
• Communication of guidelines/processes as appropriate to EMBL staff;
• Work with the user group made up of key stakeholders across EMBL to assist with the prioritisation of archiving and records management activities to meet institutional needs;
• Carry out appropriate preservation and conservation actions on the holdings of the EMBL Archive;
• Manage and monitor the archival cataloguing system (AtoM);
• Engage in external communication efforts regarding the archive and its contents, particularly through the development of appealing and informative website content showcasing the richness and significance of the archival materials;
• Strong collaboration with colleagues in the Office for Scientific Information Management to ensure this work is integrated into related activities across the office.

You have

Applicants must be able to demonstrate recent experience in managing records and archival collections in research performing organisations.

The following qualifications and skills are required:

• Master in archives and records management from an accredited institution or other relevant advanced degree or experience;
• At least 3 years experience in a records and archives setting, preferably in a scientific environment;
• Experience of working with contemporary and modern records and archives;
• Experience of using archives and records software packages, for example: AtoM;
• Excellent project management skills with experience managing complex relationships with internal and external stakeholders;
• Outstanding interpersonal skills with the ability to communicate at all levels internally and externally;
• Ability and proven experience to work independently and autonomously as well as in a team;
• A thorough knowledge of issues pertaining to records and information management, especially with regards to risk management, compliance and data protection;
• A high-level of integrity and ethics is required due to the responsibilities with confidential and sensitive information;
• Excellent command of written and spoken English.

You might also have

• Previous work experience gained in life sciences environment is advantageous;
• Command of German or French would be an advantage.

Why join us

EMBL is curiosity-driven, community-oriented and international. As an inclusive, equal opportunity employer, we believe that diversity enables us to collaborate more effectively and be innovative in our approaches.

EMBL offers attractive conditions and benefits appropriate to an international research organisation with a very collegial and family-friendly working environment. Competitive salary and social security benefits, financial support for relocation, a relaxed culture, professional development, an on-site nursery, canteen and other staff facilities make EMBL a great place to work.

Enjoy lots of benefits:

• Financial incentives: Income tax expemtion, monthly family, child and non-resident allowances, annual salary review, a pension scheme, life insurance, long-term care, accident-at-work and unemployment insurances;
• Flexible working arrangements;
• Certified training and continued development of your professional and personal skills;
• Private medical insurance for you and your immediate family;
• Generous time off: 30 days annual leave per year;
• Generous relocation package including installation grant (if applicable);
• Family benefits: On site nursery, 10 days of child sick leave, generous parental leave and monthly family and child allowances;
• Benefits for international newcomers: Visa exemption, education grant for private schooling, financial support to travel back to your home country every second year and a monthly non-resident allowance.

What else you need to know

We are Europe’s research laboratory for the life sciences – an intergovernmental organisation performing scientific research in disciplines including molecular biology, physics, chemistry and computer science. We are an international, innovative and interdisciplinary laboratory with more than 1900 employees from many nations, operating across six sites, in Heidelberg (HQ), Barcelona, Hinxton near Cambridge, Hamburg, Grenoble and Rome.

Please note that appointments on fixed term contracts can be renewed up to 9 years in total, depending on circumstances at the time of the review.

You will report to the Head of the Office for Scientific Information Management. Applicants invited for an interview will be asked to give a 15 minute presentation that outlines the experience they will bring to this role (5 minutes) and how they will approach the role (10 minutes).

Interviews are expected to be held in the week beginning 07 October 2024.

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