Research Archivist 2025

AWE is currently recruiting for a Research Archivist for the Information, Configuration & Knowledge Management group.

Key accountabilities

• Information research: Delivering information research projects in response to business needs and requests.
• Reporting: Reporting on status and health of record collections.
• Stakeholder communication: Stakeholder engagement and internal business outreach.
• Accuracy of cataloguing: Maintain accurate and detailed records of all record collections.
• Operating as a member of a team or as an individual as the task dictates.
• Maintaining and promoting high personal standards in environment, safety, health, security, and quality.

Key responsibilities

Research Services

• Undertakes research and discovery of collections to answer high-impact queries regarding complex and historical topics.
• Provides research and reference assistance to users of archived collections, recommending effective approaches and specific materials applicable to specific projects.
• Plan and direct outreach activities to promote the collections.

Collections management

• Contributes to the development and implementation of strategies and projects for processing and making available of collections in all formats.
• Organises, describes, catalogues, and arranges storage of collections in all formats.
• Supports preservation and conservation projects of physical and digital materials.
• Actively seek out opportunities to extract the best value from information.
• Prepares finding aids, guides, and other descriptive access tools, including the creation of encoded finding aids.
• Maintains and develops knowledge of current developments in archival processing, metadata standards and preservation.

Historical and Sensitivity Reviews

Supports the business in undertaking sensitivity and historical reviews to ensure critical and irreplaceable business and historical records are retained, maintained, and preserved.

Who are we looking for?

We do need you to have the following

• Experience with archival accessioning, arrangement, and description in analog and digital spaces.
• Experience with preservation actions required for born-digital and reformatted content, including database migrations and complex metadata standardization.
• (Technical) writing experience – ability to create process documents that demonstrate workflows for project team and reference reports on collections, as required by management.
• Digitization experience on at least one media type.

Whilst not to be considered a tick list, we’d like you to have experience in some of the following

• Bachelors in Library and Information Science, or similar, with an Archives and Digital Preservation focus, or significant equivalent professional experience.
• You’ll need to have the ability to work calmly and constructively in a priority changing environment and be able to manage your own workload. You will also have initiative, enthusiasm, a flexible approach, and ability to work to tight deadlines.

Some reasons we think you’ll love it here

• 9-day working fortnight – meaning you get every other Friday off work, in addition to 270 hours of annual leave.
• Market leading contributory pension scheme (we will pay between 9% and 13% of your pensionable pay depending on your contributions).
• Family friendly policies: Maternity Leave - 39 Weeks Full Pay and Paternity Leave - 4 Weeks Full Pay.
• Opportunities for Professional Career Development including funding for annual membership of a relevant professional body.
• Employee Assistance Programme and Occupational Health Services.
• Life Assurance (4 x annual salary).
• Discounts – access to savings on a wide range of everyday spending.
• Special Leave Policy including paid time off for volunteering, public service (including reserve forces) and caring.
• Policy including paid time off for volunteering, public service (including reserve forces) and caring.

The 'Working at AWE' page on our website is where you can find full details in the 'AWE Benefits Guide'.

Due to the classified nature of the work involved, there are limited opportunities to work from home in this role. It is anticipated that the successful candidate will spend the majority of their time working on site at AWE Aldermaston.

Our ambition is to create workplaces where we recognise and celebrate differences, encourage diverse contributions and our employees feel able to be themselves at work. We strive to create a genuine culture of openness and inclusion and encourage diverse applicants. Any inclusion information you provide will be stored in accordance with GDPR and kept separate from your application form and CV, and the information will not be shared with anyone involved in interviewing or making hiring decisions.

Next steps

Everyone who works at AWE brings unique skills and perspectives to the table. We recognise that great people don’t always ‘tick every box’. That’s why we focus on your potential, your fit with our values, your transferable skills as well as your experience. Even if you don’t meet every point above, but you feel that this role and AWE are a great fit for you, please go ahead and apply, we’d love to receive your application.

Important things you need to know

• We encourage you to apply promptly to avoid disappointment if applications are high and the role therefore closes.
• You will need to obtain and maintain the necessary security clearance for the role. This will be funded by AWE. The nature of our work does mean you need to be a British Citizen who has been resident in the UK for the past 5 years in order to apply for SC clearance and 10 years for DV.
• We want you to feel comfortable and able to shine during our recruitment process. Please let us know on your application form if you need any adjustments/accommodations during the process.
• Our interviews typically take place over Teams and for most roles are a 1 stage process.