Job Location: Watkins Glen, NY

Job Title: Head Archivist

Institution: International Motor Racing Research Center

About the Institution: Motorsport Library and Archive

Job Description:
Summary:
The head archivist will have responsibility for continuing a collecting program that includes materials from and about the world’s premier motor racing organizations, such as Formula 1 and NASCAR, and their drivers as well as significant holdings relating to regional amateur motorsport and unique forms of racing from dirt tracks, airports, off road and even snow and ice. Items represented in the rich holdings include corporate archives, publications and manuscript materials, race programs, posters, photographs, films, museum artifacts and memorabilia, as well as born digital materials.

Reporting to the Executive Director of the IMRRC, the Archivist will lead the stewardship of existing collections and seek and appraise opportunities for new acquisitions. The Archivist will ensure proper custodial control and collections management including safe use and storage of materials. The Archivist will continue to enhance patron discoverability and ease of use of collections through management of an archival description program.

The Archivist will have opportunities to increase exposure to and promote the incredible collections through reference requests, digitization initiatives, educational outreach and exhibition work. Interactions with a wide range of Center constituents including scholars, media, motorsports professionals, donors and the general public will take place on site and at premier motorsports events.

Joining the IMRRC at a dynamic period in the organization’s history, the Archivist will engage with an enthusiastic governing council.

Essential Functions: 
Primary Duties/Responsibilities:

• Administers the accessioning, preservation, processing, and description of the archives, including manuscripts, publications, photographs, drawings, film, memorabilia, digitized and born digital objects. Ensures proper cataloging, dissemination and storage conditions utilizing archival best practice and standards.
• Managing a collection of this scope will require physically engaging with the collection, including lifting a 40lb box and occasionally examining delicate or dirty incoming materials.
• Ensures collections are discoverable and available to scholars engaged in research through the creation and management of digital resources such as finding aids, digitized collection content, webpages, and databases.
• Assists users in navigating collections on-site and online. Advises on reference services program with an eye towards efficiency. Responds to telephone, email, and walk-in research inquiries either directly or via the supervision of paid and/or volunteer staff researchers. Directs the staff and scholars in the proper procedures for handling collection items.
• Surveys and appraises potential acquisitions. Identifies and actively solicits donors for the acquisition of collections that fall within the scope and strengths of the collections.
• Develops budget for archival needs.

Secondary Duties/Responsibilities as assigned:

• Networks and attends events within the racing and archival communities. Represents the International Motor Racing Research Center in external professional organizations and initiatives, this could include writing and lecturing on the archives. Assists with walk-in tourists during busy race weekend events.
• Creatively supports the exhibits and programs of the IMRRC staff with ideas and providing technical and interpretive assistance including research, curation and captioning of collection items for display. Coordinates loans of objects from the archives to other institutions for exhibitions.
• Responds to image and image rights requests, digitizing source material, encoding metadata, and uploading digital assets.
• Creates and maintains a positive and mutually beneficial working relationship with the regional community in the acquisition, interpretation, and sharing of collections.

• Demonstrated knowledge of archival science and special collections management.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills to represent the IMRRC and its collections.
• Strong organizational skills, attention to detail and consistency.
• Conscientiousness, dedication, self-discipline, and a sense of responsibility.
• Ability to work independently, and interact in a team environment. 
• Skills to prioritize multiple assignments with attention to detail, occasionally with fast paced deadlines.
• Supervisory and leadership skills, with ability to train others or facilitate collaboration.
• Proficient with Microsoft Office Suite or related software.

• Master’s degree from an ALA accredited program with a concentration in archives management or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Minimal five years of professional archival experience.
• Expertise arranging, describing, and preserving archival, manuscript, photographic, and other non-print materials, including experience processing large collections.
• Demonstrated knowledge of archival standards and authority control practice including DACS, and EAD.
• Experience in the implementation and/or use of archival, content, and digital asset management systems such as Archives Space.
• Experience with technology initiatives or other grant funded work such as digitization and access projects.

This Position is: In-Person

Position Type: Full-Time

Salary Range: $55,000 - $65,000

Salary Type: Exempt

Benefits: Health Insurance, Dental Insurance, Vision Insurance, Paid time off

How to Apply: To apply, please send a current resume and letter of interest to Executive Director Mark Steigerwald mark@racingarchives.org