Documentalist. ICRC

Profession: Documentalist
male or female post at 100%, job-sharing possible

Purpose of the post

To organize, make available and disseminate in electronic form information produced or gathered by the Legal Division to internal target groups (ICRC staff members and the division's target groups) and external target groups (website). To develop a strategic vision in this area.
In the context of the creation of the intranet and Web 3G, a project to incorporate the three public international humanitarian law (IHL) databases into the Content Management System was approved. The documentalist will be responsible for analysing the links in content between the three databases, organizing this content in the Content Management System, and implementing the project in cooperation with the webmaster and IT services.
Main responsibilities and tasks


Reporting directly to the Head of the Legal Division, the documentalist will be responsible for:

Carrying out the project to incorporate the Legal Division’s three public databases into the Content Management System. In particular, this will involve:
Drawing up a status report on existing links between the Legal Division’s three public databases as well as with the ICRC library's catalogue;
Based on this status report, analysing and discussing with the units in charge of each database the way the data will be organized (as a whole and within each database);
Leading the working group formed of a representative from each unit;
Organizing structural changes to the three databases and incorporating the databases into the Content Management System in collaboration with the webmaster and IT services;
Updating the treaties and other texts in the IHL Treaties database;
On completion of the project, suggesting new processes for managing and making available the information produced or gathered by the Legal Division.
Managing the internal database of the Legal Division, selecting suitable internal documents produced by the Legal Division and ensuring that new documents are regularly added to the internal database and indexed by subject.
Managing the IHL section of the ICRC website together with the Deputy Head of the Legal Division, organizing the legal information available on the website and ensuring that relevant documents are passed to the webmaster.
Identifying needs for maintenance to legal databases and submitting and following up on requests and on the Legal Division’s annual IT project forms.
Training and experience required
Documentalist or information management specialist (document engineering or content management); Diploma of further education in documentary information (CESID), Masters from the Geneva
School of Business Administration (HEG) (or equivalent) or at least four years’ experience as a documentalist;
Proven experience managing a documentation project and a good understanding of information management issues;
Excellent command of the technologies used to put information online (databases). Familiarity with Lotus Notes and the ICRC’s Content Management System an asset;
Good knowledge of IHL (through, for example, confirmed experience in a documentation centre specializing in IHL).


Desired profile

Ability to innovate and to put forward solutions to complex problems in the management and organization of information
Ability to lead a project-based multidisciplinary working group
Strong ability to collaborate and coordinate with other units
Rigorous approach to managing a project and executing tasks
A flair for organization
Fluent in English and French; Spanish considered an asset.

Minimum length of assignment : Two years, extendable

Start date : 1 March 2010

http://www.icrc.org/web/eng/siteeng0.nsf/html/hq-documentalist-uk