Archivist (Reference), P-3. UNHCR, Geneva. Open until 18 October 2018

Job Title			- Archivist  (Reference)			Job ID			15859
	Location
			- Geneva, Switzerland
					Salary Grade					P3
	Hardship Level -		H	Family Location Type					Family
	Procedures and Eligibility Before submitting an application, UNHCR staff members intending to apply to this Job Opening are requested to consult the Recruitment and Assignments Policy (RAP, UNHCR/HCP/2017/2 and the Recruitment and Assignments Administrative Instruction (RAAI), UNHCR/AI/2017/7 OF 15 August 2017. Duties and Qualifications Archivist (Reference) ORGANIZATIONAL CONTEXT The Archives of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees exists to make the experience of UNHCR, as embodied in its records and related materials, available to guide and assist the Organization in planning and conducting its activities, and to provide information to meet the research needs of the persons of interest to UNHCR, the scholarly community, and the general public. Established in 1996, the UNHCR Archives includes material from more than half a century of field operations around the world as well as material from headquarters, predecessor agencies and from individual donors. It occupies about 10 kilometres of shelving space on two basement floors in Geneva's headquarters. Electronic archives, comprising some 8 million documents, are stored and managed in a document management system accessible to authorized staff through Internet. The UNHCR Archives is committed to promoting the knowledge of UNHCR history, and to making research materials available not only to internal users, but also to  external users while balancing researchers' need for access with the needs for confidentiality of persons and institutions whose activities are reflected in the records. Under the supervision of the Senior Archivist, the Archivist (Reference) is responsible for the appraisal, accession, preservation, arrangement and description of UNHCR archives, the reference services for both staffers and external researchers and the promotion of the Archives contents. The incumbent of this position supervises one general services staff member and coordinates archival projects with partners, interns and volunteers.     FUNCTIONAL STATEMENT STATEMENT Accountability UNHCR documentary evidence of past activities and decisions is preserved, protected, and made available to UNHCR and its global workforce and to external stakeholders.    Responsibility - Adapt international standards and best practices to UNHCR Archives. - Appraise UNHCR permanent records and ensure that they are transferred to the corporate Archives at Headquarters for custody. - Ensure proper preservation of archival materials in all type of formats. - Arrange and describe UNHCR Archival materials. - Provide internal and external researchers with access to UNHCR archival records. - Promote the knowledge and use of UNHCR Archives, internally and externally. - Collaborate with other services in the Division of External Relations, in the development and organization of outreach activities. - Liaise with other Divisions, stakeholders and information providers (i.e. Refworld) for a consolidated access and preservation approach for UNHCR archival records. - Be UNOG Library Focal Point. - Develop content for learning programmes for internal researchers related to archives. - Advise on UNHCR's access policy. - Work closely with the Archivist (Records Management) for a coordinated, systematic management of semi-active and inactive paper and electronic records, including implementation of records schedules.    Authority - Develop and implement strategies, policies, procedures and guidelines for archives. - Develop content for learning programmes related to archives management. - Implement records disposition and destruction schedules. - Advise on the appraisal of  UNHCR permanent records. - Provide access to UNHCR records to internal and external researchers.     ESSENTIAL MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS AND PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE - Undergraduate degree (equivalent of a BA/BS) in archival management; or in history or related discipline with additional training as provided by universities and/or professional archival associations plus minimum 6 years of experience in progressively responsible functions in relation to Archives. Of the six years, minimum of three years of experience should be in an international environment in the same functional area directly relevant to the current position. Graduate degree (equivalent of a Master¿s) plus 5 years or Doctorate degree (equivalent of a PhD) plus 4 years of previous relevant work experience may also be accepted. -  Knowledge of archival principles, functions, techniques, methods, and standards. -  Experience in arrangement and description, appraisal, disposition and preservation of records in all types of media (e.g. electronic records, films and videos, photos and traditional paper files. -  Experience in organizing outreach activities. -  Experience in  archives reference and consultation services. -  Familiarity with current trends in archival research. -  Knowledge of moderns trends on long term preservation on all types of media. - Excellent knowledge of English (written/oral/comprehension).    DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS & COMPETENCIES: - Working knowledge of French and/or other UN languages. - Knowledge of  records management principles. - Knowledge of enterprise content management suites. - Familiarity with audio-visual archives. - Experience with digitalization projects. Position Competencies C001L3 - Accountability Level 3 C002L3 - Teamwork & Collaboration Level 3 C003L3 - Communication Level 3 C004L3 - Commitment to Continuous Learning Level 3 C005L3 - Client & Result Orientation Level 3 C006L3 - Organizational Awareness Level 3 M002L3 - Managing Performance Level 3 M003L3 - Judgement and Decision Making Level 3 M004L3 - Strategic Planning and Vision Level 3 X001L3 - Analytical Thinking Level 3 X003L3 - Technological Awareness Level 3 X005L3 - Planning and Organizing Level 3 Additional  Information The UNHCR workforce consists of many diverse nationalities, cultures, languages and opinions. UNHCR seeks to sustain and strengthen this diversity to ensure equal opportunities as well as an inclusive working environment for its entire workforce. Applications are encouraged from all qualified candidates without distinction on grounds of race, colour, sex, national origin, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation and gender identity. ======================================================================================================== See below for this postion's Operational Context ======================================================================================================== Additional  Information For those people applying for High Risk Duty Stations, we strongly encourage them – before deciding to apply- to read the country specific security and welfare country profiles which can be found on the Intranet under Support Services - Duty of Care (https://intranet.unhcr.org/en/support-services/duty-of-care.html). Ensuring staff are better informed is part of the increased attention UNHCR is paying to Duty of Care. Staff after having applied to High Risk Duty Stations will have access to country specific information webinars with Field Safety Section (FSS) and Staff Welfare Section (SWS) colleagues and provided with a tool to test their psychological preparedness for serving in High Risk Duty Stations. Applicants who applied for a position in a High Risk country will receive, after the deadline for applications has expired, a joint invitation from the Staff Welfare Section (SWS) and the Field Safety Section (FSS) to participate in these webinars. During the Webinars, latest updates on security and well-being will be provided, and FSS and SWS will address questions raised by participants. Applicants are highly encouraged to benefit, when applicable, from all measures as they provide most up-to-date security and well-being information helpful to assess staff’s readiness to serve in a High Risk Duty Station. A Staff Welfare Officer will also be available, if and when required, to discuss with interested applicants the results of the psychological preparedness tool as well as readiness for assignment in High Risk Duty Stations. Desirable Attributes - Experience with archival reference - Experience managing archival arrangement and description projects - Experience working with ISAD(G) compliant databases - Experience managing projects - Experience leading teams - Experience with appraisal, disposition and preservation of records - Experience working with confidential records - Be familiar with digital preservation and electronic records management systems - Excellent knowledge of English, working knowledge of French Current Situation The Archives of UNHCR contain around 13 lineal km of paper files, which are progressively being appraised and described.  The number and complexity of the internal and external reference request have been growing in the last years and seem to continue doing so as more collections are open to the public and interest in subjects related to refugees increases.  A Digital Preservation System is being implemented and integrated with other systems such as the Archives Catalogue and the EDRMS system. The reference archivist works in close collaboration with the Records Management and the Digital Preservation team. Balancing urgent information requests with arrangement and description and preservations projects is needed and capacity to prioritize competing needs and limited resources is needed for this position. Working and Living Conditions The position is based in the Division of External Relations at Headquarters. While the living conditions in Geneva are excellent, working at Headquarters can involve significant levels of stress and demands that at times exceed the reasonable capacities of the team. Security Considerations No specific security considerations pertain to this post. Geneva is a safe environment. Additional Factors Excellent English -- spoken and written -- are essential for this position; command of French is highly desirable. Closing Date Please note that the closing date for all vacancies in the September 2018 Compendium is Thursday 18 October  2018 (midnight Geneva time).