The Museum of Flight

Museum Records Archivist
Job Category: Curatorial and Collections
Requisition Number: MUSEU001425
 

Posting Details
Posted: March 6, 2025
Full-Time
Locations Showing 1 location
The Museum of Flight
Seattle, WA 98108, USA
Job Details
Description
 **This is a temporary position planned for 1 year with the possibility of extension**

*As part of the application process, please include a resume and cover letter with your submission*

The Museum of Flight is seeking an individual to join its Collections department to help manage its institutional records and prepare the collections to move off-site. This position is perfect for an archivist with experience working with institutional records and implementing records retention schedules. Organization, attention to detail, good communication skills, willingness to perform physical work, and ability to work independently are essential. The right person for this position will have training in archival theory and practice or records management, knowledge or experience working with a variety of archival materials, and be passionate about preserving historical materials related to the extensive history of aviation and space exploration.

Summary
The Museum Records Archivist supports the mission of The Museum of Flight by performing basic archival processing and preservation tasks while incorporating efficient processing procedures to provide stewardship for the Museum’s institutional records. This position will review existing institutional records, rehouse them as needed to prepare to be moved, create a high-level inventory of the materials, and input data into the archives collection management system, specifically related to the moving and storage of the Museum’s collections. Additionally, this person supports operations of the Dahlberg Research Center by assisting with reference requests related to the Museum’s history and its aircraft.

 

Essential Duties & Responsibilities
Following is a summary of the essential functions for this job. Other duties may be performed both major and minor, which are not mentioned below. Specific activities may change from time to time. To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential job duty satisfactorily. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential job functions.

Establish the process of physical and intellectual control over the Museum’s institutional records which may include administrative, operational, and curatorial records; documentation files about and operational manuals for the Museum’s aircraft; and small objects from the Museum’s history.
Prepare assigned materials to be safely moved and stored, including rehousing, barcoding, creating inventories, and maintaining data in collections management system.
Provide recommendations to the Director of Collections for development of the records retention schedule for the Museum. Work with staff from other departments to identify and receive files slated for permanent retention and incorporate them into the archives.
Follow internal archival procedures and professional best practices to physically process, preserve, and arrange the Museum’s institutional records, including both physical and born-digital assets, and incorporating efficient processing procedures. Maintain collection information using our archives collection database (ArchivesSpace).
Carefully handle all materials using professionally accepted techniques and procedures; house, label, and prepare materials for long-term storage including paper-based documents; photographic materials including prints, negatives, slides, and transparencies; oversize blueprints and technical drawings; audio-visual materials such as audiocassettes, video cassettes, optical media and film; born-digital records; and small objects.
Under the direction of the Collections Manager, catalog the objects from the Museum’s history using our collections management database (Re:Discovery Proficio) following internal guidelines and professional best practices for object cataloging.
Support the operations of the Dahlberg Research Center by assisting staff, in-person researchers and remote patrons with research requests related to the Museum and its aircraft. Reference work may include communicating effectively with requestors, researching, and locating potential images or documents within the collection, preparing contact sheets and image files, coordinating scanning with the Digitization Specialist, issuing invoices, and collecting payment and license agreements as needed.
Monitor current developments, trends, and emerging technologies in the field of archives (specifically related to records management and institutional records) and engage with the professional community on a local, state, or national level to keep skills current.
Assist with the recruitment, training and directing interns and volunteers for specific, targeted processing projects.
Assist the Supervisory Archivist with ensuring that the Museum’s institutional records are properly stored, secure and accessed only by authorized users.
Assist with departmental outreach efforts, including writing articles to promote the archives in the Museum’s member magazine or other publications, creating social media posts, and/or giving public presentations.
Perform other duties as assigned.
 

Qualifications
Education & Experience

Graduate degree in Museum Studies, Library Sciences, Information Studies, or related field with an emphasis on archival studies and/or records management.
At minimum two (2) years’ experience in archival repositories, records management, or with museum collections is required.
 

Knowledge

Demonstrated expertise in arranging and describing archival materials with DACS-compliant finding aids.
Demonstrated expertise in implementing records retention schedules and applying professional records management best practices and standards.
Familiarity with efficient and extensible accessioning and processing techniques.
Working knowledge of basic preservation of archival and museum collections including ability to demonstrate proper handling, housing, and storage.
Familiarity with professional archival and library descriptive standards such as EAD, DACS, MARC, LCSH, RDA and others.
Familiarity with museum object cataloging standards.
Familiarity with archival, collections management, and library databases, such as ArchivesSpace, Re:Discovery Proficio, and/or EOS.
Familiarity with processing born-digital files, including ingest, processing and cataloging and using digital preservation systems and software.
General understanding of copyright law and rights issues.
Knowledge of/interest in aviation and/or space history is preferred.
 

Skills

Proven strong organizational skills including project and time management skills.
Proven strong research skills.
Excellent oral and written communication skills
Computer proficiency in a Microsoft Windows environment.
 

Abilities

Ability to demonstrate proper handling, housing, and storage of collections materials.
Ability to be exceptionally detail oriented.
Ability to work independently with self-initiative and minimal supervision.
Ability to manage time effectively and balance multiple priorities.
Committed to supporting diversity, equity, and access in the archives.
 

License & Certification

Certified Archivist (CA), Certified Records Manager (CRM) and/or SAA’s Digital Archives Specialist (DAS) certificate(s) preferred.
 

Work Environment
The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Schedule is set by the supervisor with flexibility for evening and variable hours based on Museum need.
Onsite attendance is essential to perform some duties of this position.
Little to no travel is expected for this position.
 

Physical Demands
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Must be able to lift up to 40 pounds.
Able to climb stairs repeatedly throughout the workday.
Careful handling of delicate and rare archival materials, repetitive wrist and arm motions resulting from heavy computer data entry requirements.
This position works in an office environment with long sedentary periods and repetitive wrist and arm movement.
The ability to focus, bend, carry, reach to the side, front and overhead, push, pull, walk, stand, twist and squat are occasional requirements in a normal office setting.
Able to use a ladder and work in elevated spaces for short periods of time to place and retrieve boxes from high shelves.
 

Benefits
The Museum of Flight offers full-time employees a generous and comprehensive benefits package which includes medical, dental, vision, flexible spending accounts, a 403(b) retirement plan with a 5% match after 1 year of service, Employee Assistance Program, as well as company paid life insurance, Accidental Death and Dismemberment, and long-term disability.

 

Paid-Time Off
Our paid time-off plans include 2 weeks of accrued sick leave and 2 weeks of vacation (80 hours each) per year, 10 paid holidays, and 2 floating holidays.

 

Compensation
The hourly range for this position is $27.00 - $31.00 depending on experience. 

Should you receive an offer, please expect that it can fall anywhere within this range. A multitude of factors will determine a fair salary based on the following: scope of role within the organization, years of relevant experience, specific skills, and evaluation of capability to execute in role successfully (among other critical factors).

 

Important Information
The Museum of Flight is committed to reflecting the diverse community around us. We continue to listen, learn, and implement change so that we can become a more inclusive organization that addresses bias and inequity, and better serves our communities. We highly encourage persons of color, members of marginalized communities, women, non-binary, and LGBTQIA+ individuals to apply.

Prior to hire and once an initial offer of employment has been made, a background check including criminal record history will be conducted. Information from the background check will not necessarily preclude employment but will be considered in determining the applicant's suitability and competence to perform in the position.

The Museum of Flight is an equal opportunity employer, dedicated to a policy of non-discrimination in employment on any basis including race, color, age, sex, religion, national origin, disability, veteran’s status, sexual orientation, or gender identity/expression.

This organization participates in E-Verify.
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