Archives Services Manager

About the Role

We are an organization dedicated to the preservation, management, and accessibility of important historical, cultural, institutional, and digital records. Operating with distributed teams across diverse departments such as Archives, Records Management, Information Governance, Digital Preservation, and more, we aim to protect and unlock valuable organizational knowledge assets.

Key Responsibilities

• Design and apply strategies for archival services, collection frameworks, preservation policies, and governance standards that align with company goals.
• Oversee all archival operations including acquisition, appraisal, organization, cataloging, preservation, access control, and reference services related to archives.
• Collaborate with various departments and external stakeholders like legal, IT, communications, and cultural organizations to manage archives effectively.
• Develop and update archival policies, retention schedules, metadata standards, preservation techniques, and access protocols.
• Manage both physical and digital archives, encompassing documents, photographs, manuscripts, audiovisual content, institutional records, and digital assets.
• Lead digitization projects including scanning, OCR, metadata creation, digital repository administration, and workflows for preserving digital materials.
• Establish and maintain quality standards for archival conservation, environmental controls, disaster recovery, and risk management related to preservation.
• Administer archival information systems, digital repositories, collection databases, and access technologies.
• Provide research assistance, consultations, exhibitions, knowledge-sharing, and initiatives to engage stakeholders.
• Coordinate partnerships with external archives, museums, academic institutions, cultural bodies, researchers, and government agencies.
• Develop educational programs, training sessions, workshops, and awareness campaigns on archival topics.
• Monitor performance metrics such as collection processing rates, digitization progress, preservation quality, user satisfaction, metadata accuracy, compliance, and service effectiveness.
• Perform audits, assessments, evaluations, benchmarking, and continuous improvements across archival services.
• Ensure the archives comply with UAE-specific records regulations, cultural heritage laws, data protection, copyright, information security, and governance frameworks.
• Manage budgets, resources, vendor relationships, and software platforms related to archival services and preservation.
• Drive digital transformation initiatives leveraging artificial intelligence for enhanced discovery, metadata automation, classification, analytics, workflow automation, and business intelligence.
• Use tools such as ArchivesSpace, AtoM, Preservica, CONTENTdm, SharePoint, Microsoft 365, Alfresco, Laserfiche, Adobe Acrobat Pro, OCR, Power BI, and Tableau to optimize archival workflows and create actionable insights.
• Prepare reports, executive dashboards, and strategic recommendations for senior leadership based on archival data and performance.
• Lead and mentor archival professionals and support teams fostering a culture of preservation, collaboration, accountability, and ongoing development.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in fields like Archives Management, Library Science, Information Management, History, or related disciplines.
• Master's degree in Archival Studies, Library and Information Science, Information Governance, or Digital Humanities is a significant plus.
• Preferably hold professional certifications in archival or records management, information governance, digital preservation, or project management.
• At least 5 years of relevant experience in archives, records management, digital preservation, information governance, library services, or cultural heritage.
• Unitedly 2 or more years managing archival collections, digitization, teams, records systems, or knowledge management projects.
• Expertise in archival principles, appraisal, arrangement, metadata standards, preservation techniques, digital archives, records lifecycle, research services, and governance.
• Proficient with archival systems and software including ArchivesSpace, AtoM, Preservica, CONTENTdm, SharePoint, Microsoft 365, Alfresco, Laserfiche, Adobe Acrobat Pro, OCR tools, Power BI, and Tableau.
• Knowledge of AI-driven archival technologies, automated metadata extraction, intelligent search, digital preservation platforms, machine learning classification, and knowledge graphs is highly valued.
• Strong leadership, communication, project management, stakeholder engagement, budgeting, analytical thinking, and problem-solving skills.
• Capability to manage multiple archival initiatives balancing preservation, access, compliance, resources, budgets, deadlines, and priorities.
• Experience working effectively in remote, distributed teams collaborating with stakeholders worldwide; occasional travel may be necessary.

What We Offer

• Workfully remote arrangement with flexible collaboration across global archival and knowledge management teams.
• Competitive remuneration with performance-linked incentives.
• Comprehensive health and wellness offerings.
• Opportunities for professional growth and leadership within the archival field.
• Access to and experience with cutting-edge AI and digital archival technologies.
• A collaborative and innovative culture emphasizing preservation, accessibility, and continuous improvement.
• The chance to safeguard historical and institutional knowledge to benefit future generations.