Job Summary Table of Digital Archivist

Job Description Summary

The Digital Archivist will play a pivotal role in supporting the discovery and access of Hoover Institution Library & Archives’ born-digital collections by implementing workflows for processing, preservation, and dissemination of digital assets across various languages, content types, and file formats.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate with internal and external stakeholders to maintain the flow of born-digital collection materials throughout accessioning and processing workflows, under the guidance of the Head of Description.
• Implement and execute plans to appraise, process, describe, preserve, and provide access to born-digital collection materials under OAIS-compliant workflows.
• Assist in determining policies and procedures for the curation of born-digital collection materials according to professional standards using scalable and sustainable methods.
• Contribute to the ongoing development and review of technologies and their application to digital archival processing and researcher-usability.
• Assist in selecting, configuring, maintaining, and troubleshooting hardware and software used for accessioning, processing, and preservation workflows.
• Support the migration and normalization of data backlogs and create/maintain documentation for workflows and procedures.
• Identify and collaborate with partners regarding education and outreach activities to promote digital collections.
• Engage in regional and national communities to integrate best and emerging practices in digital archives.
• May supervise other staff and student assistants as needed.

Digital Archiving in the Modern Research Environment

The Hoover Institution’s Digital Archivist position represents a critical role in preserving historical materials for future generations of researchers. As digital collections continue to grow in importance, the skills required to effectively manage these assets have become increasingly specialized. This position combines technical expertise with archival principles to ensure the long-term accessibility of born-digital materials.

Benefits and Perks

• Comprehensive rewards package (details available at Cardinal at Work website)
• Opportunity to work with world-renowned archival collections
• Flexible work arrangements (hybrid or fully remote options available)
• Professional development opportunities through engagement with regional and national archival communities
• Collaborative work environment with leading scholars and information professionals

Company Overview

The Hoover Institution on War, Revolution, and Peace is a public policy research center devoted to the advanced study of economics, politics, history, and political economy—both domestic and foreign—as well as international affairs. Founded in 1919 by Herbert Hoover before he became the thirty-first president of the United States, the Institution began as a repository of historical material gathered at the end of World War I. The library and archives have grown to be among the largest private repositories of documents on twentieth-century political and economic history.

Career Growth Opportunities

Working at the Hoover Institution provides unique opportunities for professional growth in the fields of digital preservation, archival science, and information management. As digital collections continue to evolve, the Digital Archivist will be at the forefront of developing innovative approaches to managing these materials, providing valuable experience applicable across academic, cultural, and government institutions.

Digital Archiving Skills and Requirements

Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Excellent interpersonal skills, mature judgment, and diplomacy required to interact effectively with and provide customer service to a broad audience.
• Ability to work independently and effectively in a collaborative, fast-paced environment; ability to adapt to change, analyze and assess evolving needs, and take initiative to seek creative solutions.
• Demonstrated knowledge of digital formats, digital asset management and preservation solutions, concepts related to digital asset migration and reformatting, and metadata mapping.
• Demonstrated experience developing and implementing workflows for digital materials, and communicating these workflows effectively to colleagues.
• Experience with specialized forensics tools (e.g., hardware Writeblockers, FTK Imager, utilities found in the BitCurator environment), performing fixity checks, and format validation.
• Knowledge of archival arrangement and description principles with a focus on born-digital materials and professional standards for descriptive metadata.
• Experience with collection management software such as ArchiveSpace; excellent knowledge of EAD and XML.
• Strong MS Office suite skills and effective written and verbal communication abilities.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with scripting or programming languages to automate workflows and processes
• Experience with digital object optimization, including OCR generation and quality assessment, speech-to-text, and other machine-learning text recognition output

Physical Requirements

The position requires the ability to perform desk-based computer tasks, frequent sitting, and occasional lifting of objects up to 40 pounds. The Digital Archivist may work in confined spaces with exposure to dust and mold, and some evening/weekend work may be required.

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging

Stanford University is an equal employment opportunity and affirmative action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

Remote Work Policy

This position offers flexible work arrangements. Remote candidates will be considered, with compensation adjusted based on geographic location. Stanford University has five Regional Pay Structures, and the compensation for this position will vary accordingly.

Application Process

1. Apply through the Stanford careers website: http://stanfordcareers.stanford.edu (Requisition #106380)
2. Submit a cover letter and resume for full consideration
3. Complete any additional application requirements as specified during the application process

How to Apply

To ensure your application information is captured in Stanford’s official files for immediate access to your resume, you must apply directly through the Stanford careers website at http://stanfordcareers.stanford.edu and indicate Requisition #106380 in the keyword search box.

Digital Archiving: Preserving Today’s History for Tomorrow’s Research

The Digital Archivist position at Stanford’s Hoover Institution represents an opportunity to work at the intersection of history, technology, and information science. As digital collections continue to grow in importance, the skills developed in this role will become increasingly valuable across cultural heritage institutions, research libraries, and academic environments.

For candidates passionate about digital preservation, archival access, and historical research, this position offers a unique opportunity to work with world-class collections while developing cutting-edge skills in born-digital processing and preservation.

The successful candidate will join an institution with a legacy of excellence in preserving historical materials and a commitment to making these resources accessible to researchers worldwide. With hybrid and remote work options available, this position offers flexibility while maintaining connection to one of the world’s premier research institutions.

Equal Opportunity Statement

Consistent with its obligations under the law, Stanford University will provide reasonable accommodations to applicants and employees with disabilities. The Hoover Institution at Stanford is an equal employment opportunity and affirmative action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to protected characteristics under applicable law.

Explore Blog Articles:

1. UK Skilled Worker Visa – Complete Guide
2. Sweden Job Seeker Visa – How to Apply
3. Portugal’s Job Seeker Visa – What You Need to Know
4. Germany EU Blue Card – Benefits and Requirements