Archivist, University Archives - UBC, Vancouver

The opportunity

The University of British Columbia Library invites applications for an Archivist, University Archives. Serving as the central repository for recorded data created by, for, and about UBC, the University Archives identifies, selects, preserves, and makes permanently valuable records available for use. This full-time confirmation-track appointment has an anticipated start date of January 2027 and offers an opportunity to join one of the largest academic libraries in Canada. Eligible candidates include librarians with a maximum of 5 years of professional library experience, alongside all internal candidates.

Day-to-day

The Archivist, University Archives reports to the Head of Rare Books and Special Collections and University Archives, carrying out core administrative, preservation, and outreach duties across the department.

• Lead the identification, acquisition, appraisal, arrangement, description, preservation, and provision of access to archival materials in all formats
• Collaborate with the Records Management Archivist to establish transfer procedures and workflows aligned with Board of Governors policies and long-term preservation requirements
• Provide leadership in the development of archival policies and negotiate acquisitions of private records from faculty, administrators, and affiliated organizations
• Oversee the creation and maintenance of standards-based finding aids, review collections and services to reflect community diversity, and supervise physical collections management and storage
• Coordinate reference, instruction, collections development, and outreach activities, promoting archival holdings through exhibitions and other initiatives
• Prepare grant applications, develop partnerships, supervise staff and student workers as required, and participate in library and campus committees, professional organizations, and the university community

What you'll bring

Candidates must meet specific required qualifications and are evaluated against a set of preferred criteria to support excellence in library management and archival administration.

• Masters-level degree with a specialization or concentration in archival science
• Experience in planning and executing the processing, arrangement, and description of archival materials
• Experience working with archival material in all formats, including textual records, audio-visual materials, digitized and born digital materials, publications, maps, and ephemera
• Strong written and oral communication skills
• Experience in core archival functions and knowledge of archival descriptive standards, particularly the Rules for Archival Description (RAD), and with relevant archival management systems
• Demonstrated ability to initiate, plan, and carry out projects, both independently and as a member of a team
• Experience building productive relationships and working collegially with diverse populations of employees and patrons in keeping with the UBC Respectful Environment Statement
• Willingness to respect diverse perspectives, including perspectives in conflict with one's own
• Demonstrates a commitment to enhancing one's own awareness, knowledge, and skills related to equity, diversity, and inclusion